London Fringe NHS Trust

To apply for a Band 6 or 7 Midwife post at this hospital:

• Send your CV to nurses@profco.com or
• Email for a job description, person specification and other information
  

Background

Our Client Hospitals became a Trust in 1992, and a Foundation Trust in 2007 The Trust currently employs 3,500 staff. Our Client Trust provides hospital services to a large and diverse population of over 400,000 which includes affluent areas such as Ascot, Windsor and Maidenhead, and the large urban areas of Slough and Bracknell which have extensive industrial areas. Patients are referred to the Trust by GPs mainly in Berkshire, South Buckinghamshire, Hillingdon, North West Surrey and North East Hampshire.

Maternity services

The Trust provides a full range of maternity and gynaecological services within 2 units in East Berkshire, one offers a modern Consultant Unit with a Special Care Baby Unit providing women-centred care for approximately 4000 deliveries each year, with the choice of :

• Midwifery Led Care for women with no anticipated problems
• Shared care (between GP/midwife and Wexham)
• Consultant care
• ECV clinic - (external cephalic version)
• VBAC - 'Vaginal Birth after Caesarean' classes, to inform women of the choices available for their next pregnancy following a Caesarean section
• Isis birth centre for low risk women who want to birth in a homely non-clinical environment

Key Services at the Maternity Unit

• Obstetricians in the hospital 24 hours per day
• Anaesthetists in the hospital 24 hours per day
• Epidural services available 24 hours per day
• Facilities for assisted deliveries including emergency caesarean section
• Antenatal day assessment facilities. 8am - 8pm, 7 days a week
• Comprehensive antenatal screening with nuchal translucency scanning, and a midwife antenatal screening advisor
• 18 antenatal beds and 6 transitional care beds on one ward
• 27 post natal beds on one ward, plus 5 post natal beds on an amenity / private ward
• 10 labour and delivery rooms including a pool room

Low Risk Maternity Unit

It offers an environment to prospective mothers who fall into the 'low risk' category. Mums to be are encouraged to pursue an active birth in a comfortable, safe and relaxed atmosphere where birth is treated as a natural process. The unit is staffed by midwives and experienced maternity support workers who will care for you throughout your stay.

The unit has 3 birth rooms, two of which have en-suite facilities and one has a birthing pool. The rooms are furnished to support choice of natural birth and create an atmosphere that will help the mothers to feel as calm as possible. There is a six bedded post natal bay and 2 post natal amenity rooms for those women wishing to pay a small charge for use of a private room. Women normally go home between 6 and 24 hours after the birth. The unit offers a range of pain relief options including gas and air (Entonox), Pethidine, an active birth pool and TENS.

The centre encourages active birth, and there are birthing balls, mats and beanbags available to ensure women are given every opportunity to labour and birth in the way they wish. There are no medical staff based in the unit, so women requiring epidural would need to be transferred.

If complications arise during labour women are transferred to the labour ward at the other site. We encourage birth partners to stay with the mother for support throughout labour and birth.

Both Units have

• Consultant led outpatient clinics
• Individualised care and support in labour
• Midwife led care for low risk women
• Antenatal care tailored to individual needs
• Birthing pool for relaxation in labour and delivery (Both labour wards and Isis birth centre)
• Flexible postnatal visiting on the community tailored to individual needs, and postnatal drop in clinics
• All staff actively promote and support women who wish to breastfeed. There are also community based breast feeding drop in clinics each week
• Security system with CCTV
• Electronic infant tagging
• Home delivery service. Approximately 2 % of births take place at home within the district

What is the Isis Birth Centre

The Isis Birth Centre is an integrated unit and offers a "home from home" environment to prospective mothers who fall into the "low risk" category. Mums-to-be are encouraged to pursue an active birth in a comfortable, safe and relaxed atmosphere where birth is treated as a natural process and medical intervention is kept to a minimum.

What facilities are available at the Isis Birth Centre?

The Isis Birth Centre has five birth rooms, two of which have en-suite facilities and one a birth pool. The rooms are furnished to support your choice of natural birth and create an atmosphere that will help you and your family to feel as calm as possible. There is a fully equipped kitchen where snacks and food can be warmed or stored and a lounge/dining room for you to relax either during the early stages of labour or following birth.

The centre offers a range of traditional and alternative methods of pain relief, including aromatherapy, massage, gas and air (Entonox), Pethidine, an active birth pool and TENS. The centre encourages active birth, and there are birthing balls, mats and beanbags available to ensure that women are given every opportunity to labour and birth in the way they wish. If complications arise during labour we transfer mothers to our labour ward to complete your birth. If this happens, wherever possible the Isis Birth Centre midwives will continue the care.

The Isis Birth Centre has a six-bedded postnatal room, which is available for women and their babies to relax and recuperate after the birth for up to twenty four hours after the birth.

