Job summary
At Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, we believe that when our colleagues feel valued, supported and safe, outstanding care for women and families follows naturally.
We are looking for an exceptional Consultant Midwife to join us at an exciting and pivotal moment in our journey. With nearly 5,000 births annually, we are a service of scale, ambition and heart, committed to delivering care that is equitable, innovative and truly responsive to the women and families we serve.
You will work alongside our Director of Midwifery and senior leadership team to drive national recommendations, lead practice development, and build workforce capability to innovate from the ground up. At the heart of this role is a commitment to reducing compound disparities in maternal outcomes. You will bring experience of equity-informed care, a coaching mindset, and the vision to challenge assumptions and reimagine how care is delivered.
You will be an experienced midwife who understands the operational realities of a busy maternity service, with management and on-call experience, and clinical knowledge that earns trust.
In return, we offer a supportive senior leadership team, a service investing in its people, and the space to lead with vision and courage.
Further information regarding the role can be found here:
BHT Recruitment - Maternity recruitment
Main duties of the job
The Consultant Midwife will be a clinical leader and strategic partner in shaping the evolution of maternity and neonatal services to ensure they are equitable, evidence-based and responsive to the changing needs of the women and families we serve. They will be instrumental in delivering the recommendations from the National Maternity and Neonatal Review, local trust reviews, and national inquiries including Ockenden and the Thirlwall Inquiry, whilst building workforce capability for innovation and ensuring that every service redesign decision is informed by equity and the voices of women experiencing compound disparities. This is a pivotal role in transforming how we deliver care at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
Above all, you will share our belief that a cared-for, empowered workforce is our greatest asset
If you want to make a real difference to the women we care for and the colleagues who care for them, we would love to hear from you.
About us
Why colleagues think we are "a great place to work!"
What does Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust offer you?
As part of our BHT family, you'll benefit from learning and development opportunities to support your career progression.
Alongside NHS benefits of generous annual leave entitlement and pension scheme, you'll have access to NHS discount schemes.
We provide a range of health and wellbeing services to promote a healthy, happy workforce.
What do we stand for?
Our vision is to provide outstanding care, support healthy communities and be a great place to work.
Our mission is to provide personal and compassionate care every time.
We are working hard to increase diversity at all levels within the trust. We believe a diverse workforce can have a positive effect on both staff wellbeing and patient outcomes.
We welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, candidates with disabilities and care-experienced candidates.
We are proud to achieve the Gold award for the Armed Forces Covenant and support applications from the Armed Forces Community. Please contact Pam.Daley@nhs.net (our Armed Forces Covenant Lead) if you would like guidance or assistance with your application.
We make employment decisions by matching our service needs with the skills and experience of candidates, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Expert clinical practice
Act as the clinical expert in equitable midwifery practice, demonstrating deep knowledge of how clinical decisions, assessment processes and care pathways impact women experiencing poorer outcomes.
Maintain current clinical knowledge and act as a trusted advisor to specialist midwives and the wider team on complex clinical scenarios through an equity lens.
Model reflexive practice that challenges assumptions and biases in how care is delivered.
Coach colleagues to recognise and mitigate unintended inequities in their practice, supporting the development of culturally responsive and person-centred care.
Provide expert consultancy to the multidisciplinary team on the clinical implications of service redesign for women experiencing compound disparities.
Strategic and enabling leadership
Provide visionary clinical leadership that shapes the evolution of maternity services to meet the varied needs of women.
Work collaboratively across professional and organisational boundaries to lead service redesign initiatives, challenge traditional models of care delivery, and create conditions for innovation and improvement.
Actively scan the horizon for emerging evidence, best practice and innovation in midwifery and maternal health, engaging with local and national networks to inform strategic direction.
Partner with colleagues across the service to develop their own leadership and change capability, fostering a culture where continuous improvement and equity-informed practice are embedded.
Contribute to the strategic planning of maternity services, engaging with the Thames Valley Local Maternity and Neonatal System, Operational Delivery Network, NHS England and other relevant bodies.
Deputise for the Director of Midwifery as required and contribute to the midwifery manager on-call rota.
