Want a career with growth, progression, and empowerment? Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the UK’s largest acute teaching Trusts in England. Our Maternity Services offer a wide range of choice and support for all women and families, from midwifery-led birthing units to specialised neonatal care. This means our midwives have the unique opportunity to work across a range of highly specialist departments – giving you the chance to develop highly sought-after skills right from the very start of your career.
We are looking for an experienced Midwife to provide dedicated, compassionate care and practical support to families following the loss of a baby. You would help with memories, funeral arrangements, and navigating grief, while also providing support in subsequent pregnancies. You will act as a vital point of contact, ensuring families receive personalised care during a traumatic time.
Key Responsibilities and Support
Emotional & Practical Care: Offering support in the hospital and at home, including help with funeral arrangements and registering the baby.
Liaison : Liaising between an Multi-professional team and also between local and national charities.
Memory Making: Creating memory boxes, taking footprints, handprints, and photos, and helping with bathing or dressing the baby.
Support Services: Providing bereavement midwifery support, offering guidance during future pregnancies.
Guidance & Advocacy: Navigating post-mortem reports, answering questions about why the loss occurred, and acting as a liaison with other medical teams.
Signposting: Referring families to support groups, counseling, and charities.
Education & Training: Training other staff to ensure high-quality, sensitive, and consistent care for bereaved families.
Governance & Audit : Participating in national reporting tools like MBRRACE-UK and PMRT (Perinatal Mortality Review Tool)
With over 19,000 staff, we are one of the biggest employers in the city with a central role in supporting the health and wellbeing of our local population. We play a leading role in research, education and innovation.
Come and join our wonderful team at NUH. We are big believers in diversity and welcome new ideas to help develop our team in order to deliver world class healthcare to the vast patient populations we serve. With endless personal development opportunities available, at NUH we will endeavour to turn your job into a career!
We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, or Disabled, as we are striving to be better represented at NUH.
This job description is an outline of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and is not intended as an exhaustive list. The job may change over time to reflect the changing needs of the Trust and its services, as well as the personal development needs of the post holder.
The post holder will be expected to:
Deliver a confidential support service to women and their families following baby loss including early pregnancy loss, mid-trimester miscarriage, termination for medical reasons (TFMR), stillbirths and early neonatal death.
Facilitate bereavement care that reflects national and local priorities for effective patient care including the National Bereavement Care Pathway.
Deliver an excellent bereavement service by contributing to the working of the team supporting 7-day bereavement service, as required by the needs of the service.
Be competent in all aspects of midwifery care including antenatal care to support the team in providing an antenatal continuity of carer case loading model for women in subsequent pregnancies including bookings and antenatal follow up appointments.
To act as an effective advocate for bereaved women and families by using effective communication to ensure that an individuals care is of the highest possible standard.
Involve the women, relatives, friends and any support network in the care process.
Support families going through a subsequent pregnancy within our dedicated Rainbow clinic.
Liaise and communicate effectively with all members of the MDT to ensure patients needs are met.
Be involved in supporting and assisting families and staff to create memories, maintaining dignity, respect and wishes of the parents, washing babies, arranging blessings and preparing babies for funeral having knowledge and understanding of religious, cultural and spiritual needs.
Support staff in co-ordinating the transfer of deceased babies to the mortuary.
Work within the team to maintain an effective working relationship with the Chaplains, the Bereavement Officers, Mortuary Manager, Perinatal Pathologist and Histopathology team.
Communicate effectively, with women and families, to provide potentially complex, sensitive or distressing information.
With the appropriate training, be able to sensitively discuss perinatal post-mortem with newly bereaved families
Complete all documentation, including face to face discussions, telephone or email conversations with parents, pathways and outside referrals and agencies.
Deal with enquiries from staff, patients and relatives in a timely and professional manner either in writing, orally or electronically.
Support bereaved families to help them understand clinical information they may have been given.
Maintain accurate records and high-level documentation for women receiving bereavement support and guidance.
Maintain accurate service databases to ensure up to date, accurate data recording for the service.
Ensure all support literature is up to date and appropriate and all bereaved parents receive such literature.
Act as a resource for colleagues so that expert knowledge in bereavement care is always available.
Assist in review and auditing of the services and participate in development projects which lead to service improvements.
When required, attend and participate in MBRRACE reporting, PMRT reviews and Child Death reviews.
Maintain and continually develop in-depth specialist knowledge of midwifery practice and bereavement care.
Actively contribute to service developments by attendance and participation in national workshops and additional training appropriate to the role.
Maintain own continuing professional development in accordance with CPD requirements and contribute to formulation of own objectives and personal development plan
Support staff in developing skills and knowledge within bereavement care standards allowing staff to achieve bereavement competencies.
Always adhere to NMC Code of Professional conduct.
Work in accordance with the Trust Policies and Procedures and Values.
Be aware of up-to-date knowledge of current evidence-based practice.
Have the ability to recognise and work within the limits of own competence and responsibility is crucial, seeking advice from the Specialist Bereavement Midwives or other more senior members of staff when required.
