Bracken Birth Centre Lead Midwife

Somerset Nhs Foundation Trust; South Cheriton; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 57,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options to help you

NHS pension scheme for long-term

Generous annual leave allowance

Career development opportunities

Blue Light Card NHS perks

Job summary

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust seeks a Bracken Birth Centre Lead Midwife to provide strong clinical, professional and operational leadership for safe, personalised maternity care at the Bracken Birth Centre in Somerset. You will lead day-to-day service delivery, workforce planning and governance, ensuring high standards of care and patient safety.

You will develop midwifery staff, champion physiological birth and informed choice, and contribute to service development across maternity services

Qualifications

• Midwifery NMC registration is required.
• Evidence of ongoing continued professional development.
• Evidence of leadership and management courses.
• Training in PSIRF and human factors.
• NIPE or working towards.
• Neonatal Life Support (NLS) qualification.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical, professional and operational leadership of the Bracken Birth Centre.
• Manage day-to-day operations including workforce planning and rostering.
• Monitor and improve standards of care through governance and quality improvement.
• Lead patient safety initiatives and risk management.
• Develop and support midwives and maternity staff.
• Promote physiological birth and personalised maternity care.
• Contribute to service development and budget management.

Skills

Leadership

Staff management

Clinical governance

Risk management

Professional development

Education

Midwifery NMC registration

CPD evidence

PSIRF training

Human factors training

NIPE or working towards

Neonatal Life Support (NLS)

Job description

Closing date: 09 November 2026

Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year

Band: Band 7 (Agenda for change)

Working pattern: Part-time

Contract: Permanent

Location: Bracken House, Crewkerne Road, Chard, Somerset, TA20 1YA

Job summary

The Bracken Birth Centre Lead Midwife is responsible for providing strong clinical, professional and operational leadership to ensure the delivery of safe, effective, personalised and high-quality maternity care within the Bracken Birth Centre. Working closely with Midwifery Matrons, senior midwives, obstetric and neonatal colleagues, the post holder will maintain a well-led service that places women, babies and families at the centre of all decision-making.

The role involves the day-to-day management of the birth centre, including workforce planning, staff leadership, resource management, service delivery, governance and quality improvement. The post holder will be responsible for monitoring and maintaining standards of care, promoting evidence-based practice, managing risk, supporting patient safety initiatives and ensuring compliance with Trust policies and national standards.

As a clinical leader and role model, the post holder will support and develop midwifery staff, foster a positive and inclusive team culture, and contribute to service development across maternity services. They will champion the philosophy of physiological birth, informed choice and personalised care, ensuring women receive compassionate, respectful and responsive care throughout their maternity journey while promoting continuous improvement in clinical outcomes and patient experience.

Main duties of the job

The Bracken Birth Centre Lead Midwife will provide clinical, professional and operational leadership to ensure the delivery of safe, effective, high-quality and personalised maternity care within the birth centre. The post holder will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the service, including workforce planning, staff management, resource allocation, rostering and service coordination, ensuring that care is delivered in accordance with Trust policies, national standards and best practice.

Working closely with Midwifery Matrons, obstetric and neonatal colleagues, the post holder will act as a clinical role model, promoting evidence-based practice, maintaining high standards of care and supporting continuous quality improvement. They will lead on patient safety initiatives, risk management, clinical governance, audit and the implementation of learning from incidents, complaints and service reviews to improve outcomes and patient experience.

The post holder will support, supervise and develop midwives, maternity support workers and student midwives, fostering a positive team culture that promotes learning, wellbeing and professional development. They will champion the philosophy of physiological birth, informed choice and personalised maternity care, ensuring women, babies and families remain at the centre of all decision-making whilst contributing to the strategic development of maternity services across Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.

Key responsibilities

• Overall responsibility for day-to-day management and operational delivery of the birth centre, including staffing levels, resource deployment and a safe clinical environment
• Lead workforce planning, rostering, annual leave management and sickness absence management
• Maintain credible clinical practice as a role model and expert resource; oversee appraisals, supervision, training and competency development
• Monitor standards of care through clinical governance, audit, quality improvement and compliance with Trust and national maternity standards
• Lead investigations, support management of incidents and complaints, and embed learning from reviews and audits
• Champion physiological birth, informed choice and personalised maternity care, promoting evidence-based practice
• Contribute to service development, policy implementation and national maternity transformation programmes
• Manage budgets, equipment and supplies in line with Trust financial procedures; participate in the maternity on-call rota and deputise for the Midwifery Matron

Employee benefits

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential
• Access to the Blue Light Card, with exclusive discounts on shopping, dining and leisure, plus NHS-specific perks

Qualifications (essential)

• Midwifery NMC registration
• Evidence of ongoing continued professional development
• Evidence of leadership and management courses
• Training in PSIRF and human factors
• Neonatal and Infant Physical Examination qualification (NIPE) or working towards
• Neonatal Life Support (NLS)

Experience (essential)

• Understanding of patient safety
• Experience of formal and multi-disciplinary meetings
• Experience of working in partnership with healthcare organisations
• Evidence of ability to promote normality in childbirth within a variety of clinical environments
• Evidence of continuing educational or enhanced learning within a specialism
• Confident in undertaking the midwifery care of women across the perinatal pathway
• Able to demonstrate awareness of research related to midwifery practice

Experience (desirable)

• Management of a midwifery team
• Experience of working in Bracken Birth Centre and the Community

Additional criteria (essential)

• Ability to actively listen to service users and their families and accurately share their views
• Ability to work collaboratively with clinical teams and project managers
• Ability to display sound judgement and objectivity
• Awareness of, and commitment to, equality and diversity
• Able to make valid judgements on complex statistical information, weighing relative significance and highlighting the need for action
• Advanced clinical skills including perineal suturing and management of obstetric emergencies

Employer contact

Leanne Adams, Hiring Manager, [e-mail]

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check. Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see the NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).