Job summary
Lead Bereavement Midwife, Band 7 (30 hours a week)
The Band 7 Bereavement Midwife will be a practicing midwife who will lead and work as a member of the multidisciplinary team within the maternity service. They will facilitate teams to provide individualised, specialist and empathetic support to women and families experiencing pregnancy loss by miscarriage, termination for fetal abnormalities or stillbirth, or those who have had a neonatal death. Where required, they will also provide personalized bereavement care for women and their families. Key responsibilities include coordinating bereavement support, advising on best practices in compassionate care, and facilitating memory-making activities.
The role also involves supporting families through difficult decisions including post-mortem processes, providing training and guidance for maternity staff, influencing policy development, and contributing to local and national audits. Upholding patient safety and quality standards, the role actively contributes to governance responsibilities, ensuring the highest level of care during emotionally challenging circumstances.
The Bereavement Midwife will provide clinical leadership within the maternity services and will play an integral part in service delivery and development.
Main duties of the job
The role also involves supporting families through difficult decisions including post-mortem processes, providing training and guidance for maternity staff, influencing policy development, and contributing to local and national audits. Upholding patient safety and quality standards, the role actively contributes to governance responsibilities, ensuring the highest level of care during emotionally challenging circumstances.
The Bereavement Midwife will provide clinical leadership within the maternity services and will play an integral part in service delivery and development.
As a highly motivated individual, with a commitment for providing high quality, research-based maternity care the postholder will be integral to the evolving and developing team. You will work as part of the senior leadership team to lead and coordinate the clinical, managerial and educational requirements within the bereavement team, and be the maternity lead for the Human Tissue Authority regarding post mortem consent.
Additionally, the Bereavement Midwife will work closely with the Obstetric Bereavement Lead and with multidisciplinary teams within maternity services and across the wider Trust. They will engage with external organizations such as the coroner, the Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate (MNISA), and partner Trusts.
About us
We take pride in placing people at the centre of everything we do, working together as a united team. Driven by a shared ambition to continually grow, develop, and learn, we recognise and value every contribution. By combining our experience and skills, we not only support our vibrant, diverse communities, but also support one another.
With a team of over 9,000 employees, we are proud to be the largest employer in Gloucestershire and rank among the top 10 largest Trusts in the South West region. By joining our Trust, you will benefit from an excellent package that includes exclusive benefits, flexible working opportunities and the chance to gain valuable experience in one or both of our innovative hospitals.
As well as generous annual leave allowance, you will have access to the excellent NHS pension scheme, competitive bank rates, discounts at local shops and restaurants, access to two on-site nurseries, discounted public transport, reward and recognition and a range of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Offering emotional support and guidance to families
-Implement the core principles of the National Bereavement Care Pathway
- Support staff to ensure families receive appropriate care, memory making opportunities, and help with difficult decisions such as post mortem consent
- Ensuring families are informed about care reviews/ incident investigations and feel empowered to contribute to the process
- Facilitate early access to bereavement support in subsequent pregnancies and support families through future pregnancies ensuring consistency of compassionate care
- Support staff to offer individualised support in collaboration with antenatal screening and fetal medicine teams when fetal abnormalities are detected
- Provide a safe space for families to make informed decisions regarding their pregnancies
- Lead family support initiatives including funeral arrangements
- Support clinical debrief sessions for both staff and families, fostering an environment for reflection and emotional processing
- Ensure that their own documentation is accurate and contemporaneous using paper and electronic systems and that patient confidentiality is maintained
- Advising healthcare professionals on best practice in bereavement care and delivering training to improve sensitivity and understanding.
- Knowing where to direct staff to for psychological support when they have been deeply affected by bereavement cases
- Provide direct line management to the band 6 bereavement midwife and to the 4 bereavement champions who are core central delivery suite midwives
- They will provide leadership to the midwifery clinical team in relation to bereaved women and help direct the team to the correct resources to ensure documentation and clinical care is optimal
- Represent families at Perinatal Mortality Review Tool (PMRT) meetings
- Provide input for monthly perinatal mortality reports within the patient quality and safety framework
- Work closely with the perinatal quality and safety team and the lead obstetric consultant for bereavement to conduct systematic multidisciplinary reviews of stillbirths and neonatal deaths
- Undertake Datix incident reviews and bereavement-related risk management
- Support the Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) process
- Contribute to national reports analysing themes and trends in perinatal deaths to improve learning and care
- Contribute to local learning, audits, policy development and quality improvement initiatives to uphold patient safety and high standards of care
- Represent bereavement at maternity groups; intrapartum forum, senior midwifery lead meetings or similar
- Develop and review staff and patient literature, ensuring alignment with national standards
- Have continuing responsibility for arranging staff training in bereavement care. This will include an induction training package for new staff, organising and delivering multidisciplinary training
- Monitor staff bereavement training compliance and encourage all those who consent for post-mortems to access the e-learning for health modules for this
- Work closely with obstetric, midwifery and neonatal teams as well as external agencies such as the medical examiner, mortuary, chaplaincy, charities, laboratories, registrars, funeral directors and advocacy groups such as the Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate (MNISA)
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Offering emotional support and guidance to families
-Implement the core principles of the National Bereavement Care Pathway
- Support staff to ensure families receive appropriate care, memory making opportunities, and help with difficult decisions such as post mortem consent
- Ensuring families are informed about care reviews/ incident investigations and feel empowered to contribute to the process
- Facilitate early access to bereavement support in subsequent pregnancies and support families through future pregnancies ensuring consistency of compassionate care
- Support staff to offer individualised support in collaboration with antenatal screening and fetal medicine teams when fetal abnormalities are detected
- Provide a safe space for families to make informed decisions regarding their pregnancies
- Lead family support initiatives including funeral arrangements
- Support clinical debrief sessions for both staff and families, fostering an environment for reflection and emotional processing
- Ensure that their own documentation is accurate and contemporaneous using paper and electronic systems and that patient confidentiality is maintained
- Advising healthcare professionals on best practice in bereavement care and delivering training to improve sensitivity and understanding.
