Head of Midwifery and Neonatal Services

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We are proud to provide 'Outstanding' care and be a great place to work.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust provides safe, compassionate and high quality hospital and community care to the half a million people living in East Sussex and those who visit our local area.

We are one of the largest organisations in East Sussex with an annual income of £700 million and we are the only integrated provider of acute and community care in Sussex.

Our extensive health services are provided by over 8,000+ dedicated members of staff working from two acute hospitals in Hastings and Eastbourne, three community hospitals in Bexhill, Rye and Uckfield, over 100 community sites across East Sussex, and in people's own homes.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated us as 'Good' overall, and 'Outstanding' for being Caring and Effective. The Conquest Hospital in Hastings and our Community Services were rated 'Outstanding' and Eastbourne DGH was rated 'Good' Our two acute hospitals have Emergency Departments and provide 24 hour a day care, offering a comprehensive range of surgical, medical, outpatient and maternity services, supported by a full range of diagnostic and therapy services.

Job overview

Head of Midwifery and Neonatal Services

Band 8c

Substantive role

We are looking for an experienced senior Registered Midwife who can dynamically lead the team at ESHT.

The Head of Midwifery and Neonatal services is a pivotal member of the senior leadership team and will provide strategic, professional and operational leadership across Maternity and Neonatal services, ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality, compassionate and evidence based care.

This post includes participation in the senior midwife on call rota.

Main duties of the job

The Head of Midwifery and Neonatal services will be responsible for driving continuous improvement across maternity and neonatal pathways, strengthening clinical governance, workforce sustainability, financial stewardship and service integration whilst supporting the Trust's commitment to all maternity strategies and deliverables as well as the NHS Long Term Plan.

Working in close partnership with obstetric, neonatal, paediatric, anaesthetic and corporate colleagues, the postholder will ensure services are responsive, inclusive and aligned with local system priorities.

Working for our organisation

A wide range of staff benefits are available to our staff including staff development, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto-enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, access to onsite nurseries. staff restaurants and accommodation.

In addition to an internal Occupational Health department, all staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme. Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year.

There has never been a better time to join East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, submit your application today.

Statement on the Use of AI

We value the individuality that each candidate brings to the application process. While we understand that AI tools are widely available, we strongly discourage applicants from using AI-generated content when applying for jobs with us. We believe that your application should reflect your true skills, experiences, and motivations, which are best conveyed through your own words and unique perspective.

Using AI for your application may not accurately represent your knowledge, skills, and experience and may result in a disconnect between your qualifications and our assessment of your application.

We encourage applicants to take the time to thoughtfully complete their applications; by doing so, you allow us to better understand your true potential and ensure a fair and transparent evaluation of your application. Over reliance on AI-generated content may diminish your chance of success.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the job description attached.

If you have any questions about this position please do not hesitate to contact us.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Registered Midwife with active NMC registration
• Evidence of continued professional development to Masters level qualification/training relevant to role
• Senior level leadership qualification, training and experience.
• Significant evidence of continued professional development in a relevant subject

Desirable criteria

• Mentoring/Coaching/Supervision qualification or training
• Project Management and Quality Improvement qualification or training

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience working in a senior leadership position in NHS/Healthcare organisation.
• Substantial experience of maternity governance processes and structures
• A good understanding of the changing NHS environment and evidence of strategic working across the system/network
• Significant senior leader experience of clinical operations and able to demonstrate experience of: Quality/Service improvement and leading service changes Operational leadership People Management Financial management of business planning and management of resources Management of performance Quality assurance and management of risk

Desirable criteria

• Demonstrates evidence of working in partnership with other agencies, service users, carers, the public, regulators etc.

Skills

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of NHS and professional issues particularly, key issues pertaining to midwifery and maternity services and thorough understanding of current national policy agenda
• Able to lead and develop maternity/midwifery excellence in clinical practice and demonstrate examples of service improvement/transformation
• Assertive, confident and effective with strong leadership skills, that influence negotiate, engage, inspire and motivate a workforce.
• Well-developed communication and interpersonal skills and able to present information and committee level papers.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of out of hours operational management and on call training/skills.

Patients come first at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

Our vision is to be:

• The healthcare provider of first choice for the people of East Sussex.

Our mission is to:

• Deliver better health outcomes and an excellent experience for everyone we provide with healthcare services.

Our strategic objectives are to:

• Improve quality and clinical outcomes by ensuring that safe patient care is our highest priority.
• Play a leading role in local partnerships to meet the needs of our local population and improve and enhance patients' experiences.
• Use our resources efficiently and effectively for the benefit of our patients and their care to ensure our services are clinically, operationally and financially sustainable.

Our aims are that all services delivered by the Trust are:

• Safe
• Effective
• Caring
• Responsive and
• Well led

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.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.
Documents to download

• Head of Midwifery and Neonatal Services (PDF, 232.6KB)
• Guidance for Applicants - AFC (PDF, 152.4KB)