Named Midwife for Safeguarding and Perinatal Mental Health

We are an award winning organisation providing care at two main hospital sites—Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital—and a number of community-based services across London, such as sexual health and HIV clinics.

With 6,700 members of staff, we are proud to care for a diverse population of one million people. We are committed to ensuring that our workforce is just as diverse with a strong mix of skills and abilities.

Our staff are at the very heart of our organisation and we recognise the valuable contribution that each and every person working at the Trust makes. One of our Trust priorities is to be an employer of choice—a place where people want to start their career and to grow with us through continued education, professional development and support .

Named Midwife for Safeguarding and Perinatal Mental Health

NHS AfC: Band 8a

Main area Midwifery Grade NHS AfC: Band 8a Contract Permanent: full time hours, working across both sites Hours

• Full time
• Flexible working
• Compressed hours

37.5 hours per week (Will involve being on the maternity manager on call rota) Job ref 289-SC-492

Site Chelsea & Westminster NHS Hospital Town London Salary £66,274 - £73,496 per annum, including HCLA Salary period Yearly Closing 17/11/2026 23:59 Interview date 02/12/2026

Job overview

The Named Midwife for Safeguarding and Perinatal Mental Health will provide strategic, professional and operational leadership for safeguarding children, safeguarding adults, domestic abuse, maternal mental health and socially complex safeguarding issues across maternity and neonatal services.

The post holder will act as the Trust's expert advisor for safeguarding and maternal mental health within maternity services, ensuring compliance with national legislation, statutory guidance, NHS England requirements, CNST standards and CQC regulations. They will provide expert advice, supervision, education, professional leadership and assurance regarding safeguarding practice and maternal mental health care.

Main duties of the job

See job description attached for full details

The post holder will fulfil the statutory responsibilities of the Named Midwife for Safeguarding and provide professional leadership for maternal mental health services across maternity care. They will provide expert advice to Trust leaders, clinical teams and partner agencies and act as the maternity safeguarding lead during inspections, reviews and external assurance processes.

They will provide professional leadership and assurance for safeguarding training, safeguarding supervision and maternal mental health education across maternity and neonatal services and work collaboratively with Children's and Adults Services safeguarding teams to support Trust-wide safeguarding learning and workforce development.

They will work in partnership with the Consultant Midwife for Public Health and Safeguarding to deliver the Trust's public health, safeguarding and health inequalities strategy. The Consultant Midwife will retain strategic leadership for public health, vulnerable women and service development, whilst the Named Midwife will provide statutory safeguarding leadership, operational assurance and safeguarding governance.

Working for our organisation

Our Trust is one of England's top-performing and safest trusts. We operate two main acute hospital sites—Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital—along with award-winning clinics across North West London.

Our nearly 7,500 staff care for a diverse population of 1.5m, providing full clinical services including maternity, A&E and children’s services, plus specialist HIV and sexual health care. The CQC rates us Good in safety, effectiveness, care and responsiveness, and Outstanding in leadership and resource use.

We continually invest in our facilities, including a £30m expansion of critical care at Chelsea and an £80m Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Mid.

We are delivering sustainable healthcare through our Green Plan. In line with Greener NHS ambitions, we aim for net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Achieving this requires collective effort. We encourage staff to reduce their impact on carbon, waste and pollution wherever possible. Every action counts to create a healthier, more sustainable future.

We are committed to equal opportunities and believe diversity drives innovation and excellence. We welcome applications from the global majority, veterans and underrepresented communities, valuing the perspectives they bring.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See attached job description for full details

• Provide expert professional leadership regarding safeguarding children, safeguarding adults, domestic abuse, maternal mental health and complex social vulnerability.
• Act as the senior safeguarding and maternal mental health advisor for maternity and neonatal services, including private care.
• Provide consultation and expert advice regarding complex safeguarding and maternal mental health cases.
• Provide expert oversight and professional consultation for women with severe and enduring mental illness, safeguarding concerns and multiple disadvantages.
• Support professionals managing unborn babies/ babies subject to Child Protection Plans, Pre-Proceedings and Care Proceedings.
• Support the development of pathways for vulnerable women including those experiencing domestic abuse, substance misuse, homelessness, exploitation, trafficking, asylum seeking and other complex vulnerabilities.
• Ensure robust information sharing and multi-agency working.
• Ensure maternity services provide trauma-informed, culturally competent and personalised care to vulnerable women and families.
• Work collaboratively with Perinatal Mental Health Services/ Midwives to improve outcomes for women, infants and families.
• Ensure women and families receive equitable care that recognises safeguarding, public health and mental health needs across the antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal pathway.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

• Registered Midwife with current NMC registration
• First degree in Midwifery or equivalent professional experience
• Evidence of post-registration education in maternal mental health/perinatal mental health, safeguarding, leadership or public health
• Master’s level study, or equivalent experience working at an advanced level in safeguarding, leadership or service development

Experience

• Substantial experience working within safeguarding, socially complex care and/or maternal mental health services
• Experience of managing, advising on and escalating highly complex safeguarding and Perinatal Mental Health cases
• Evidence of post-registration education in perinatal mental health, safeguarding, leadership or public health
• Experience of service improvement, audit, policy development and governance reporting
• Experience of contributing to safeguarding reviews, serious incident processes, complaints or legal proceedings
• Experience of leading cross-site or Trust-wide service improvement programmes

Skills and Knowledge

• Extensive knowledge of safeguarding children and adults legislation, statutory guidance and intercollegiate safeguarding requirements
• Managing, advising on and escalating highly complex safeguarding cases
• Providing safeguarding supervision, reflective practice or case consultation
• Ability to provide expert advice on highly complex, sensitive and contentious safeguarding and maternal mental health matters
• Extensive knowledge of safeguarding risks affecting unborn babies, newborns, pregnant women and families
• Understanding of CNST, CQC, NHS England and Trust governance requirements relating to safeguarding and Perinatal mental health
• Ability to analyse complex information, identify risk, make professional judgements and support safe decision-making Ability to analyse complex information, identify risk, make professional judgements and support safe decision-making
• Ability to build effective relationships with internal teams and multi‑agency partners

Important

• There may be some occasions when we have to close a vacancy earlier than the advertised closing date, this will be due to a high volume of applications. You are therefore advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
• Please check your emails regularly (and your junk folder) as this is how we will communicate with you throughout the recruitment process.
• In submitting an application, you authorise the Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process, should you be appointed to the post.
• During the recruitment process your identity documentation (ie passport, driving licence, visa etc) will be scanned using a device which recognises UV, infrared and machine-readable zone security features of the documents provided.
• Employment at the Trust is offered subject to successful completion of a six month probationary period.
• We operate a joint recruitment hub across the North West London Acute Provider Collaborative Group. As part of this, your application and personal data may be shared with partner trusts within the group for recruitment and workforce purposes, in line with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Right to work

If you need sponsorship to work in the UK, please visit the Home Office website for information on sponsorship and visa status before you fill in your application form. Due to recent changes in the UK immigration rules which affect Skilled Worker Visas, Global Business Mobility, Higher Skill Level and Increased Salary Thresholds, please ensure that you are able to meet the requirements to live and work in the UK before applying. Further information about eligibility is available on UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Louise Nunn Job title Head of Midwifery Email address louise.nunn2@nhs.net Telephone number 07880 079671

Sarah Green

Consultant Midwife for Safeguarding and Public Health

sarah.green9@nhs.net

The recruitment team are available to provide support from 9am–5pm, Mon–Fri. To contact the team please call the Trust switchboard and ask for ‘Recruitment team, Human Resources Department’.

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