SHSCT Midwife Birth at Home Band 6

Job details

• Branch: Craigavon & Banbridge area (SHSCT)
• Location: Craigavon Area Hosp-Main Building
• Directorate: Children & Young People's Services
• Salary: Band 6 (£38,682 - £46,580)
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Opening Date: 17/08/26
• Closes: Tue, 01 September 2026 @ 4:00 PM
• Interview Dates: TBC

Notes

Online and manual applications accepted. Important Information If you are submitting a manual application, please post it to: Recruitment Shared Services, Rosewood Villa, Longstone Hospital Site, 73 Loughgall Road, Armagh, BT61 7PR. Applications received after the advertised closing date/time cannot be considered, so please allow enough time for postage. A waiting list may be created for similar posts that may arise while the waiting list is live, this may include temporary or part-time posts. This will be managed in line with the updated HSC waiting list principles effective from 1 April 2026. Where a part-time waiting list is required, one part-time waiting list will be created- regardless of any specific hours advertised, this waiting list will cover all future vacancies where part-time posts arise. A part-time post is defined as any post that has less than 37.5 hours per week. Please remember to save or print a copy of the job description before submitting your application, as it will not be accessible afterwards. Flexible Working We welcome flexible working requests from day one. All HSC organisations offer a range of flexible working options. The options available for this post will depend on the requirements of the role. Find out more about flexible working options on our website.

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE

Registered Midwife

BAND

6

INITIAL LOCATION

IMWH - CYPWS

REPORTS TO

Birth at Home Team Lead

ACCOUNTABLE TO

Assistant Director – Integrated Maternity and Women’s Health Division

FLEXIBLE WORKING

PROVISIONS AVAILABLE

37.5 hours

**Delete those which are not available**

Fixed working patterns, Part-time working, Flexi-time, Compressed/elongated hours, Average hours working patterns, Term-time working, Job-share; Hybrid working

JOB SUMMARY

Be a skilled and experienced practitioner to work within community setting, able autonomously, to assess, provide care, advice and support to women (and families) throughout the antenatal, labour and postnatal episodes of care, particularly with those women requesting Birth at Home.

Provide both midwife led care for women with normal pregnancies (universal care) and also work as part of a team, providing antenatal and postnatal care to women with a range of medical/obstetric complications (additional needs).

Act as a mentor/assessor, able to monitor and assess learners.

Deputise for the Team Lead in her absence.

Co-ordinate shifts, allocating staff with regard to clinical needs/workload and development needs/skills of staff.

KEY DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical Management/Leadership

Responsible for organising and overseeing midwifery care to a designated group of women, particularly within Birth at Home.

Develop and maintain individualised care plans and relevant documentation, which ensures outstanding information/results are gained and acted on as necessary.

Participate in providing care and support for families in need and ethnic minorities.

Assess, and in partnership with other agencies, agree and implement multi-agency plans to protect children. Liaise with social workers and other professionals and clients to agree plans. Monitor progress within these plans and report back to other professionals.

Attend, Child Protection Case Conferences, as required. Prepare written report beforehand under the guidance of Team Lead and speak at case conferences as required. In conjunction with other professionals, make decisions about placing children/babies on The Child Protection Register. Agree plans to monitor safety of child/baby and act as member of core group of carers thereafter.

Ensure that equipment provided by the Trust is maintained in such a way as to ensure that safe and effective patient care is always delivered.

Undertake delegated management responsibilities as identified by the Team Lead, for example duty rota planning, requisitioning stores, arranging short-term sickness cover. The post holder will be nominated by the Team Lead to act as a link midwife for the Birth at Home women to the community teams.

Responsible for recognising and reporting clinical incidents as indicated in Trust clinical governance and risk management guidance. Assist with undertaking risk assessments and take action to reduce risk as far as possible.

Ensure ordering of non-stock drugs required for specific women. Adhere to the DHSS&PS Guidelines for the Safe Handling, Administration, Storage and Custody of Medicinal Products.

Ensure practice reflects the standards set in the NMC's 'Code of Professional Conduct: Standards for Conduct, Performance and Ethics', the Midwives’ Code of Practice and the Midwives' Rules.

Adhere to all Trust Policies including, for example

(a) Health and Safety at Work Order

(b) Fire Precautions

(c) Reporting of Sickness and Absenteeism

(d) Confidentiality

(e) Hospital Disaster Plan

(f) Infection Control

(g) COSHH

Share responsibility with all staff to maintain security of Maternity Unit when on site and Health Care buildings within the Trust.

Attend monthly team meetings. Attend managers and risk management meetings as nominated by the Team Lead.

Be aware of the Trust’s Complaints Policy and in the absence of the Team Lead, undertake initial discussion with the complainant and inform the Team Lead of the situation and plan.

Participate in systems to ensure the views of the women/families who use our service influence the development of a total quality culture.

Develop and work towards the implementation of the Trust's Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery within ward/department/team under the leadership of Team Lead.

