Job overview
Senior Practice Development Midwife, Band 7 (30 hours a week)
This hugely exciting role is as a job share to lead the organisation and facilitation of practice development, training and education within GHNHSFT maternity services. The successful candidate will provide expert advice, knowledge, guidance and support to clinicians in order to enhance care provision across the Trusts maternity services through a combination of research, policy and continuing professional development for Midwives, Medical staff, Students and Maternity Care Assistants working within maternity services.
Maternity services at Gloucestershire hospitals offer a full range of services to support the women of Gloucestershire. We deliver around 6000 babies a year across our two free-standing birth units, an along-side birth unit, home births and an Obstetric unit, offering midwives the opportunity to work in a variety of settings in our community services, birth units and Delivery Suite.
The Senior Practice Development Midwife role is a fantastic opportunity for any Midwife keen to develop professional practice, education and training skills, leadership and management experience.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide learning, education and support which enables midwives, support staff, multi-disciplinary team members and students to develop their practice, enhance the safety and experience of women and their families and support the development of others by:
- Facilitating an environment of lifelong learning for midwives, students and support staff.
- Identifying and leading on developments in practice.
- Developing and maintaining clinical competence in all areas.
- Assist with the audit of midwifery practice.
- Participate in policy and standard formulation, providing evidence-based information to inform the process of ensuring high quality midwifery care and education.
- Contributing to the Maternity Clinical Governance Strategy
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
The post holder will occasionally be required to work clinically to support the clinical areas and should declare any clinical restrictions in their application/interview.
- The post holder will be on the Midwifery on-call rota (approximately 1-2 on calls a month currently).
- Practice with due attention to The Code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates. (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2018) and The Standards of Proficiency for Midwives (NMC, 2019).
- Provide a positive role model for Midwives and Student Midwives in relation to midwifery clinical practice.
- Demonstrate clinical practice, providing a visible presence within the maternity unit and ensure regular contact with staff.
- Maintain own clinical skills relevant to the development of midwifery practice using research evidence-based practice.
- Support the maternity and multidisciplinary team in the development of staff in the clinical area, and act as a clinical / educational resource to all members of the team.
- Provide clinical knowledge and can give specialist advice to midwives and support them as practitioners with in The Standards of proficiency for Midwives (NMC, 2019).
- Assist and support the Matrons and clinical practice facilitators to deliver maternity rotational training days including being able to teach clinical skills such as perineal suturing, episiotomy, venepuncture and cannulation.
- Work as a team member, ensuring good communication and collaborative working relationships are maintained throughout the division and the Trust.
- Ability to recognise clinical compilations and deal with clinical complications or emergencies in a safe and appropriate manner.
- GIC trained or Resuscitation Council UK NLS provider status, or willingness to undertake and complete this training.
Please refer to the Job Description for further details of the responsibilities.
Person specification
Clinical/Experience
Desirable
- Extensive post midwifery qualification experience
- Previous experience of training and education
- Midwifery mentor (pre 2018) or Practice Supervisor & Practice Assessor qualification
- Previous experience of leading a project or change initiative
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Enthusiastic and self-aware
- Creative and Flexible
- Resilient under pressure
- Team focused
- Reliable, Adaptable and Dependable
- Respects the privacy and dignity of the individual
- Understands the implications of Equal opportunities in practice
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Personally resilient and able to manage complexity and work in an ambiguous or changing environment.
- Excellent presentational, communication and interpersonal skills
- Excellent computer skills and ability to utilise Word; Excel and Powerpoint
- Decision making skills
- Able to supervise non-registered and less experienced staff to ensure effective service and care delivery.
- Able to effectively and appropriately escalate concerns to reduce risk and promote patient safety
- Able to contribute to the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies/protocols/guidelines relevant to area of practice.
- Demonstrates ability to question and challenge practice in a constructive way so that standards of service delivery are continually evaluated and improved.
- Tenacity to pursue goals energetically and succeed despite resistance
- Strong, professional leadership qualities, assertive and self-confident individual
- Ability to lead, manage and motivate all staff within sphere of responsibility
- Self-motivated and able to work under own initiative and prioritise workload
Desirable
- Experience in using social media platforms to depart information
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- Active registration with the NMC as a registered Midwife
- Midwifery degree
- Evidence of ongoing professional development through maintenance of professional portfolio and registration revalidation
Desirable
- Newborn Infant Physical Examiner
- GIC trained or Resuscitation Council UK NLS provider status
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Senior Practice Development Midwife, Band 7 with Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Cheltenham, South West, England. It is listed as a Band 7 Midwife role. The advertised salary is £49,387 - £56,515 (pa, pro rata if part-time). The contract type is 12 months (12 months fixed term). The application deadline is 15 Jul 2026.
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