An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 7 midwife to take on a 12-month maternity cover as Bereavement Lead Specialist Midwife, leading the Somerset Maternity Bereavement Service. This role offers the chance to make a meaningful impact by supporting families through pregnancy and baby loss, and by guiding colleagues in delivering compassionate, high-quality bereavement care.
This leadership position is central to the development and delivery of care for families experiencing miscarriage, termination for fetal anomaly, stillbirth, or neonatal death. The role involves working closely with multidisciplinary teams across maternity, neonatal, and gynaecology services, as well as external partners, to ensure consistent, empathetic, and safe care.
The successful candidate will be responsible for implementing the National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP), supporting staff through training and supervision, and contributing to service improvement and governance. This is a unique opportunity to lead a well-established service, influence practice, and support colleagues in delivering care that truly makes a difference.
As part of this position, the post-holder will be included in the unit's on-call rota and will have line management responsibilities.
Main duties of the job
Coordinate and deliver high-quality bereavement care across maternity and neonatal services.
Lead the implementation and continuation of the National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP).
Provide expert clinical support and guidance to staff caring for bereaved families.
Liaise with multidisciplinary teams, chaplaincy, mortuary services, and external agencies to ensure seamless care.
Offer specialist bereavement support to families through home visits, telephone, and text contact.
Ensure compliance with the Human Tissue Act (HTA)and undertake counselling and consent for post-mortem examinations.
Organise annual remembrance events and develop services for families experiencing subsequent pregnancies after loss.
Engage with national data reporting requirements including MBRRACE and CDOP.
Provide training and education to staff on bereavement care, including post-mortem consent.
Lead service improvement initiatives and contribute to clinical governance and audit processes.
About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:
* Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
* NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
* Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
* A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential
Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.
We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.
Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.
The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.
Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Job responsibilities
This role involves:
* Being a visible and compassionate presence within maternity services, offering expert advice and emotional support.
* Maintaining and developing bereavement resources and ensuring co-production with Maternity Voices Partnership.
* Providing clinical supervision and education across maternity, neonatal, gynaecology, and early pregnancy teams.
* Ensuring accurate documentation and data management using systems such as Badgernet, ICE, Radar, EPRO, and Maxims.
* Supporting staff wellbeing and providing emotional support following distressing events.
* Participating in PMRT reviews and embedding learning into practice.
* Leading on policy development and ensuring alignment with national guidance (NBCP, NICE, RCM, RCOG, BAPM).
* Promoting equality, diversity, and safeguarding in all aspects of care.
* Upholding Trust values of Outstanding Care, Listening and Leading, and Working Together.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* *Registered Midwife with post registration experience at Band 6 level and active NMC registration.
* *Willingness to undertake training relevant to the role.
* *Evidence of continuing professional development
Experience
* *Significant midwifery experience at band 6 or above.
* *Experience of caring for bereaved families.
* *A proven ability to deal effectively with patients, their families and the general public.
* *Ability to work in a pressured environment and balance competing priorities of services and staff.
* *Experience of organising remembrance events.
* *Teaching experience.
Additional Criteria
* *Full knowledge of National Bereavement Care Pathways.
* *Skills in working with a range of professionals across differing organisations.
* *Ability to travel across county - must have valid driving license and access to vehicle.
* *Demonstrate and provide patient centred and safe care.
* *Demonstrate leadership skills, knowledge and experience in order to enhance effective care across all settings, where the loss of a baby may be experienced within the gynaecology team, maternity or paediatric service.
* *A sound knowledge of the legal framework in relation to miscarriages, termination of pregnancy, stillbirth and neonatal death.
* *Working knowledge of issues currently impacting on Maternity services including Clinical Governance and Information Governance.
* *Undertaken Post Mortem consent training.
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.
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