Overview
At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust we put patients at the heart of health and care provision. The Trust aims to deliver outstanding care for our community. Following our CQC inspection, outcomes have been rated ‘Good’ with improvements noted across the Trust. We value candidates who bring their unique personalities, skills, and experiences and encourage applicants to highlight achievements and strengths aligned with the job description and person specification. AI-generated content is discouraged as it may lack the personal detail and relevance needed to demonstrate suitability for the role. Amazing things happen at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, delivered by amazing people – join us.
The Matron for Maternity Services is a senior leadership role within the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, reporting to the Head of Midwifery (HOM). This role ensures delivery of high-quality, safe, and woman-centred maternity care across the Trust and involves overseeing midwifery performance, staff management, governance compliance, and contributing to strategic service development.
Responsibilities
* Provide visible leadership and operational support across maternity services.
* Ensure safe staffing, patient flow, and achievement of local, organisational, and national targets.
* Direct managerial responsibility for midwifery managers and professional leadership for midwifery staff.
* Act as a key contact for women and families, offering support and guidance.
Operational Leadership
* Provide professional and operational leadership to midwifery teams.
* Conduct monthly matron rounds and ensure timely completion of action plans.
* Review staffing levels and rosters to ensure safe and effective service delivery.
* Lead recruitment, selection, and retention strategies for midwifery staff.
* Support succession planning and talent development for senior midwifery roles.
* Ensure budget management training for Midwifery Managers and promote economic resource use.
* Foster a culture of openness, honesty, and continuous improvement; ensure annual appraisals and objective setting for all midwifery staff.
* Monitor compliance with essential and non-essential training.
* Oversee orientation processes for new staff.
* Support Midwifery Managers in staff development and performance management.
Governance and Compliance
* Lead midwifery engagement in governance, safety, and risk frameworks.
* Ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, including CQC standards.
* Maintain data protection and confidentiality standards.
* Develop and implement risk registers and action plans.
* Support audit processes and contribute to annual audit reports.
Service Planning and Development
* Collaborate on the development of the annual business plan for maternity services.
* Identify opportunities for service improvement and resource optimisation.
* Monitor implementation and impact of service development plans.
External Reviews
* Provide evidence and support for external inspections and reviews.
* Ensure robust implementation and monitoring of action plans from reviews.
Patient Experience
* Accountable for the quality of patient experience related to midwifery care.
* Monitor and improve FFT response and satisfaction rates.
* Evaluate feedback and redesign services accordingly.
* Ensure concerns are addressed transparently and in line with Duty of Candour.
* Promote partnership with women and incorporate their views into service development.
* Lead complaint investigations and ensure learning is shared across services.
Resource Management
* Responsible for financial performance related to midwifery services.
* Manage pay and non-pay budgets, including agency and bank staff usage.
* Prioritise capital expenditure and ensure cost-effective procurement.
* Advise on equipment and consumable procurement aligned with service needs.
Workforce Strategy
* Support implementation of a midwifery workforce strategy aligned with Trust objectives.
* Monitor workforce KPIs such as sickness and productivity.
* Conduct benchmarking and implement changes to improve workforce efficiency.
* Ensure compliance with employment policies and promote staff engagement.
Communication and Engagement
* Communicate strategic objectives and key issues to staff.
* Ensure effective communication processes are in place.
* Encourage staff involvement in service planning and improvement.
* Create opportunities for staff to share ideas and escalate concerns.
Qualifications and Desirable Criteria
* NMC Midwifery registration; educated to minimum of 1st degree level; Master’s degree or working towards Master’s degree or equivalent experience.
* Evidence of Leadership or management qualification; recent experience at band 8a (desirable).
* Experience of managing finance, workforce, and quality within a clinical environment (desirable).
* Detailed experience of leadership/management; excellent professional role model; transformational leadership ability (desirable).
* Ability to make decisions, organise and prioritise; must have appropriate UK professional registration.
By applying for this post you are agreeing to Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
Appointment to any position is conditional on satisfactory completion of core NHS Employment Checks Standards. All new appointments are subject to a 6 month probationary period. The Trust may close vacancies prior to the advertised closing date due to high response levels. The Trust is committed to a smoke-free environment.
Staff Benefits
* Flexible working opportunities and a strong emphasis on work-life balance
* Annual leave: 27 days plus bank holidays (rising to 29 after 5 years, 33 after 10 years NHS service); pro rata for part-time staff
* NHS pension scheme
* Employee Assistance Programme
* Money Advice Service
* Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave for eligible staff
* On-site nursery (RBH)
* Full educational library services
* Cycle to work scheme, lockable storage for cycles
* Bus to work scheme; good rail and bus links
* Health service discounts across brands
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