Perinatal Mental Health Midwife

Job summary The post holder will be an Advanced Practitioner (Specialist Midwife of the newly developing Maternity Mental Health service attached to the existing Perinatal Mental Health Team.Able to act as a lead resource with expert knowledge of specialty required to provide clinical advice and support to staff, mothers, babies and other disciplines.The service will cover the whole county working with women before conception or during pregnancy presenting with birth related trauma including infant loss.
This is a new service provision and Somerset are national early adopters.An interest in this field of work is essential and specialist training will be provided.
The Advanced Practitioner will work in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team, ensuring that women with birth related trauma receive the appropriate care and treatment.The Advanced Practitioner will have a caseload of women with birth related trauma, women with higher risk mental health needs and their care will be managed in conjunction with the wider Perinatal Mental Health Team.
Main duties of the job Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
The advanced practitioner will assess birthing people during the perinatal period who have a moderate to severe mental illness.
Use their expert midwifery skills to support people who have experienced trauma during child birth, experienced child loss or have tokophobia.
About us As an organisation, the NHS offers a wide range of benefits including flexible working, fantastic pension contributions, market leading annual leave allowance, career progression and regular conversations, not to mention our Blue Light Card and NHS exclusive benefits of working in Somerset include the idyllic countryside, with our areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines.
You will get to enjoy these perks whilst still only being a stone's throw away from bustling city centres like Bristol, Bath and Exeter and only two hours away from are excellent educational facilities in the area and, when compared to other regions, house prices are reasonable.
You will to experience the best of both in Somerset, the countryside and the cosmopolitan -- there is truly something for everyone!
Job description Job responsibilities Work according to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct and relevant professional guidelines as a named nurse or key worker taking responsibility for the assessment of care and health education needs.To ensure the delivery of high-quality specialist midwifery care and maintenance of standards in accordance with the UK Law, Nursing and Midwifery Council and Trust and EU Guidelines.To ensure robust communication pathways between the maternity service and other services involved in the care of women with mental health problems, including the local primary therapy service (IAPT) and perinatal mental health team.To be competent and confident in all areas of midwifery practice and act as an expert specialist resource in the provision of care for birth related trauma; offering highly specialist advise to other midwives and junior medical staff in birth related trauma matters.Provide midwifery informed specialist assessment and implementation of short-term evidence-based interventions for women experiencing birth related trauma.
This may include facilitated signposting to other services/ support pathways?In conjunction with existing midwifes colleagues to contribute to the specialist mental health clinic.Develop, implement and evaluate multi-agency and individualised specialist mental health birth plans in conjunction with women and their significant other.Demonstrates understanding of ethics, UK law, Midwifery Rules and Standards, Nursing and Midwifery Council guidelines and those relating to childbirth, especially pertaining to advocacy, consent and sexual health.When appropriate to attend highly complex safeguarding case conference/core groups, prepare specialist reports as required for complex child protection cases.Ensure that everyone involved in the care plan receives a copy and to ensure that all relevant details are recorded on Trust IT systems.Responsible for undertaking specialist mental health screens and offering psychological interventions/approaches.Liaise with and offer specialist trauma informed assessment and advice to other agencies and professions, including when necessary participating in Multi-Agency meetings to offer specialist advice and opinions to facilitate the ongoing treatment and care.Manages effectively own time and that of junior staff and students.
Person Specification Qualifications Essential Registered Midwife with a degree or diploma Current NMC registration Evidence of relevant post graduate specialist training in Mental Health or equivalent experience and short courses to MSc, post graduate diploma level or equivalent.
Formal Teaching and Assessing Certificate/qualification.
Desirable Qualification in a psychological approach, or willingness to train Certificate level qualification in CBT.
Experience Essential Comprehensive post qualifying experience which has included caring for women during the antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal periods.
Experience of working in leadership role.
Experience of working with Mental Health teams Evidence of understanding the impact of poor maternal mental health and birth trauma on infants and other family members, and the role that Maternity Services can play in mitigating this.
Knowledge of the impact of common psychiatric medications on women and babies during pregnancy and breastfeeding and have links to experts (Specialist Perinatal Psychiatrists and Pharmacists, Infant Feeding Specialist Midwife) to keep this knowledge up to date and seek additional information where required.
IT skills to assist with presentations and report writing.
Experience of collaboration working with other agencies including the voluntary sector Able to act as a lead resource with expert knowledge of specialty required to provide clinical advice and support to staff, mothers, families and other disciplines.
Desirable Experience of working in the community settings in a senior midwife role.
Additional Criteria Essential Approachable and flexible, with an interest in Birth trauma and perinatal mental health Good communication skills both written and verbal.
Be able to prioritise tasks and manage time effectively.
Ability to work under pressure and to problem solve in complex and often chaotic situations.
Ability to assimilate new concepts and approaches to care.
Ability to engage positively with service users and their families.
Ability to work effectively as a team member.
Able to problem solve in complex and often chaotic situations.
Commitment to individual and group / team supervision.
Ability to undertake all statutory and mandatory training including Breakaway (subject to Occupational Health clearance).
Demonstrated commitment to continuing professional development.
Experience of Group work.
Knowledge of Socially disadvantaged family issues.
Audit / research / project development in a clinical field.
Broad understanding of National Policy and local implementation, which impacts on the development and provision of services.
Skills in risk assessment and management.
Knowledge of evidence-based interventions for birth trauma.
Ability to work on social factors affecting mental distress accommodation, substance misuse, domestic violence, welfare rights.
Experience of supervising staff.
Demonstrate understanding of ethics, UK law, Midwifery Rules and Standards, Nursing and Midwifery Council guidelines and those relating to childbirth, especially pertaining to advocacy, consent and sexual health.
Demonstrate previous success in supporting and delivering change and performance with and through clinical teams.
Proven ability to analyse complex problems and to develop and successfully implement practical and workable solutions to address them.
Ability to be flexible and to look beyond existing structures, ways of working, boundaries and organisations to produce more effective and innovative service delivery and partnerships.
Liaise with mental health services, and other services and partner agencies to ensure that women with severe mental illness are receiving active and effective care.
Approachable and flexible, with an interest in Birth trauma and perinatal mental health.
Desirable Certificate level qualification in CBT.
Knowledge of appropriate legislation current Mental Health Act legislation, safeguarding legislation and other policy related to mental health.