Learning, developing and improving across the system
Lead the practice development function and contribute to training to ensure the midwifery and maternity support worker workforce develops and maintains the clinical and non-technical skills necessary to deliver safe, equitable, evidence-based care.
Work collaboratively with the Governance and Quality team to ensure that learning from cases is shared through the education programme.
Act as an improvement coach to clinical teams, actively reducing barriers to improvement and change by connecting teams with quality improvement expertise, tools and resources.
Enable frontline staff to access the support needed to transform practice, working in close partnership with the Trust's Quality Improvement and Transformation team.
Foster a learning culture where staff feel empowered and enabled to innovate and make changes at clinical practice level.
Demonstrate personal leadership by achieving 100% compliance with statutory and mandatory training targets at all times.
Maintain records of personal development, learning and clinical hours as required for revalidation.
Research and innovation
Identify evidence gaps and quality improvement priorities through interrogation of local data and engagement with the maternity and neonatal teams.
Foster a research-informed culture, actively connecting clinical staff with the Trust's Research and Innovation team to ensure the service participates in relevant trials and studies.
Champion the use of data, particularly disaggregated perinatal audit data, to understand quality and equity of care across the service.
Contribute to the evidence base for equitable maternity practice, engaging with national networks including MBRRACE-UK, Birthrights and the Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme.
Participate in approved research and development activities aimed at increasing knowledge and improving care in line with Trust objectives.
Professional
Practice in accordance with the NMC Code at all times and support the revalidation of nurses and midwives.
Maintain clear, concise and contemporaneous records in accordance with national and local guidelines and Trust policies.
Receive and manage complex and sensitive information, ensuring confidentiality is respected at all times.
Key Relationships
Director of Midwifery
Head of Midwifery
Lead Midwife for Governance and Quality
Consultant Obstetricians
Consultant Paediatric and Neonatal team
Governance and Quality team
Quality Improvement and Transformation team
Research and Innovation team
Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership
Thames Valley Local Maternity and Neonatal System
Operational Delivery Network
Further information regarding the role can be found here:
https://buckshealthcare.pagetiger.com/bht-recruitment/maternity-recruitment?ptit=4530845F30641D3B8E21F
Job description
Job responsibilities
Expert clinical practice
Act as the clinical expert in equitable midwifery practice, demonstrating deep knowledge of how clinical decisions, assessment processes and care pathways impact women experiencing poorer outcomes.
Maintain current clinical knowledge and act as a trusted advisor to specialist midwives and the wider team on complex clinical scenarios through an equity lens.
Model reflexive practice that challenges assumptions and biases in how care is delivered.
Coach colleagues to recognise and mitigate unintended inequities in their practice, supporting the development of culturally responsive and person-centred care.
Provide expert consultancy to the multidisciplinary team on the clinical implications of service redesign for women experiencing compound disparities.
Strategic and enabling leadership
Provide visionary clinical leadership that shapes the evolution of maternity services to meet the varied needs of women.
Work collaboratively across professional and organisational boundaries to lead service redesign initiatives, challenge traditional models of care delivery, and create conditions for innovation and improvement.
Actively scan the horizon for emerging evidence, best practice and innovation in midwifery and maternal health, engaging with local and national networks to inform strategic direction.
Partner with colleagues across the service to develop their own leadership and change capability, fostering a culture where continuous improvement and equity-informed practice are embedded.
Contribute to the strategic planning of maternity services, engaging with the Thames Valley Local Maternity and Neonatal System, Operational Delivery Network, NHS England and other relevant bodies.
Deputise for the Director of Midwifery as required and contribute to the midwifery manager on-call rota.
Learning, developing and improving across the system
Lead the practice development function and contribute to training to ensure the midwifery and maternity support worker workforce develops and maintains the clinical and non-technical skills necessary to deliver safe, equitable, evidence-based care.
Work collaboratively with the Governance and Quality team to ensure that learning from cases is shared through the education programme.
Act as an improvement coach to clinical teams, actively reducing barriers to improvement and change by connecting teams with quality improvement expertise, tools and resources.