Information for new midwives joining the Trust

We have a team of 3 practice development midwives, who work closely with all new midwives supporting them with their preceptorship process. They also organise the mandatory midwifery update days, and other in house training programmes. The Trust employs approx 150 midwives; 9 nursery nurses on the post natal ward; 15 maternity support workers ; and 30 health care assistants.

The minimum entry band for a new midwife is band 6 with a starting salary of £25,308.

Duties:

3 shifts a day:
Early:     7.00 am - 3.00 pm
Late:      1.00 pm - 8.30 pm
Night:     8.15 pm - 7.00 am

Normal full time employment is 37.5 hours per week.

Duty rotas are normally prepared 4 weeks in advance with each area having a request book.

Annual leave: There is a system of booking annual leave with the manager of each area. The starting entitlement is 27 days plus 8 bank holidays. After 5 years service that increases to 29 days +8; and after 10 years 33 days +8.

Uniforms: are provided (tunic and trousers).

Staff benefits

Our Client Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has a friendly atmosphere and excellent wide-ranging benefits.

Trust Induction

Trust Induction is mandatory for all new staff to the Trust. The sessions include a welcome to the Trust and Fire Training. In addition there are awareness workshops covering various information. To support induction, all new staff will be given a handbook that will give detailed information on Basic IT, Equality & Diversity, Fire, Health & Safety, Risk Management, Child Protection, Information Governance, Patient Records Management, Complaints, Infection Control, Manual Handling and Violence & Aggression.

Investors in People & Improving Working Lives

Our Client Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is committed to investing in and improving the working lives of staff. Improving the working lives of staff contributes directly to better patient care through improved recruitment and retention and because patients want to be treated by well motivated, fairly rewarded staff. The Trust achieved Improving Working Lives Practice Plus status in autumn 2006.

Smoke Free Environment

The Trust has a Smoke Free policy which is in operation throughout the premises and grounds at all times. The Trust strives to provide a safe and healthy environment to its employees, patients and service users. The Trust offers advice and support to help those who wish to quit smoking, contact Occupational Health for more information.

Flexible Working

We recognise that individuals at all ages and stages of their lives work best when they are able to achieve a healthy balance between their paid work and other aspects of their lives. Flexible working opportunities are available to all staff offering part time working, job sharing, staggered working hours and other variations of working hours.

Pension Scheme

The NHS Pension Scheme is recognised as one of the best occupational pension schemes available. All NHS employees are entitled to join the NHS Pension Scheme at a contributory rate of 6 %. Benefits include Life Cover, Family Benefits and Ill Health Retirement Pension. For further information, visit www.pensions.nhsbsa.nhs.uk.

Training and Development

Training and development is encouraged and supported. Study leave may be granted for a development activity that requires time away from work. The Trust has been awarded with Investor in People status. Investor in People is a way of measuring an organisation against a nationally recognised standard of good practice for developing people.

A variety of courses, such as IT skills, presentation skills, customer care, management skills, and mandatory training are all provided in-house by the Training and Development department. Individual development needs are formally identified at different points, starting with induction for new staff and then through the Trust's appraisal system (IPDR).

Equal Opportunities

The Trust is committed to the equality of opportunity in employment. The Trust's Equality Policy represents our commitment to promoting equality, diversity and eliminating unlawful discrimination. It is the policy of the Trust to ensure that no present or future employees or job applicants are discriminated against on grounds of gender, sexuality, disability, age, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, trade union activity, HIV or marital status, nor indirectly discriminated against through the application of a condition or requirement which cannot be shown to be justifiable.

On-site Accommodation

The Trust provides staff accommodation. We rent family housing to doctors, initially in the form of one and two bed flats and two and three bed houses; and single person housing either in four person shared flats or single person studio rooms. All the accommodation is furnished and priority is given to Trust staff.

Key Worker Living Scheme

The Key Worker Living Scheme is a government-led initiative offering help to NHS staff towards securing affordable accommodation; there are a number of schemes available. For further enquiries, to find out whether you are eligible or to make an application call 0845 6017729, or visit www.housing.nhs.uk.

Car Parking Permit

Staff may only apply for a parking permit if they live more than 1.5 miles from site and are a permanent member of staff.

Refreshments and Shops

There are subsidised staff restaurants at the Hospitals, serving a variety of snacks, hot meals, salads and drinks. The restaurants are open throughout the day. There are also a number of coffee bars and shops, as well as a number of vending machines, located around the hospitals.

Occupational Health Service

The health and well-being of the staff is of great importance and the Trust aims to ensure a healthy and safe working environment for all. The Occupational Health service aims to promote and maintain the health and well-being of staff. It offers a range of services and is a completely confidential service. All job applicants complete a health declaration form for screening prior to employment to ensure that individuals are physically fit to undertake the particular job that they have applied for.

To apply for a Midwife vacancy at this hospital send your CV to nurses@profco.com