Clinical Effectiveness

Organise own work on a day-to-day basis, prioritising to ensure that women receive care at the optimum time.

Provide midwifery care according to the individual needs of women. Assess ongoing pregnancy and make referral to Consultant if deviation from the normal is suspected or proven or if additional need factors emerge.

Provide women with up-to-date information about choices available to them. Assist women to achieve choices. This will include screening tests, place and mode of birth.

Contribute to ‘additional need’ patient plans and ensure they are communicated to all areas of maternity service and elsewhere as appropriate.

Take a lead role in providing advice/information to pregnant women on all aspects of health promotion – for example nutrition, smoking cessation, exercise, drugs and alcohol. This will also include advising women about domestic violence, pregnancy benefits, employment regulations for pregnant workers, maternity and paternity leave. In the period after birth, provide advice in respect of registration of birth, family planning, prevention of cot death.

Continue to give professional midwifery care to women who exercise their right to disregard medical and midwifery advice. Inform Head of Midwifery/Lead Midwife of specific cases. Highlight risk factors/additional needs in writing to relevant personnel and/or other agencies.

In an emergency situation, co-ordinate the summoning of medical assistance. Liaise with other team members and parts of maternity service and/or other agencies.

Provide advice and information about the care of Newborn babies and parenting issues.

Monitor the wellbeing of mother and baby, communicate with community midwifery and devise plan for postnatal care. Complete all necessary documentation.

Perform neonatal screening tests with parental consent.

Autonomous practitioner competent (without supervision) in venepuncture, abdominal palpation, vaginal examination, speculum examination, catheterisation, provide labour care and undertakes normal deliveries, (including WaterBirth), postnatal care, examination and care of the Newborn baby. Able to perform episiotomies and undertake perineal repair (suturing). Update clinical skills and competencies on an annual basis. Undertake extended role to meet development in service provision.

Interpret foetal heart rate patterns via Intermittent Auscultation and implement any action required in accordance with NICE guidelines/Trust policy. Update knowledge and skills annually.

Take a lead role in dealing with obstetric emergencies such as undiagnosed breech, foetal distress, haemorrhage, cord prolapse, maternal collapse and shoulder dystocia.

Implement neonatal resuscitation including bag and mask ventilation if required cardio pulmonary resuscitation.

Interpret and act on a range of information gained by clinical observations as well as test results e.g. blood, urine tests. Ensure communication and clarification of management with the woman concerned. Act upon results and if deemed necessary, ensure that an appropriate clinician is informed and action taken.

Have shared involvement in the development of local guidelines, policies and patient information leaflets, assisting in the production of referenced draft copies for circulation and ratification. This will involve proposing changes and/or commenting on draft proposals, which will include guidelines for multiprofessional groups.

Education and Training

Provide mentorship to student midwives for an allocated period providing written and verbal assessments.

Support and motivate junior midwives during the preceptorship period in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care for pregnant women.

Plan, organise and deliver antenatal education and breast-feeding support as required.

Be involved in the teaching of clinical skills on an individual basis to other midwives, student midwives, medical students, and support staff.

Provide health promotion literature and offer advice to women, which will include preconception, antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal periods including family planning.

Communication

Communicate directly with women and families, on a daily basis, to clarify, discuss and negotiate proposed treatment, interventions, screening tests and procedures.

Empathise with women and their families and provide counselling, support and information immediately following stillbirth, miscarriage, foetal loss etc.

Provide clear, concise written statements for clinical/nonclinical incident investigations, complaints, Child Protection reports and summaries of “Additional need” plans of care for individual women, under the guidance of the Team Lead/Consultant Midwife.

Ensure all written documents are completed appropriately.

Use basic keyboard skills to input and extract details of women’s histories, treatment, admissions and discharges.

Discuss and negotiate proposed treatment with medical staff, acting as an advocate for the woman.

Liaise with medical staff, neonatal unit staff, physiotherapists, Health Visitors, General Practitioners and others in the Primary Health Care Team when required.

Liaise with social workers when necessary, regarding women with special needs, complicated social histories, for example drug and social problems, learning disabilities, adoption, and families in need.

Provide telephone and face-to-face advice relating to pregnancy and labour on a daily basis to women. Use professional judgement to decide whether the woman requires midwifery advice, referral to Admissions & Assessment Unit, referral to a Consultant/Consultant Midwife.

Understand midwifery supervision, collaborate with Team Lead to undertake a bi-annual supervisory review.

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

The Trust supports and promotes a culture of collective leadership where those who have responsibility for managing other staff:

Establish and promote a supportive, fair and open culture that encourages and enables all parts of the team to have clearly aligned goals and objectives, to meet the required performance standards and to achieve continuous improvement in the services they deliver.

Ensure access to skills and personal development through appropriate training and support.

Promote a culture of openness and honesty to enable shared learning.

Encourage and empower others in their team to achieve their goals and reach their full potential through regular supportive conversation and shared decision making.

