Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities:

Lead and support staff, setting standards of care in the provision of information and practical advice to parents who have suffered the loss of their baby through miscarriage, termination for abnormalities, stillbirth, neonatal or Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome. 

Provide expert support and facilitation of staff in the provision of information. care, support and practical advice to women/birthing people with confirmed fetal abnormality, who choose to terminate their pregnancy and to those who choose to continue their pregnancy including co-ordinating palliative care if this is appropriate. 

Be the named lead and co-ordinator for women/birthing people, families and staff with regards to information relating to pregnancy loss. Be able to assess each individual case and exercise sound judgement when providing personalized care and support for parents. 

 Build close liaisons with external agencies such as :- 
 The Registrar of Birth and Deaths 
 The Coroner 
 Local GP’s 
 Hospital Chaplaincy 
 Local crematorium and cemetery 
 Funeral directors 
 Mortuary staff 
 SANDS (National Stillbirth & Neonatal Death Support Group) 

Ensure the coordination of quality bereavement care, to the highest standard, is maintained throughout the care pathway. 

The Bereavement Midwife will be responsible for providing support with the national standardised Perinatal Mortality Review Tool (PMRT) and will lead on the core principles of the National Bereavement Care pathway. 

Collect data for MBRRACE-UK: Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK and feedback reports and relevant findings to key groups and implement service delivery changes as required. 

Provide expert advice and support to staff who are themselves supporting parents through the practicalities of childbirth when faced with the addition of unexpected pregnancy loss. 

Provide expert advice to staff and bereaved parents regarding registration of their babies’ birth and death and making funeral arrangements along with ensuring all relevant documentation is appropriately completed. 

Being familiar with all the policies and protocols relevant to care of parents whose baby dies before, during or shortly after birth. 

Liaises on a regular basis with all members of the multi-disciplinary team to ensure the timely delivery of prescribed client care and produce guidelines and protocols that reflect our current practice. Advises regarding current legislation relating to pregnancy loss.

 Communicates regularly with staff, patients and their relatives to promote and maintain a high standard of bereavement care, recognising equity and diversity. Ensures that parents are offered appropriate support literature such as the SANDS booklets for parents. 

Regularly communicates complex, sensitive and distressing information to mothers and their families, whilst promoting respect, privacy and dignity in accordance with Trust’s Policy. 

Promoting good communication between all relevant hospital departments and with primary care staff. 

Demonstrates a high level of commitment to research, audit and education in the clinical area, developing education programmes to inform all staff within the multi-disciplinary team of current best practice on bereavement care. 

Uses audit to inform practice and to demonstrate service user satisfaction. 

Utilises data to inform the monthly Perinatal Meeting and to liaise with the medical staff in producing presentations for the meeting. 

Knowledge of risk management and clinical governance issues surrounding bereavement. In particular in the areas of bereavement and loss. Provide practical assistance with legal/organisational. 

Works in liaison with the mortuary staff, to arrange and prepare babies for viewing by parents/family

Provide practical assistance with legal/organisational issues surrounding bereavement. 

To ensure HTA (Human Tissue Act) compliance in line with national and local Policy. 

Maintain standards of data quality relating to the collection and use of information that conforms to nationally defined standards and Trust Policy for all manual and computerised systems 

Regular use of use reporting tools such as PMRT, MBRRACE, Every Baby Counts and online eCDOP forms 

Work collaboratively with medical staff and the audit department to participate in the process of audit and research trials to facilitate clinical effectiveness and monitor outcomes and standards within the clinical governance agenda 

Actively seek evidence based practice which will support clinical outcomes as appropriate 

Professional 
Maintain and improve knowledge and expertise in current developments and future trends in relation to Midwifery management and practice.

Work with colleagues to performance manage and monitor bereavement care in maternity services, in accordance with the national and locally agreed quality outcomes, including the monitoring of service quality from the perspective of those who are bereaved. 

Working under pressure with tight schedules and deadlines in order to meet Trust targets, Quality and governance 

To be responsible for and maintain own professional development 

Maintain an awareness of relevant research and encourage the implementation of relevant findings into clinical practice 

Works within the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) Midwives Rules & Standards with particular regard to registration of stillbirth and maternal death. 

Ability to use research evidence in own practice. 

Clinical 
Prioritise workload to ensure at least 60% clinical working, including support in clinical areas as well as with follow up clinics.

Participate in the day to day running of a bereavement caseload, ensuring care needs are met and follow up care is provided 

To be able to diagnose/recognise specific problems and make decisions in the provision of care related to pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period, informing the most suitably qualified person to assist in the provision of care and escalating appropriately in the event of any deviation from the norm 

To be able to work under pressure, due to unpredictability of work. 

To cope with daily emotional stress, when working on a one to one basis with women and their families and be self-aware of your own wellbeing, seeking support from an appropriate source when required.

Contributes a significant amount of working time to clinical care, maintaining competency in all areas thereby ensuring the credibility required of the post holder. 

Management 
To be assertive/confident and able to deal with conflict and difficult situations. 

To adhere and implement the trust policy for cleanliness and infection control. 

Attend meetings appropriate to your area/role, ensuring effective communication within the team and leading on actions as necessary.  Disseminate information from meetings as required.

Demonstrate a working knowledge and effective use of the escalation policy and participate in the Unit Co-Ordinator rota.

Leadership 
To act as an effective role model and demonstrate effective organisational and leadership skills, including motivation of staff 

To maintain a high profile and be seen to be in charge and fulfil management and clinical responsibilities to patients pertinent to the role, whilst promoting and providing a positive, professional leadership. 

To promote and provide positive, professional leadership, including leadership of staff. 

Education 
To regularly access educational opportunities to enhance knowledge and improve quality of care 

Act as mentor to less experienced members of the team, supporting in-house development and training 

Develop and maintain a positive learning environment for all colleagues, patients and visitors 

Organise and evaluate multi-disciplinary training sessions to include trainee obstetricians and staff such as sonographers, healthcare support workers and receptionists as well as midwives.

To disseminate learning to reduce stillbirths and neonatal deaths in line with national guidance to include ‘Each baby Counts’

This job description reflects the present requirements of the post and it does not form part of the contract of employment. As the duties of the post change and develop the job description will be reviewed and will be subject to amendment, in consultation with the postholder. It is the Trust’s aim to reach agreement on reasonable changes, but if agreement is not possible the Trust reserves the right to effect changes to the post holders job description after consultation with them. Appropriate notice of changes will be given.