Midwife Community Engagement and Equity

Job responsibilities

Collaborate with VCSE organisations, maternity services and community stakeholders to address disparities in maternal health for Black and minoritised women, such as tackling barriers such as delayed access to care, lack of cultural sensitivity, poor communication and underrepresentation, while promoting inclusive education, early engagement and continuity of care.

Engage with local communities to understand and address barriers to accessing maternity services.

Facilitate culturally appropriate antenatal and postnatal education sessions with community settings, including topics such as: Healthier pregnancies, labour and birth, vaccinations in pregnancy, postpartum maternal mental health, safer sleeping, infant feeding, contraception and family planning.

Deliver planned antenatal sessions at Maternity Circles across Bradford, ensuring accessibility and relevance for diverse communities.

Strengthen referral pathways between midwifery services and Maternity Circles, Family Hubs and specialist services (e.g. perinatal mental health, infant feeding, smoking cessation)

Collaborate with VCSE organisations and community leaders to co-design and deliver inclusive maternity care and outreach initiatives.

Promote continuity of carer and build trusting relationships with women and families, particularly those from underserved backgrounds.

Support staff with safeguarding and complex cases, ensuring timely escalation and culturally sensitive responses.

Support the implementation of the Maternity Circles model to improve holistic care.

Provide educational opportunities for the workforce, including informal learning and awareness-raising around cultural competence, health inequalities and inclusive practice.

Contribute to audits, service evaluations and quality improvement initiatives, using feedback and data to inform equitable service development.

Act as a role model for inclusive, respectful, and equitable care, advocating for the voices and needs of Black and minoritised women in all aspects of maternity care.

Maintain clear boundaries around clinical responsibilities, ensuring safe, accountable and professional practice in all settings.

Communication and Working Relationships

Communicate effectively with women, families and professionals, including in community languages where possible.

Build strong partnerships with community leaders, VCSE organisations and healthcare providers.

Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings and interagency collaboration.

Provide culturally sensitive information and support to empower informed decision-making.

Special Working Conditions

Work across hospital, community, and home settings, including evenings and weekends as required.

Travel to community venues and participate in outreach activities.

Engage with diverse communities and adapt care to meet cultural and linguistic needs.

Skills

Essential

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to deliver group education sessions and facilitate community discussions.
• Skills in co-production and participatory engagement methods.
• Ability to build and maintain referral pathways across services.

Desirable

• Ability to speak a community language (e.g., Urdu, Punjabi, Somali).
• Competence in using digital tools for outreach and education.

Experience

Essential

• Experience in midwifery care across antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal periods.
• Experience working with diverse and underserved communities.
• Experience delivering public health messaging in maternity contexts.

Desirable

• Experience collaborating with VCSE organisations or community-led initiatives.
• Experience in service development, evaluation, or quality improvement.
• Experience supporting safeguarding and complex social care cases.

Knowledge

Essential

• In-depth understanding of maternity care and public health in pregnancy.
• Knowledge of health inequalities and barriers to care for Black and minoritised women.
• Knowledge of the Maternity Circles model and integrated care systems.
• Awareness of digital inclusion strategies and community health literacy.

Desirable

• Awareness of digital inclusion strategies and community health literacy.

Personal Characteristics

Essential

• Empathetic, culturally aware, and committed to equity.
• Proactive and community-focused.

Desirable

• Demonstrated leadership in community engagement or advocacy.
• Experience mentoring or supporting colleagues in inclusive practice.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Midwife with current NMC registration.

Desirable

• Postgraduate qualification in public health, health promotion, or community midwifery.
• Training in trauma-informed care or cultural safety.

Other Requirements

Essential

• Ability to travel across community sites and work flexibly.
• Willingness to work occasional evenings/weekends for community events.

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.

UK Registration

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