Job overview
Are you committed to improving quality, standards and educational opportunities in maternity?
Would you like to work in a team which supports the training and development needs of all staff?
Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells Trust provides maternity care for approximately 6000 families across the acute Tunbridge Wells site, 2 stand alone midwife-led birth centres in Maidstone and Crowborough and a large community area.
The practice development midwife works closely with the quality and safety teams to embed new guidance and learning identified from incidents, audits, complaints and other patient feedback. An innovative approach to the role is encouraged and learning is shared in a variety of ways including classroom and face to face training, e-learning and via social media.
Main duties of the job
We look forward to hearing from applicants with a proven track record of service improvement, continuous personal professional development and a commitment to teaching and development of others.
This important r ole includes :
1. Coordinating professional development of midwives and support workers
2. Ensuring that all mandatory training is up to date
3. Delivering training, including MDT emergency training (PROMPT)
4. Ensuring that learning from incidents, audits and new guidance is shared and embedded
5. Facilitating staff to provide safe, effective care
Working for our organisation
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust ranks among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and was named the second-best Trust to work for in the South East in the 2023 NHS Staff Survey.
We are a large acute hospital trust in south-east England, providing general hospital services and specialist care to around 600,000 residents in West Kent and East Sussex. With a dedicated and diverse team of over 8,000 staff we are proud to offer specialised cancer services to over two million people through the Kent Oncology Centre.
Fordcombe Hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, became part of the Trust in October 2024. Specialising in planned care, it offers two operating theatres, 28 inpatient and day-care beds, diagnostic services (X-ray, MRI, CT, and endoscopy), and consultation/treatment rooms.
Looking for flexible working?
We are a flexible working-friendly organisation. Whether it’s adjusting your hours or exploring other flexible arrangements, we want to work with you to find the best solution for you, our patients, and the Trust. Talk to us about how we can accommodate your working needs.
Joining us includes a comprehensive benefits package:
6. At least 27 days of annual leave plus public/bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff).
7. Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme, with a 20.6% employer contribution and life assurance benefits
8. Blue Light card eligibility
9. And more, additional benefits can be found in the benefits documents below
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We’ve provided all the details you need about this role in the job description and person specification. Please take a moment to review the criteria in the person specification and share specific examples in your application that demonstrate how you meet these requirements. Please also check your application for errors/omissions prior to submission.
Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check at Enhanced Level. (Enhanced level now includes regulated checks against vulnerable adults and children)
All successful applicants will be required to complete our corporate trust induction once a start date had been agreed.
Following your corporate induction you will be expected to attend the Trust’s 2-week Induction Programme for RNs, NAs, RMs, ODPs and Paramedics. The programme is full-time (please email if this is problematic) and will involve travel to both Trust sites. The programme includes supernumerary shifts in the clinical area, classroom-based sessions and e-learning.
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Please note that this role may often attract a high level of applications. Please note this role may close earlier than the original closing date so please ensure you submit your application as soon as possible.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
10. NMC Registered Midwife
11. Teaching or assessing qualification
12. Degree in Midwifery or equivalent/relevant experience
13. Mentorship in Practice / Sign off mentor
14. Evidence of further study and development of professional and academic skills
Desirable criteria
15. PMA
16. Leadership/ management qualification
17. Masters
Experience and Knowledge
Essential criteria
18. Experience at band 6 level or equivalent
19. Proven ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate midwifery care for women and their babies
20. Manage own caseload including ability to prioritise and meet deadlines
21. Experience of quality assurance monitoring processes or willingness to learn this
22. Sound knowledge of recent Government / Professional documents with awareness of implications to service provision
23. Experience in teaching, mentoring, assessment and clinical supervision
24. Experience in group teaching / presentations to peers and other professionals
25. Ability to judge and make decisions regarding safeguarding issues and advice others regarding complex or sensitive cases
26. Experience of acting as a mentor to both qualified midwives and students encouraging evidence based practice
Desirable criteria
27. Project management qualification
28. Experience in developing new initiatives
Skills
Essential criteria
29. Sound clinical skills
30. Ability to utilise evidence-based practice
31. Proven interpersonal skills; verbal and written
32. Able to develop and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders and other agencies
33. Appropriate computer skills and ability; able to produce and manipulate reports effectively and able to produce relevant presentations using appropriate software and media
34. Able to analyse and interpret findings of audits and develop action plans
35. Ability to work to tight timescales and reprioritise effectively
36. Excellent listening skills
37. Able to identify opportunities to develop needs and to change existing practice
38. Ability to impart unwelcome news to staff, .e.g. where performance targets have not been met
39. Able to work effectively within a team to deliver corporate targets