Named Midwife for Safeguarding and Perinatal Mental Health

Job summary

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.

About us

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.

Job 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 · Essential

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

Desirable

Master's level study, or equivalent experience working at an advanced level in safeguarding, leadership or service development Leadership or management qualification

Experience · Essential

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

Desirable

Experience of leading cross-site or Trust-wide service improvement programmes

Skills and Knowledge · Essential

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

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab) . From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab) .

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).