Midwife in Harlow

Our Organisation The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) provides a full range of general acute, outpatient and diagnostic services at The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, the Herts and Essex Hospital in Bishop’s Stortford, and St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping. We employ 3,500 staff and serve a local population of around 350,000 people living in west Essex and east Hertfordshire, centred on the M11 corridor and the towns of Harlow, Bishop’s Stortford and Epping.

Our Values The Princess Alexandra Promise to our patients as identified by our 3 values which will contribute to improving our patient experiences:

• Patient at heart – Always holding the patient and their wellbeing at the centre of our thoughts and efforts.
• Everyday excellence – Sharing and celebrating our successes, being honest when we get it wrong, giving us the ability to learn from both.
• Creative collaboration – Knowing strength comes from diversity, we combine our experiences, skills and talents, working together to find new and better ways to care.

The Trust believes in investing in all our staff and rewarding high standards of care whilst building for excellence and in return we expect our staff to uphold the Trust values to the highest level.

Job overview The post holder will work in all areas of the Maternity Service and is responsible for the assessment of care needs and the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care, for mothers/parents and babies in the antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal period, ensuring liaison with all relevant agencies. This post is a transition post from training to practice, which will enable the post holder to obtain the required experience in clinical midwifery practice to successfully achieve the required competences that are essential to move through to a Band 6 role. In order to support this transition, the post holder will be supported through a twelve-month preceptorship programme by experienced midwives in each location. They will maintain correct documentation in accordance with NMC Midwives Rules and Code of Practice.

Main duties of the job To be accountable for her/his midwifery practice, which must always be in accordance with:

• The NMC Code - (2015)
• NMC – Standards of proficiency for Midwives (2019)
• The Princess Alexandra Hospital, Trust policies, procedures and philosophy of care.

To maintain professional development in accordance with the NMC Rules. To proactively contribute to the implementation, delivery and maintenance of a Continuity of Care model provision as recommended as part of the Better Births report, and as per government initiative to improve birth outcomes for mothers and their babies. Maintain the records required by statute. Act as the professional lead for low risk women/people, promoting the normal birthing process. Work in partnership with other professional colleagues to care for women/people with complex needs. Maintain a professional, approachable disposition at all times with all members of staff, patients and their visitors. Deliver culturally competent midwifery care. To provide or support the delivery of Continuity of Carer to mothers/parents, babies & their families, as required by the needs of the service. Take and record histories of health, social and psychological factors, including full clinical assessments to determine individual health status. Work collaboratively with women/people, respecting their right to make informed decisions about their care, seeking informed consent prior to, for example, procedures, treatment, screening. Plan and deliver evidence-based midwifery care in partnership with the women/people. Provide a supportive relationship, acting as an advocate for women/people and their families at all times. Be competent after training and assessment to use medical devices necessary to deliver care, to monitor and make diagnosis. Monitor maternal and fetal well-being throughout pregnancy and birth. Assess, monitor and care for the woman/person and baby after birth. Monitor and maintain high standards of care whilst providing antenatal and postnatal care at different venues, for example in homes, community hubs, health centre, family practitioner surgery, the hospital. Promote the uptake and provision of parent education to help parents make an effective and confident transition to parenthood. Assess and make appropriate referral of women/people for specialist counselling and support as appropriate, for example, fetal anomaly screening; bereavement; sexual health; vulnerable and disadvantaged people; young parents; refugees; the homeless; those with psychological problems. Provide information and advice related to health education to improve health outcomes, for example, counselling prior to and support after ante and postnatal screening, smoking cessation, drug and alcohol abuse. Work in collaboration with the Safeguarding Team, identifying women/people/people and their families where there are concerns with child protection, domestic violence, substance abuse and special needs. Promote safety and facilitate the physiological process of labour and birth for low-risk women/people, in hospital and at home. Manage high risk labours in partnership with Obstetric and Anaesthetic colleagues. Detect warning signs of abnormality in the mother/person and baby and make the necessary referral, e.g., doctor, senior midwife, social worker, health visitor. Manage emergencies such as maternal and neonatal resuscitation, ante and postpartum haemorrhages, shoulder dystocia, fetal malpresentation. Promote breast feeding and give support to improve health outcomes in the short and long term for both mother and baby. Give support to all women/people irrespective of their choice of method of feeding. Provide care to bereaved patients and their relatives, breaking bad news and support other staff as necessary. Be responsible for transferring care of women/people and babies across primary and secondary care settings and across professions, e.g., to midwife, health visitor, General Practitioner, Obstetrician, Paediatrician. Participate in in-service training and audit to maintain professional requirements and develop practice. Ensure that the giving and taking of reports is used to communicate with all members of the team, particularly regarding changes in patients and their progress. Be a resource to learners during their allocation to the Midwifery Department and to be actively involved in the teaching of student midwives and unqualified staff. Comply with the Trust’s Infection Control Policy. All employees must attend infection control training as required within their department or as directed by their line manager. Be aware of Safeguarding policies and procedures and take appropriate action to safeguard children. This job description may be subject to change according to the varying needs of the service. Such changes will be made after discussion between the post holder and the manager. The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) is proud to care for the communities of West Essex, delivering safe, compassionate, and high-quality services. We are part of the Neighbourhood Wave—a national programme that’s changing how care is delivered by focusing on prevention, early support, and more joined-up services across health, social care, and the voluntary sector. This means we’re working more closely with local partners to bring care closer to home and support people to live healthier, more independent lives. We’re a supportive and inclusive organisation that values its people. We offer development opportunities, flexible working, and a strong focus on wellbeing. As a Disability Confident and equal opportunities employer, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences. Join us and help shape the future of care in West Essex.