Bereavement Midwife

Transformationunitgm; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Part time

Job summary

A Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Bereavement Midwife to provide compassionate support for families experiencing pregnancy or baby loss. The role involves overseeing bereavement pathways, providing emotional guidance, and collaborating with medical teams to deliver high-quality care. This part-time position offers flexible working arrangements and the chance to make a significant impact during a challenging time for families.

Qualifications

• Registered Midwife with BSc or equivalent is mandatory.
• Counseling qualification or bereavement support experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and support to clinical teams delivering bereavement care.
• Co-ordinate and provide follow-up care for bereaved families.

Skills

Communication

Counseling

Leadership

Time Management

Empathy

Education

Registered Midwife BSc or equivalent degree

Counseling qualification or related bereavement support training

Job description

Main area Bereavement and Palliative Care Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract 12 months (Fixed term or secondment) Hours Part time - 15 hours per week (Including weekends and bank holidays after training) Job ref 284-25-7115685-DMNH

Employer Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Birmingham Women's Hospital Town Birmingham Salary £37,338 - £44,962 pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 26/06/2025 23:59

Bereavement Midwife

NHS AfC: Band 6

Flexible working arrangements may be considered and discussions with the recruiting manager regarding this are encouraged.

Job overview

To support and care for families experiencing pregnancy or baby loss across Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital NHS Trust, to have oversight of their bereavement pathway and be a source of expert knowledge and therapeutic support throughout. The post will be based at the Women's Hospital site.

To hold a caseload of bereaved families, co ordinating and delegating care to other team members when not present with effective and appropriate communication.

To utilise excellent and advanced communication skills when dealing with complex and demanding situations in which intense emotions may effect individuals understanding and responses.

To facilitate the day to day running and coordination of Woodland House (Bereavement Centre) and participate in care, including transfer of families from including post natal families from delivery suite, families from NICU both before and after end of life care, and families from gynaecology.

Main duties of the job

Provide leadership and support to clinical teams enabling them to offer high standards of bereavement care to patients across the Trust.

Provide emotional support and expert guidance to bereaved families to facilitate sound decision making and informed consent in bereavement care. Act as a part of the lead team within the Trust on all aspects of perinatal post mortem and tissue consent.

Co ordinate and provide follow up care to women requiring clinical investigations and consultation with the medical teams working within MDT.

Participate in the training and updating of midwives, doctors and other agencies as required. Support the development of comprehensive care pathways for families experiencing pregnancy and baby loss.

Working for our organisation

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust is the first of its type in the UK. Our Trust was formed in February 2017 to drive forward our commitment to provide the highest quality, world-class physical and mental health care for our women, children and families. Uniting our hospitals means more seamless care; more investment to make greater advances in our specialist treatment and world-leading neo-natal and fetal work. Importantly, it also gives us a greater voice in shaping the future of family-centred care.

Birmingham Children's Hospital is a UK leading specialist paediatric centre with an international reputation in several areas.

Birmingham Women's Hospital is one of two dedicated women's hospitals in the UK, with the busiest single site maternity unit, delivering more than 8,200 babies a year offering a full range of gynaecological, maternity and neonatal care.

Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB) Mental Health Services are a unique, innovative community and inpatient mental health partnership. Alongside partners FTB offers care pathways of mental health assessment and treatment for young people aged 0-25 years old.

Our Trust is committed to creating the best place to work. We believe in promoting and enhancing inclusion, diversity and equality and encourage applications from all areas of the community, who meet the criteria for the role, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification to view the full details for this opportunity at Birmingham Womens and Childrens NHS Foundation Trust.

When completing your application, please ensure you have evidenced how you meet the job description and person specification to include transferable experience, qualifications, skills along with professional registration details (if applicable).

Occasionally we receive a large number of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Registered Midwife BSc or equivalent degree
• Counseling qualification or have undertaken related bereavement support study days

KNOWLEDGE & NATURE OF EXPERIENCE

• Evidence of completion of band 5 preceptorship programme
• Extensive experience of caring for bereaved families
• Knowledge of the legal framework around perinatal loss
• Knowledge of current policy drivers relating to pregnancy and baby loss
• Effective internet and IT (Information Technology) skills
• Knowledge of clinical governance
• Knowledge of the Human Tissue Act and Guidelines in relation to pregnancy and baby loss
• Confident in caring for women with complex needs
• Demonstrates good written and verbal communication skills
• Knowledge of challenges facing bereaved families including aspects of spiritual and religious care
• Knowledge and experience of care pathways, and patient experience surrounding early pregnancy loss and termination of pregnancy

ANALYTICAL AND JUDGEMENT SKILLS

• Ability to prioritise and manage workload
• Ability to undertake audits
• Ability to make confident and sound decisions in complex and stressful situations, escalating issues where appropriate.
• Self-motivated and uses initiative within own limitations

PROFESSIONAL / MANAGERIAL / SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE

• Demonstrates commitment to professional development
• Has a commitment to educate others for the benefit of all
• Evidence of good written and oral communication skills
• Demonstrates understanding of the importance of supportive working in a team.
• Ability to understand and adhere to the equal opportunities policy
• Willing to work on established Nursing/Midwifery information systems, EPR (Electronic Patient Record) or the relevant information system related to post
• Willing to complete all mandatory training

PERSONAL SKILLS / ABILITIES AND ATTRIBUTES

• Compassionate and empathetic approach to patients and colleagues
• Effective time management and demonstrates leadership qualities
• Committed to quality improvements
• Resource for communication with and dissemination of information from the multidisciplinary team.
• Willingness to engage within all areas of work that the Bereavement Team participate
• Strategies to cope with stress / work pressures.
• Demonstrate alignment with the values and beliefs of the Trust
• Demonstrate alignment with the values and beliefs of the Trust
• Punctual and flexible across hours of work when required

Our current Mental Health Services division may be transferring the provision of its services to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust (BSMHFT). Whilst at present you are applying for a position within Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation should you be successful in gaining a position within Mental Health Services, your employment may in the future be transferred over to BSMHFT. Should any new information become available, you will be kept informed of this throughout your recruitment process.

As a Trust employee you are required to comply with all legislation and guidance relating to safeguarding children and adults with care and support needs, and promoting their health and welfare. You are required to inform the Head of Safeguarding of any safeguarding concerns about your own children or children you live with. This information will be treated in a confidential manner.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.