Chief Midwifery Officer for Wales
Posted
Description
- Job grade: Grade 6
- Contract type: Permanent, Secondment
- Length of employment: Permanent / 2 year secondment
- Business area: Office of the Chief Nursing Officer
- Type of role: Health Professionals
- Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time
- Number of jobs available: 1
Location
Cardiff
About the job
Job summary
The Chief Midwifery Officer is the most senior professional adviser for midwifery and neonatal services in Wales. The post holder will provide professional leadership for both midwifery and neonatal services, recognising their interdependence in delivering safe, seamless and high-quality care for women, babies and families
Working on behalf of, and as delegated by, the Chief Nursing Officer for Wales, the post holder will provide expert professional leadership and strategic advice to the Chief Nursing Officer, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer, Deputy Director – NES, senior Welsh Government officials on all matters relating to midwifery, maternity, neonatal and early years services.
The Chief Midwifery Officer will provide visible national leadership for the midwifery profession and work across organisational, professional and governmental boundaries to improve outcomes for women, babies and families across Wales.
Please find more information on the Welsh Government job site - job reference 4311.
Job description
Strategic Leadership and Professional Advice
- Act as Welsh Government's senior professional adviser for midwifery and neonatal services, providing expert advice to the Chief Nursing Officer, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer, Deputy Director – NES, Ministers, senior officials and NHS Wales organisations.
- Act on behalf of, and as delegated by, the Chief Nursing Officer in relation to professional midwifery and neonatal matters.
- Provide visible, credible and inspirational professional leadership for the midwifery profession across Wales.
- Provide both individual and collective leadership as a key member of the Chief Nursing Officer's professional leadership team, contributing to delivery of national nursing and midwifery priorities.
- Work closely with the Deputy Chief Nursing Officer and Deputy Director – NES to provide integrated professional and policy leadership across maternity, neonatal and women's health services.
- Influence the strategic direction of maternity and neonatal services, ensuring alignment with Welsh Government priorities and wider UK and international developments.
- Develop strong partnerships with Health Boards, NHS Wales Performance and Improvement, Public Health Wales, HEIW, universities, regulators, the NMC, the Royal College of Midwives and third-sector partners.
- Represent Welsh Government and the Chief Nursing Officer at national, UK-wide and international forums relating to midwifery, neonatal care and women's health.
- Provide independent professional challenge and advice to support evidence-based decision making and service improvement.
Delivery, Policy and Service Transformation
- Lead the professional contribution to the delivery and implementation of A Path to Safer Beginnings across Wales.
- Provide professional leadership to support delivery of Programme for Government commitments relating to maternity, neonatal and women's health services.
- Work closely with Welsh Government policy teams to develop, implement and evaluate maternity, neonatal and women's health policy.
- Ensure midwifery and neonatal expertise informs policy development and implementation.
- Support implementation of the Women's Health Plan and wider national improvement programmes from a professional perspective.
- Advise on major service transformation programmes, legislative developments and national priorities affecting maternity and neonatal services.
- Promote co-production and ensure the voices of women, babies, families and communities inform policy and service development.
- Identify emerging risks, opportunities and innovations and advise Ministers and senior officials on appropriate policy responses.
- Support development of innovative and sustainable models of care that improve outcomes, experience and service resilience.
Population Health, Prevention and Early Years
- Champion a population health approach across maternity and neonatal services.
- Work collaboratively with Public Health Wales and system partners to improve outcomes through prevention, early intervention and health promotion.
- Promote the importance of pre-conception health, healthy pregnancy, infant wellbeing and the first 1,000 days as critical determinants of future health outcomes.
- Support initiatives that reduce health inequalities for women, babies and families.
- Ensure maternity and neonatal services contribute effectively to broader goals around population health, wellbeing and the ambitions of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act.
- Promote evidence-based approaches that provide babies with the best possible start in life and support women and families to achieve optimal health outcomes.
Workforce, Education and Leadership
- Provide strategic leadership for midwifery workforce planning, sustainability and transformation.
- Work collaboratively with HEIW, universities and NHS Wales organisations to ensure workforce supply, capability and capacity meet future needs.
- Provide strategic leadership to strengthen recruitment, retention, succession planning and career development across the profession.
- Promote advanced practice, professional development and leadership opportunities for midwives.
