Job overview
Stopping smoking during pregnancy is the single most important change a woman can make to ensure her pregnancy avoids unnecessary complications and to improve the probability of her baby being born full term and healthy. The purpose of this post is to reduce rates of smoking in pregnancy and thus the harm caused by this behaviour.
The post holder will work alongside and support the Community Midwifery Teams and work with all members of the Multi-Disciplinary Professional Team. The focus of this role is managing /leading a team which provides Stop Smoking support advice, which supports the appropriate delivery of programmes of care.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will focus on all areas of the in-house stop smoking service, including delivering education and training programmes for all Midwifery and multidisciplinary support staff, including mandatory training.
The post holder will manage, develop and promote the in-house stop smoking service both to healthcare professionals as well as for pregnant women and their families.
The post holder will develop network/regional opportunities with other health care professionals and service providers engaged in this field of work, to promote and establish an evidence-based approach.
The post holder will provide and deliver evidence-based care and will provide clinical support and lead a designated Specialist Stop Smoking team.
Working across Primary and Acute care settings, the post holder will develop the role and the team, providing Stop Smoking support and advice to help pregnant women stop smoking.
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The role will support the Community Midwives' role in improving health outcomes through specialist stop smoking support programmes.
The post holder will support compliance with action plans set up to deliver performance improvement and work with all stakeholders to deliver KPI‘s about Stop Smoking Support.
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 and 2024 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.
to hear what our staff say.
Joining us includes a comprehensive benefits package:
1. At least 27 days of annual leave plus public/bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff).
2. Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme, with a 20.6% employer contribution and life assurance benefits
3. Blue Light card eligibility
4. 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 before 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 has been agreed.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
5. RM and eligible to practice.
6. Working at a degree level.
7. Evidence of further study and development of professional and academic skills.
Desirable criteria
8. Leadership/ management qualification.
9. Public Health Qualifications
10. NCSCT Level 2 Smoking Cessation Training
Experience/Knowledge
Essential criteria
11. Minimum of 2 years’ experience at band 6 or above.
12. Ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate Midwifery care for women and their babies.
13. Manage own caseload including ability to prioritise and meet deadlines.
14. Ability to work within acute and primary health care settings.
15. Experience of acting as a mentor to both qualified midwives and students encouraging evidence-based practice.
16. Evidence of supporting pregnant women to give up smoking.
17. Understanding the harms caused to the unborn baby due to smoking.
18. Good working knowledge of tobacco control issues, including relevant research.
19. Awareness of current issues in maternity care and smoking as part of the public health agenda.
20. Knowledge of relevant national targets and guidelines.
Desirable criteria
21. To have developed local and national networks.
Skills
Essential criteria
22. Leadership & management skills.
23. Conflict management skills
24. Competent in IT & able to produce detailed and accurate reports
25. Excellent interpersonal skills
26. Able to work both independently and autonomously as well as part of a wider multidisciplinary team.
Desirable criteria
27. Good presentation skills.
28. To have participated in audit/research and development programmes.