Head of Midwifery

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King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1.8 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King's College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in the London Borough of Bromley.

Job overview

King's College Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (KCH) is recruiting for an exceptional Head of Midwifery at the Denmark Hill site, a tertiary level 3 unit. This is a senior midwifery leadership role that reports to the Director of Midwifery and Gynaecology Nursing and sits within the Women's Care senior management Group. You will work closely alongside the Head of Midwifery for Princess Royal University Hospital at the Level 2 unit at Orpington, part of KCH.

You will have the opportunity to work with leading experts in the development of maternity care at the national level and a dynamic environment with focus on growth innovation and inclusion.

This is an exciting time to join KCH, a prestigious Trust, part of King's Health partners, an Academic Health and Science Centre, a leading organisation with a commitment to the highest standards of patient care. The Harris Birthright Centre is part of KCH, a world-renowned clinical research centre for the assessment and treatment of unborn babies, caring for over 10,000 families each year.

We encourage candidates to arrange an informal visit before applying

Main duties of the job

This is an exciting opportunity to lead and develop maternity services within a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team. The role offers the chance to collaborate with expert clinicians on operational and strategic areas across the Trust, Southeast London Integrated Care Board, Maternity, and Neonatal Voices Partnership within Southeast London and Bromley. The post holder will be responsible for the operational management of maternity services at Denmark Hill and for supporting the strategic development of high-quality maternity services that focus on best possible patient experiences and workforce stability.

Working for our organisation

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1.8 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King's to another level.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone's contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust's carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:
• Lead the operational management of maternity services at Denmark Hill, ensuring effective and efficient service delivery.
• Drive quality improvement initiatives to enhance productivity and outcomes, aligning with national, regional, and local goals for safer maternity care.
• Lead with visible and influential leadership across all disciplines, creating a culture where staff can thrive and feel engaged.
• Support the delivery of high-quality care for all families, focusing on closing gaps in health inequalities and improving outcomes for deprived families and those from Black, Asian, and other ethnic groups.
• Ensure compliance with key performance indicators (KPIs) for maternity services, using national models like the Perinatal Quality Surveillance to drive safer care.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across the Trust and external to the trust as well as local community primary care partners to align with strategic intentions for maternity and neonatal care.

Key expectations of the role:
• A senior midwife with proven leadership experience and expertise in midwifery practice.
• Demonstrable knowledge of quality improvement strategies to enhance service delivery.
• Sound knowledge of national strategic goals for safer maternity care, as outlined in the Three-Year Maternity and Neonatal Single Delivery Plan.
• Experience in managing and developing maternity services, with the ability to influence healthcare inequalities and outcomes.
• A strong track record of leading teams and creating a supportive, engaging, and thriving work environment.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Registered Midwife, Currently on NMC Register
• An MSc level midwifery qualification /post graduate management qualification / equivalent experience or significant progress made to completion of further studies at Masters Level.

Desirable criteria

• Leadership qualification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• Significant relevant and recent post registration experience as practising midwife and nurse
• A proven track record of operational service management at a senior level in an acute hospital environment, including staff management, financial management and change management
• Clear and thorough knowledge of midwifery issues, including statutory frameworks and national policies
• Previous involvement of multi-agency working across the health economy at a senior leveL
• Proven skills and knowledge in all areas of clinical practice
• Proven experience in dealing with human resources issues such as sickness, recruitment and retention, disciplinary matters
• Working knowledge of safeguarding procedures

IMPORTANT

• Check your email account regularly as this is how we will communicate with you
• If you delete the job from any of your accounts, you may be prevented from accessing further communications
• To enquire about your application or inform us of any changes in your circumstances, please contact the named person on this advert
• Please provide email addresses for referees where possible
• Click here to see the range of benefits we offer
• Please review the documentation on our recruitment microsite, particularly the Trust's criminal records checking policy
• All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and for ensuring they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
• Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. On occasion, we might close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Annual Reports and Other Corporate Publications

King's Health Partners Academic Health Science Centre Website

King's College Hospital is part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC), a pioneering collaboration between King's College London, and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• Job Description and Person Specification (PDF, 336.4KB)
• Denmark Hill Site Map (PDF, 1.2MB)
• Princess Royal (PRUH) Site map (PDF, 1.4MB)
• Visa and Sponsorship Information (PDF, 352.6KB)