Adhere to and promote Trust policy and procedure in all staffing matters, participating as appropriate in a way which underpins Trust values.

RAISING CONCERNS - RESPONSIBILITIES

The post holder will promote and support effective team working, fostering a culture of openness and transparency.

The post holder will ensure that they take all concerns raised with them seriously and act in accordance with the Trust’s ‘Your Right to Raise a Concern (Whistleblowing)’ policy and their professional code of conduct, where applicable.

PERSONAL AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES (PPI)

Involve patients, clients, carers and the wider community where relevant, in developing, planning, delivering and evaluating our services in a meaningful and effective way, as part of the Trust’s ongoing commitment to Personal Public Involvement (PPI) and Co-Production. Further information is available at engage.hscni.net

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The post holder will be required to

Ensure the Trust’s policy on equality of opportunity is promoted through his/her own actions and those of any staff for whom he/she has responsibility.

Co-operate fully with the implementation of the Trust's Health and Safety arrangements, reporting any accidents/incidents/equipment defects to his/her manager, and maintaining a clean, uncluttered and safe environment for patients/clients, members of the public and staff.

Adhere at all times to all Trust policies/codes of conduct, including for example

Smoke Free policy

IT Security Policy and Code of Conduct

standards of attendance, appearance and behaviour

Contribute to ensuring the highest standards of environmental cleanliness within your designated area of work.

Co-operate fully with regard to Trust policies and procedures relating to infection prevention and control.

All employees of the Trust are legally responsible for all records held, created or used as part of their business within the Trust including patients/clients, corporate and administrative records whether paper-based or electronic and also including emails. All such records are public records and are accessible to the general public, with limited exceptions, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Employees are required to be conversant with the Trust’s policy and procedures on records management and to seek advice if in doubt.

Take responsibility for his/her own ongoing learning and development, in order to maximise his/her potential and continue to meet the demands of the post.

Represent the Trust’s commitment to providing the highest possible standard of service to patients/clients and members of the public, by treating all those with whom he/she comes into contact in the course of work, in a pleasant, courteous and respectful manner.

This Job Description will be subject to review in the light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.

It is a standard condition that all Trust staff may be required to serve at any location within the Trust's area, as needs of the service demand.

17.06.26

PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION

JOB TITLE AND BAND Registered Midwife Band 6

DEPARTMENT / DIRECTORATE IMWH/CYPWS

SALARY

HOURS 37.5 HOURS

Notes to applicants

You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria.

Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form. Please note the Trust reserves the right to use any desirable criteria outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting. You must clearly demonstrate on your application form how you meet the desirable criteria.

Proof of qualifications and/or professional registration will be required if an offer of employment is made – if you are unable to provide this, the offer may be withdrawn.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

SECTION 1: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will initially be measured at shortlisting stage although may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form whether or not you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is stated below.

Qualifications/ Registration

Currently a Registered Midwife with the NMC with minimum of 2 years post registration

Diploma/Degree in Midwifery.

Shortlisting by Application Form

Other

Hold a current full driving licence which is valid for use in the UK and have access to a car on appointment. This criteria will be waived in the case of applicants whose disability prohibits driving but who have access to a form of transport approved by the Trust which will permit them to carry out the duties of the post.

SECTION 2: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will be measured during the interview/ selection stage:

Skills / Abilities

Ability to work autonomously and take responsibility for the provision of woman-centred ante-natal / intra-natal /post-natal care

Clear verbal and written communication skills.

Excellent interpersonal skills.

Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary setting.

Interview

Knowledge

Knowledge of current evidence based practice and research in midwifery.

Knowledge of current Government reports on maternity care.

Understanding of Clinical Governance framework.

DESIRABLE CRITERIA

SECTION 3: these will ONLY be used where it is necessary to introduce additional job related criteria to ensure files are manageable. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted

Factor

Criteria

Method of Assessment

Experience

Desirable experience in MLU/Birth at Home

As part of the Recruitment & Selection process it may be necessary for the Trust to carry out an Enhanced Disclosure Check through Access NI before any appointment to this post can be confirmed.

THE TRUST IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER

Successful applicants

May be required to attend for a Health Assessment

Can expect to be placed at the minimum point of the pay scale, although a higher starting salary, within the range of the pay band may be available if the person appointed has experience relevant & equivalent to the post. If the successful candidate is an existing HSC employee moving to a higher band, AfC Pay on Promotion will apply.

Are able to request Flexible Working from the 1st day of their employment. A number of flexible working provisions are offered by all HSC Organisations including Full-time working, Fixed working patterns, Part-time working, Flexi-time, Compressed/elongated hours, Average hours working patterns, Term-time working, Job-share or Homeworking for some or all of the working pattern, depending on the role being undertaken. Successful applicants are encouraged to discuss with their manager what Flexible Working provisions may be available in the role they are taking up, prior to commencing employment, to help them achieve a positive Work/Life Balance.

All staff are expected to display the HSC Values at all times