Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and knowledgeable Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Midwife to join the maternity service at University Hospital Southampton. The role requires the leadership of an experienced midwife with expertise in perinatal mental health.

University Hospital Southampton is a forward-thinking hospital working with partners at the leading edge of healthcare for the benefit of our patients. Our maternity service embodies the Trust Values putting women and their families at the centre of our care, working together and always improving to achieve excellence in everything we do. We serve a diverse population across a large geographical area and around 5400 babies are born with us every year. We provide tertiary maternal, fetal and neonatal medicine across the region. Together we are passionate about delivering safe, high quality and efficient care to women, whatever their background or clinical need; allowing you to gain a wide range of experience across the entire childbirth continuum.

The Specialist Midwife for Perinatal Mental Health will work as part of the vulnerable women’s team which includes safeguarding, domestic abuse, and perinatal mental health.  The post holder will offer support and leadership to the midwifery team at UHS as well as close collaborative working at system level with the newly regional appointed consultant midwife for perinatal maternal mental health.

Main duties of the job

Attached you will find the person specification document which provides more detail about the essential and desirable skills and experience needed for this role. We highly recommend you review this document and use it when completing your application as these criteria are used by hiring managers as guidance during shortlisting. 

For an overview of the main duties of the role please see the ‘Job Description and Main Responsibilities’ section below. To understand the day-to-day responsibilities in more detail please read the full job description document attached. 

Working for our organisation

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care. 

All non-clinical roles may involve a mixture of on site and remote working, Specific details and flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 20% lower than London and 14 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

WHAT YOU’LL DO

You will play a key role in developing and maintaining high standards of care for women / birthing people with mental health complexities during pregnancy and the postnatal period.

You will act as an expert and a role model in the field of perinatal mental health and provide clinical and professional leadership to the Maternity service. This role will have key specialist clinical, consultive, training, practice development and strategic responsibilities. 

You will provide a link between the maternity service and the other services involved in mental health care to women and birthing people, including local IAPT providers and specialist mental health teams (MMHS, CMHT, PMHT).

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for a midwife with relevant experience, skills and qualifications in perinatal mental health, alongside well developed leadership skills, who can work independently and as part of the multi-disciplinary team.

You will be committed to delivering high quality care that is responsive to the needs of the local community and will actively engage the people who use our service to improve care delivery and service co-design, ensuring feedback is used to improve perinatal mental health services. 

You will have experience of teaching and supervision to ensure that staff are competent and confident in delivering services to women and birthing people with mental health complexity. You will lead on the provision of evidence based perinatal mental health training, support, and advice to the wider workforce.

Person specification

Trust values

Essential criteria

• Patient First
• Always Improving
• Working Together

Qualifications / training required

Essential criteria

• Registered Midwife on relevant part of the NMC register
• Significant clinical experience
• Associate/mentorship qualification or equivalent experience
• Diploma or degree in midwifery
• Evidence of continual professional development

Desirable criteria

• Leadership training
• Examination of the newborn qualification

Previous or relevant experience necessary

Essential criteria

• Relevant and recent clinical experience or with the ability to demonstrate significant experience in midwifery practice and responsibility for managing a clinical team
• Experience of setting and monitoring standards
• Demonstrate specialist expertise underpinned by evidence-based care philosophy
• Evidence of proven leadership and management skills
• Previous involvement of multi-disciplinary team working and multi-agency working across the health and social economy
• • Ability to work within a broad, inter-professional team

Desirable criteria

• Experience of writing protocols, guidelines and integrated care pathways
• High dependency course
• Team leadership role
• Evidence of audit
• Experience of leading change management programmes

Aptitudes and skills required

Essential criteria

• Confident of own knowledge base
• Expert clinical skills relevant to speciality and achievement of all midwifery competencies
• Negotiation skills
• Synthesise information quickly and able to communicate and escalate
• Excellent communication skills, be able to communicate effectively at all levels
• Innovate approach to problem solving
• Leadership skills
• Able to manage workload autonomously
• IT skills (Microsoft systems)
• Demonstrate ability to influence and motivate others
• Skills in conflict resolution
• Have ability to network, initiate and develop sound relationships with senior colleagues within and external to the Trust
• Positive attitude
• Team player, highly motivated and enthusiastic
• Tenacity and assertiveness
• Supportive and able to listen to other views
• Proactive and acts on initiative
• Able to justify own decisions
• Good self-awareness

Desirable criteria

• Willingness to teach practice in a formal setting

Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if large numbers of applications are received.

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we are unable to acknowledge receipt of your application. If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date of this post, please presume that you have not been selected for interview.

Applicants from University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust whose posts are considered to be ‘At Risk’ will be given prior consideration for this post

Our Trust runs the return to practice course each year for nurses who have been out of the profession and wish to return. To find out more please visit our website:

http://www.uhs.nhs.uk/WorkingHere/Typesofjob/Nurses/Returntonursing.aspx

http://www.discoversouthampton.co.uk/   Information on Southampton as a place to live and enjoy

https://www.uhs-vle.co.uk/   See what fantastic training and development we have on offer at UHS

http://www.youtube.com/user/SouthamptonHospitals learn about the Trust through visiting our YouTube channel 

Getting to Work

Application can be made for parking on site at UHS or through one of the park and ride schemes. This will be based on specific criteria to determine eligibility for site parking as this can be very limited.  UHS encourages staff to utilise other green methods of getting to work such as cycling or walking where possible. UHS is well connected through bus services to the city centre and other areas.

Please note that we will not accept any applications or queries via agencies, under any circumstances.

Our staff are positive about working at UHS and rate us above average compared to other NHS Trusts in the Staff Attitude Survey. We are rated strongly on a number of areas including teamwork, communication and engagement.

Equality remains at the centre of all Trust policy making, service delivery and employment practice with all employees being given equality of opportunity to develop, apply for promotion and have working arrangements that enable them to achieve a manageable work-life balance.

The Trust actively promotes a work environment free from harassment and discrimination and provides training for managers and staff to ensure this happens. The Trust also closely monitors recruitment activity, training and development and employment practices to ensure equality of practice with regard to race, colour, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status and age.

As a service provider the Trust ensures equality of access and delivery of our services through the provision of interpreter services, facilities for the disabled and sensitivity for patients ethnic and religious differences and needs.

Relocating to Southampton

If you are thinking of moving to the Hampshire area, please find below a link to our website which offers guidance on finding accommodation:

http://www.uhs.nhs.uk/relocating-to-southampton

The Trust is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you have provided on this form for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.