- Support development of future professional leaders through talent management and succession planning.
- Champion staff wellbeing, compassionate leadership and inclusive workplace cultures.
- Advise on workforce risks, workforce intelligence and staffing models required to support safe and effective care.
- Monitor emerging workforce challenges and advise the Chief Nursing Officer on national action required.
Quality, Safety and Improvement
- Provide professional leadership to improve quality, safety and outcomes across maternity and neonatal services.
- Work closely with NHS Wales Performance and Improvement and the Maternity and Neonatal Network to support improvement programmes and implementation of recommendations and evidence-based practice.
- Provide professional advice relating to governance, service quality, staffing and patient safety.
- Promote evidence-based practice, innovation and quality improvement methodologies.
- Support development and implementation of national standards, guidance and improvement initiatives.
- Promote learning from reviews, investigations, incidents and service evaluations.
- Ensure safeguarding and professional standards are embedded within maternity and neonatal services.
- Support Welsh Government and NHS Wales quality assurance, accountability and performance arrangements.
Research, Evidence and Professional Influence
- Promote research, innovation and evidence-informed practice across midwifery and neonatal services in alignment with PRIORITY 2.
- Maintain awareness of emerging national and international evidence, policy and professional developments.
- Build and maintain influential networks across Wales, the UK and internationally.
- Develop productive relationships with the Royal College of Midwives, Nursing and Midwifery Council and other key professional stakeholders.
- Lead or contribute to national reviews, programmes and strategic projects on behalf of the Chief Nursing Officer.
- Prepare ministerial briefings, correspondence, reports and professional advice relating to maternity, neonatal and women's health services.
- Support development of the evidence base informing future workforce, service and policy developments.
Corporate Contribution
- Contribute to delivery of the Strategic Vision for Nursing and Midwifery in Wales 2025-2030.
- Support Welsh Government assurance, accountability and performance management arrangements with NHS Wales.
- Work collaboratively with Nursing Officer colleagues to deliver shared priorities and collective leadership responsibilities.
- Promote professional excellence, innovation, inclusion and continuous improvement across Wales.
- Undertake programmes of work on behalf of the Chief Nursing Officer, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer, Deputy Director and Ministers.
- Support wider Welsh Government priorities where expert professional leadership is required.
Person specification
The post holder will have the opportunity to influence maternity, neonatal and women's health services at a national level and contribute directly to delivery of major Welsh Government priorities.
They will develop experience advising Ministers and senior policy makers, influencing whole-system transformation and working across government, NHS Wales and UK-wide professional networks.
The role offers significant opportunities to further develop strategic leadership, negotiation, influencing, partnership working and communication skills within a national leadership context.
The post holder will be supported to fulfil Nursing and Midwifery Council revalidation requirements.
Qualifications
Do you hold a master’s degree with evidence of continuing professional development?
Memberships
Are you registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a Midwife?
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £88,023, Welsh Government contributes
£25,500 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
- A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months.
- We support Smart Working: a flexible, inclusive and safe approach that balances organisational needs with individual wellbeing. Most colleagues are expected to spend at least 40% of their working time in the office (around two days a week, pro-rated for part-time colleagues) to support collaboration, connection and delivery. For the purposes of this role, the CNO’s office is based in the Cathays Park office in Cardiff. Where the role allows, the remainder of the week may be spent working from home or other locations, subject to business needs. We recognise that some colleagues may require workplace adjustments or alternative working arrangements, and these will be considered in line with individual circumstances and organisational policies. Smart Working is supported through regular conversations with managers, Team Charters and agreed working arrangements that help teams work effectively across office, remote and blended environments.
- CVs will not be scored but will be used by the panel to gain a fuller understanding of your experience and employment history.
- If applying on a Secondment basis: Inward secondees are not eligible for any Welsh Government pay award or reward during the secondment. They will remain on their existing basic salary, with no alignment to WG salaries, or spine points, during the Secondment. You will need to be permanently employed, and permission from your employer to be eligible to apply for this role on a secondment basis.
- The secondee will be eligible for expenses under their parent organisation’s terms. Welsh Government will reimburse these on production of copies of receipts and evidence of payment to the employee.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the
Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window)
and the
Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available.
You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : [email protected]
- Email : [email protected]
Recruitment team
- Email : [email protected]
Apply at advertiser's site
Share this page
- Gmail