Go back East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
Maternity Matron
The closing date is 30 October 2025
We are looking for a dynamic senior midwifery manager (Band 8A) who is passionate, committed to providing high quality of care and positive patient experience. The post holder will primarily be responsible for the continuing management of the maternity unit, will be part of a developing improvement journey for East Kent maternity services and must demonstrate the ability to lead change. The post holder will be highly visible and accessible to women, their families and staff and focus on improving the fundamental and essential aspects of care to women, including cleanliness, improving clinical care standards, ensuring best practice, infection control and ensuring that quality improvement work is implemented and sustained whilst ensuring all patients are treated with respect and dignity. As a member of the midwifery team, the post holder is expected to undertake the midwifery management on-call rota.
Main duties of the job
You will work closely and collaboratively with the wider senior midwifery management team to ensure effective communication systems are in place to share learning and drive quality improvements that support excellent standards of care and compliance with national and local standards/
They will manage discrete aspects of a patient's care in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team, within their current level of practice and patient group, aligned to the four pillars of advanced practice and aligned to Trust policy, 'Enhanced, Advanced and Consultant Level Practice- Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health Professionals (AHPs).'
o Clinical Practice
o Evidence, Research and Development
The postholder will contribute to quality improvement in nursing and midwifery practice to improve the quality of care to patients.
With approximately 3200 deliveries a year the Maternity department at QEQM work in conjunction with our sister site in Ashford William Harvey hospital to support the women in the beautiful garden of England that is the East Kent. The post holder will be pivotal in the implementation and embedding of a maternity High Dependency unit within the delivery suite as well as supporting and leading change throughout the department to make East Kent the maternity unit of choice for women. The unit has a Maternity Triage department and a co-located midwifery-led unit.
About us
We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference'. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.
Please note that if you require a Certificate of Sponsorship to work in the UK you must declare this on your application form, even if you currently have a certificate of sponsorship or a work permit for another role and are already working in the country. Please note we are only able to sponsor candidates on a Skilled Worker Visa applying for roles Band 5 and above.
Job responsibilities
To ensure that the Services strategy is effectively conveyed to all staff on labour ward and is subsequently translated into operational practice.
To effectively manage the allocated pay and non-pay budgets.
To effectively utilise the Trusts information management systems and technology in order to monitor the use of resources in current service provision, and to predict and plan the resources needed for future service provision.
To ensure that all staff are recruited according to the Trusts policies and procedures and that all staff have an effective induction programme.
To investigate complaints and serious incidents, to monitor themes and feed back to all staff and Senior management and the governance team. Implement actions and learning.
Work in collaboration with other senior managers and the multidisciplinary team to include neonatal, Theatre and Obstetric team.
Performance management responsibilities
To monitor the quality of the service provided against agreed standards provided by the Maternity Service, the Trust, and national strategy. Using recent maternity publications to support change.
Support and lead the implementation the areas of action identified by Kirkup (2022)
To effectively monitor the performance of all band 7 midwives and work with the Professional development team to support all staffing grades in practice.
To effectively address poor performance by utilising Human Resources policies and procedures.
To ensure that all Midwives practice according to locally agreed clinical guidelines and adhere to all policies and procedures.
Operational management responsibilities
To ensure that an effective communication network exists between the post holder and the staff they manage.
To ensure that robust communication systems exist which underpin effective service provision.
To design and implement systems of working which achieve the service strategy and which overcome existing constraints identified.
To oversee the management of all available resources in order to ensure that a safe level of service provision is available at all times.
To ensure that staff are deployed efficiently and effectively to maximise the benefits for service provision.
In conjunction with the governance team and HOM, ensure that a proactive risk management and incident reporting system is adhered to.
Ensure all KPIs, and targets that are linked to Intrapartum are achieved and any issues or concerns on meeting the targets are escalated.
Monitor infection control and cleaning standards, undertake gap analysis and implement improvement to maintain Trust compliance.
Manage Datix reporting in line with Trust risk management strategy.
Key professional responsibilities
To provide professional leadership to Midwives in the provision of a women centred and culturally sensitive service.
To be responsible for your personal professional development and to maintain a personal portfolio in accordance with Revalidation, in order to maintain your eligibility to practice as a Midwife.
To actively promote the involvement of the service users in decision making in relation to Service planning and delivery.
Work closely with the Maternity and Neonatal Voice Partnership (MNVP)
To lead midwives, nurses and support workers through coaching and modelling, toward the achievement of expected standards of practice.
Lead in facilitating skills and drills with the Obstetric lead on the labour ward and facilitate multidisciplinary learning outcomes.
Work with the education team to facilitate PROMPT training and in-situ simulations
Midwifery clinical lead for the multidisciplinary maternity weekly case review meeting. Ensure all actions are implemented and fed back for learning.
Leadership
Provide credible role modelling and expertise to nurses and midwives.
Work collaboratively to support delivery of nursing and midwifery strategy.
Actively involves others in communications between patients, their families and the multi-professional team, supporting excellent communication at all times.
Work collaboratively with patient forums and multi-disciplinary team to develop practice to meet the needs of the local population and support the strategic direction of the service.
Is actively involved in monitoring standards of care and feedback from patients, their families and carers.
Acts as a nursing and midwifery advocate and provides expert advice to patients, families and carers.
Utilises evidence based clinical practice contributing to service development and pathways of care.
Personal / Professional Development
* Update and extend knowledge and skills in order to develop professionally
* Accept responsibility for own professional development and updating, including annual mandatory updating
* Maintain professional / clinical competence
* Take responsibility for ensuring that own annual appraisal is performed
* Participate in relevant training, as required
Professional responsibilities
Comply with NMC standards of professional practice / conduct
Comply with standard requirements for revalidation and maintaining active professional registration
To act as an ambassador for the Trust in professional and public settings
Work within locally agreed policies and procedures
Participate in the development of clinical governance initiatives in conjunction with the Line manager and monitor implementation and performance
* Work within the philosophies / guidelines of current professional documents / reports, plus any future initiatives
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
* oMidwife with a first degree or evidence of studying at level 7
* oEvidence of on going personal and professional development related to Maternity
* NMC registered
* PMA qualification or working towards
* Masters Degree
Clinical Skills and Experience
* Woman and Family Centred approach and ability to resolve user concerns effectively
* oClinical credibility and knowledge of evidence based clinical practice.
* oAbility to handle difficult situations with tact and diplomacy.
* Monitoring and audit of facilities services and clinical environment
Governance
* oUnderstand and promote the pillars of clinical governance and how this links to strategic clinical practice.
Knowledge
* Knowledge of the current issues within maternity and link to Trust level issues
* Evidence of skills in decision making, diplomacy, negotiation and conflict resolution
* Teaching qualification or experience
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.
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
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