Enable frontline staff to access the support needed to transform practice, working in close partnership with the Trust's Quality Improvement and Transformation team.
Foster a learning culture where staff feel empowered and enabled to innovate and make changes at clinical practice level.
Demonstrate personal leadership by achieving 100% compliance with statutory and mandatory training targets at all times.
Maintain records of personal development, learning and clinical hours as required for revalidation.
Research and innovation
Identify evidence gaps and quality improvement priorities through interrogation of local data and engagement with the maternity and neonatal teams.
Foster a research-informed culture, actively connecting clinical staff with the Trust's Research and Innovation team to ensure the service participates in relevant trials and studies.
Champion the use of data, particularly disaggregated perinatal audit data, to understand quality and equity of care across the service.
Contribute to the evidence base for equitable maternity practice, engaging with national networks including MBRRACE-UK, Birthrights and the Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme.
Participate in approved research and development activities aimed at increasing knowledge and improving care in line with Trust objectives.
Professional
Practice in accordance with the NMC Code at all times and support the revalidation of nurses and midwives.
Maintain clear, concise and contemporaneous records in accordance with national and local guidelines and Trust policies.
Receive and manage complex and sensitive information, ensuring confidentiality is respected at all times.
Key Relationships
Director of Midwifery
Head of Midwifery
Lead Midwife for Governance and Quality
Consultant Obstetricians
Consultant Paediatric and Neonatal team
Governance and Quality team
Quality Improvement and Transformation team
Research and Innovation team
Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership
Thames Valley Local Maternity and Neonatal System
Operational Delivery Network
Further information regarding the role can be found here:
https://buckshealthcare.pagetiger.com/bht-recruitment/maternity-recruitment?ptit=4530845F30641D3B8E21F
Person Specification
Education qualification and training
Essential
- Registered Midwife with current NMC registration
- Degree or equivalent
- Demonstrable knowledge and experience of educational and teaching methods, including design and delivery of clinical education programmes
- Evidence of further professional, leadership or management development
Desirable
- Relevant Masters level qualification or working towards one
- Formal leadership or coaching qualification
Experience
Essential
- Significant post-registration experience at senior midwifery level
- Demonstrable experience in equity-informed or culturally responsive maternity care
- Experience in service development, redesign or quality improvement
- Experience coaching or mentoring clinical staff
- Operational on-call management experience
- Ability to interrogate and interpret clinical data to inform practice and identify equity gaps
- Experience of working collaboratively across professional and organisational boundaries
- Knowledge of national maternity policy including the National Maternity and Neonatal Review and relevant national inquiries
Desirable
- Experience of leading or participating in research or clinical trials
- Engagement with national networks such as MBRRACE-UK, Birthrights or similar
Skills, knowledge and abilities
Essential
- Has excellent standard of written communication skills
- Has experience of external collaborative working and understanding of the challenges of providing seamless, equitable care
Desirable
- Has experience of managing change and understands the principles of successful change management
Person Specification
Education qualification and training
Essential
- Registered Midwife with current NMC registration
- Degree or equivalent
- Demonstrable knowledge and experience of educational and teaching methods, including design and delivery of clinical education programmes
- Evidence of further professional, leadership or management development
Desirable
- Relevant Masters level qualification or working towards one
- Formal leadership or coaching qualification
Experience
Essential
- Significant post-registration experience at senior midwifery level
- Demonstrable experience in equity-informed or culturally responsive maternity care
- Experience in service development, redesign or quality improvement
- Experience coaching or mentoring clinical staff
- Operational on-call management experience
- Ability to interrogate and interpret clinical data to inform practice and identify equity gaps
- Experience of working collaboratively across professional and organisational boundaries
- Knowledge of national maternity policy including the National Maternity and Neonatal Review and relevant national inquiries
Desirable
- Experience of leading or participating in research or clinical trials
- Engagement with national networks such as MBRRACE-UK, Birthrights or similar
Skills, knowledge and abilities
Essential
- Has excellent standard of written communication skills
- Has experience of external collaborative working and understanding of the challenges of providing seamless, equitable care
Desirable
- Has experience of managing change and understands the principles of successful change management
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.
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).
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.
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).
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