Bereavement Support Midwife

Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; London; On-site; GBP 44,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a compassionate Bereavement Midwife to join their dedicated team. This role is crucial for providing sensitive antenatal care to women and birthing individuals experiencing loss, ensuring they receive the emotional and practical support they need during difficult times. The ideal candidate will possess strong communication skills and a commitment to compassionate care, working collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team. The position offers an opportunity to make a significant impact in the lives of families while being part of a high-performing organization recognized for its outstanding quality of care.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Supportive working environment

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Registered Midwife with current NMC registration and degree-level education.
• Experience in bereavement care and trauma-informed approaches.

Responsibilities

• Provide antenatal care for women after loss, ensuring continuity of care.
• Support bereaved families and coordinate with healthcare professionals.

Skills

Highly developed communication skills

Empathetic care

Experience managing distressing situations

Leadership skills

Teaching and presentation skills

Trauma-informed care awareness

Education

Registered Midwife

Current NMC registration

Educated to degree level

Evidence of CPD

Training in bereavement care

Training in perinatal trauma

Job description

Main area: Midwifery

Grade: NHS AfC: Band 6

Contract: Fixed term: 12 months (end date is 12 months from start date)

Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week (includes weekend working)

Job ref: 293-SWNS-0414

Site: Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Homerton Row, E9 6SR

Town: London

Salary: £44,806 - £53,134 pro rata p.a. inc.

Salary period: Yearly

Closing: 05/01/2025 23:59

Advert

Job overview

We are actively seeking applications from candidates who bring not only professional expertise but also lived experiences and cultural safety that enhance the sensitivity and understanding required in this role.

The post holder will be part of the bereavement team, providing antenatal care for pregnant women and birthing people after loss, ensuring continuity and care in line with the National Bereavement Care Pathway standards.

The Bereavement midwife will support the bereavement team to provide care, support, and practical advice to women, birthing people, and their families following the loss of their baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, and termination of pregnancy for medical reasons within a range of settings including at home.

They will provide support to midwifery and medical staff within the Directorate when caring for women or birthing people experiencing a loss pregnancy, stillbirth, or early neonatal death.

Main duties of the job

• Set up pregnancy after loss Rainbow multi-disciplinary clinic and provide rainbow pregnancy care to women pregnant after loss. Initiate care plans and early contact with women and birthing people. Liaise with EPAU, Obstetric team, and wider support agencies to implement and provide bereavement Forget Me Not care plans followed including prescriptions and schedule of care.
• Undertake antenatal appointments in hospital and at home. Accompany women/birthing people to antenatal appointments, scans with multi-disciplinary team where required.
• Support the specialist bereavement midwifery team in their duties and work a flexible 7-day rota pattern to include weekends.
• Give emotional and psychological support to bereaved parents from the time of their loss, for as long as they require. This support will be initiated by the team, usually on the ward, some hours after the birth/death of the baby, and will continue with contact by telephone or face-to-face contact in the bereavement office.
• Initiate contact with the general practitioner, obstetric or psychiatric consultant, chaplain, social worker, or other health professional, to ensure the health and safety of the bereaved and/or their children.

Working for our organisation

Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a high performing and flourishing organisation serving the population of Hackney, East London, The City, and beyond.

We are extremely proud of the fact that Homerton Hospital has recently attained the highest possible rating of "Outstanding" from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Our integrated Trust provides comprehensive hospital and community health services for its local population and a range of specialist services for a wider group of patients. In addition, the Trust manages services out of St Leonard's Hospital and the Mary Seacole Nursing Home.

Homerton aims to ensure equality and value diversity, and we are committed to inclusion for all of our staff. This is reflected in our policies, procedures, and People Plan. All of our staff are expected to embody our Trust values at all times.

We are also committed, through our Fair Recruitment Standards, to ensuring all applicants are treated fairly.

Homerton has a proud tradition of supporting and developing its staff, including its well-regarded and valued nursing community, and all staff are able to take advantage of a great range of benefits.

Homerton is proud to have been included on the HSJ & Nursing Times Best Places to Work list.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s on this page.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

• Registered Midwife
• Current NMC registration
• Educated to degree level
• Evidence of CPD
• Training qualification/CPD specific to bereavement care.
• Training qualification/CPD specific to perinatal trauma.

Skills/Abilities

• Highly developed communication skills - written and verbal
• Ability to demonstrate kind, compassionate, and empathetic care
• Experience of managing distressing situations
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Well-developed leadership skills.
• Ability to coordinate and delegate.
• Teaching and presentation skills.
• Awareness of a trauma-informed approach to care provision.

Experience/Knowledge

• Well-rounded midwifery experience.
• Antenatal experience
• Experience of care provision to bereaved families and relatives.
• Experience of dealing with emotionally charged and distressed families
• Understanding of confidentiality issues.
• Knowledge of NHS Clinical Governance.
• Understanding of MBRRACE and PMRT pathways
• Good knowledge of National bereavement care pathway, aims and objectives
• Ability to work across inequalities and diverse community needs.
• Awareness of external perinatal mortality reporting processes
• Knowledge of current NHS agenda.
• Caseloading experience

Trust values & equal opportunities

• Understanding and demonstration of the Trust Values
• Commitment and adherence to equality, diversity, and inclusion
• Ability to work flexibly to meet the team requirements

General Guidance for Applicants

Please ensure that you read the "Guidance Notes On Submitting An Application" under "Additional Documentation" before completing your application.

Please note: we reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

We are committed to achieving equality and inclusion at Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, and we respect and value the diversity and differences of our patients and our people, ensuring everyone is enabled to thrive, feels a sense of belonging, and is able to be their authentic self. We offer a range of flexible working options that enable you to balance your work and personal life, including part-time, compressed hours, remote working, and job-shares.

If you are interested in joining our team, please let us know your preferred working pattern in your application, and we will consider all requests for flexible working and try to accommodate them wherever possible.

Please note that secondment arrangements will be considered for any fixed-term positions, with the agreement of the existing line manager.

We are committed to equal opportunities and have been approved as a Disability Confident Employer.

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.

Name: Sarah Davenport

Job title: Bereavement lead midwife

Email address: [e-mail]

Telephone number: 0208 510 7317

Additional information:

Gitty Blum
Matron for Delivery Suite, Birth Centre, EOU, Triage
[e-mail]

Cristina Rodriguez Gonzalez
Recruitment, retention, workforce development midwife
[e-mail]