- Knowing where to direct staff to for psychological support when they have been deeply affected by bereavement cases
- Provide direct line management to the band 6 bereavement midwife and to the 4 bereavement champions who are core central delivery suite midwives
- They will provide leadership to the midwifery clinical team in relation to bereaved women and help direct the team to the correct resources to ensure documentation and clinical care is optimal
- Represent families at Perinatal Mortality Review Tool (PMRT) meetings
- Provide input for monthly perinatal mortality reports within the patient quality and safety framework
- Work closely with the perinatal quality and safety team and the lead obstetric consultant for bereavement to conduct systematic multidisciplinary reviews of stillbirths and neonatal deaths
- Undertake Datix incident reviews and bereavement-related risk management
- Support the Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) process
- Contribute to national reports analysing themes and trends in perinatal deaths to improve learning and care
- Contribute to local learning, audits, policy development and quality improvement initiatives to uphold patient safety and high standards of care
- Represent bereavement at maternity groups; intrapartum forum, senior midwifery lead meetings or similar
- Develop and review staff and patient literature, ensuring alignment with national standards
- Have continuing responsibility for arranging staff training in bereavement care. This will include an induction training package for new staff, organising and delivering multidisciplinary training
- Monitor staff bereavement training compliance and encourage all those who consent for post-mortems to access the e-learning for health modules for this
- Work closely with obstetric, midwifery and neonatal teams as well as external agencies such as the medical examiner, mortuary, chaplaincy, charities, laboratories, registrars, funeral directors and advocacy groups such as the Maternity and Neonatal Independent Senior Advocate (MNISA)
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- Registered Midwife with current NMC registration
- Evidence of ongoing professional development
- Training in bereavement care or willingness to undertake relevant training
Desirable
- Qualification in counselling, psychology, or bereavement care
- Teaching or mentorship qualification
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- In-depth knowledge of pregnancy loss, stillbirth and neonatal death
- Excellent communication and active listening skills, especially in emotionally sensitive situations
- Ability to offer non-judgemental compassionate support for bereaved families
- Strong organisational, problem solving and prioritisation skills
- Ability to work independently and as part of a wider multi-disciplinary team
- Awareness of safeguarding principles
- Knowledge and experience of using incident reporting systems
Desirable
- Understanding of cultural, spiritual and religious needs around death and bereavement
- Knowledge of local and national bereavement guidelines and pathways
- Knowledge of local risk and governance pathways
- Understanding of mental health issues relating to grief and loss
Clinical/Experience
Essential
- Significant post registration experience in midwifery, including antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care
- Experience of caring for families following pregnancy loss or perinatal death
- Experience of working in emotionally challenging situations
- Ability to design and deliver staff training
Desirable
- Experience in service development or quality improvement
- Experience of working with external agencies e.g chaplaincy, mortuary, support groups
Personal attributes
Essential
- Emotional resilience and ability to manage distressing situations
- Compassion, empathy, and a patient-centred approach
- Commitment to high standards of care and continuous improvement
- Ability to remain calm under pressure
- Respect for confidentiality and professional boundaries
- Flexible, adaptable, and willing to work across settings and with diverse families
- Reflection and synthesis of experience with families for continuous development
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- Registered Midwife with current NMC registration
- Evidence of ongoing professional development
- Training in bereavement care or willingness to undertake relevant training
Desirable
- Qualification in counselling, psychology, or bereavement care
- Teaching or mentorship qualification
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- In-depth knowledge of pregnancy loss, stillbirth and neonatal death
- Excellent communication and active listening skills, especially in emotionally sensitive situations
- Ability to offer non-judgemental compassionate support for bereaved families
- Strong organisational, problem solving and prioritisation skills
- Ability to work independently and as part of a wider multi-disciplinary team
- Awareness of safeguarding principles
- Knowledge and experience of using incident reporting systems
Desirable
- Understanding of cultural, spiritual and religious needs around death and bereavement
- Knowledge of local and national bereavement guidelines and pathways
- Knowledge of local risk and governance pathways
- Understanding of mental health issues relating to grief and loss
Clinical/Experience
Essential
- Significant post registration experience in midwifery, including antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care
- Experience of caring for families following pregnancy loss or perinatal death
- Experience of working in emotionally challenging situations
- Ability to design and deliver staff training
Desirable
- Experience in service development or quality improvement
- Experience of working with external agencies e.g chaplaincy, mortuary, support groups
Personal attributes
Essential
- Emotional resilience and ability to manage distressing situations
- Compassion, empathy, and a patient-centred approach
- Commitment to high standards of care and continuous improvement
- Ability to remain calm under pressure
- Respect for confidentiality and professional boundaries
- Flexible, adaptable, and willing to work across settings and with diverse families
- Reflection and synthesis of experience with families for continuous development
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).
Additional information
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).
