Amended 2.11.2015 – Wording of Eligibility Criteria – (nursing replace with midwifery)
Director of Midwifery, Women & Infants Health Programme
National Acute Hospital Services Division (Extended)
Job Specification & Terms and Conditions
Job Title and Grade
Campaign
Reference
Closing Date
Director of Midwifery, Women & Infants Health Programme National Acute Hospital Services Division
(Director of Nursing Band 1 - Grade Code 2903)
NRS03082
Monday, 16th November 2015 @ 12 Noon
Proposed Interview
Date(s)
Location of Post
Early December 2015
Informal enquires
For informal enquiries please contact :
Mr. Liam Woods, Interim National Director, Acute Hospital Services:
(045) 882563 | Email: sylvia.nolan@hse.ie
Organisational Area
Corporate – National Acute Hospital Services Division
Taking up
appointment
Details of Service
Health Service Executive, Dr. Steevens' Hospital, Dublin 8
A start date will be indicated at job offer stage.
A key objective of the Government’s Health Reform Programme,
Future Health – A Strategic Framework for Reform of the Health
Service 2012 – 2015, is the reshaping of the health system. This is
associated with a determined commitment to re-orientate the health
system to focus on the delivery of patient centred, quality, safe care.
This commitment is supported by the National Service Plan 2015
which prioritises the review and evaluation of maternity services
leading to the development of a national model of care for maternity
services including the establishment of a Women’s & Infants
Programme in the National Acute Hospital Division.
Currently, there is no central resource that acts as a reference point
for women & infants health issues within the HSE. While service
and professional policy, quality indicators and standards can
emanate from a number of sources - the National Clinical
Programme for Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the Office of the
Nursing and Midwifery Services Director (ONMSD), the Quality
Assurance and Validation Division and the Quality Improvement
Division - final responsibility for their implementation and assurance
in all maternity units rests with Hospital Groups and the Acute
Hospital Division. There exists no single central authority that allows
the HSE to respond to service needs and public or political concerns
in a standardised and consistent manner in this area.
The Acute Hospitals Division is now establishing a National Women
& Infants Programme to lead out on these services.
The Programme will create the essential cross-sectional framework
and provide the necessary governance, integration and leadership to
drive reform and standardise care across all units. Such a dedicated
structure will also ensure that learning from adverse incidents is
Amended 2.11.2015 – Wording of Eligibility Criteria – (nursing replace with midwifery)
applied in a comprehensive and consistent manner and promote a
national approach to consistent, evidence-based practice in
maternity care. This approach will support staff and enhance the
opportunity for optimal clinical outcomes for mother & baby through
the integration of the best research evidence, clinical expertise and
patient values into the decision process for patient care.
The purpose of the Office of Nursing and Midwifery Services
(ONMSD) in the HSE is to strategically lead and support midwives in
clinical practice, deliver safe, high quality person centred health
care. It provides a focal point for midwifery within the public health
system and is the critical professional link between the Department
of Health, the Office of the Chief Nurse, Regulators, the HSE
Directorate and its Divisions, Higher Education Institutes, Directors
of Nursing and Midwifery and other stakeholders. Its main functions
relate to professional midwifery policy, clinical midwifery leadership
and clinical governance and supporting quality and safe care
delivery as it pertains to midwifery practice.
The National Women & Infants Programme will create the essential
cross-sectional framework and provide the necessary governance,
integration and leadership to drive reform and standardise care
across all units. Specifically the National Women and Infant Health
Programme will:
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Drive reform and standardise care in the maternity, gynaecology
and neonatal services.
Ensure that learning from adverse incidents is applied in a
comprehensive and consistent manner.
Promote a national approach to consistent, evidenced-based
practice in maternity care.
Provide a single central authority that integrates patient safety
and quality and the work of the National Clinical Programmes
fully into the organisation, management and delivery of services.
The work of the Programme will be underpinned by evidence-based
policy outlined in the Maternity Strategy currently being developed
by the Department of Health. This approach will support staff and
enhance the opportunity for optimal clinical outcomes for mother &
baby through the integration of the best research evidence, clinical
expertise and patient values into the decision process for patient
care.
Reporting
Relationship
The Director of Midwifery, Women & Infants Health Programme will
report operationally to the Programme Manager of the Women &
Infants Health Programme and professionally to the Interim Nursing
and Midwifery Services Director, ONMSD, HSE Clinical Strategy and
Programmes Division.
Key Working
Relationships
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Working with the Programme Manager, the National Clinical
Director of the Women and Infants Health Programme, the
National Director and the Divisional Acute Corporate
Management Team (Deputy National Director, Head of
Operations & Performance; Head of Planning and Performance
National Clinical Advisor and Group Lead; National Lead for
Outpatient Service; Quality & Patient Safety Lead, Activity Based
Funding Lead; Scheduled and Unscheduled Care Lead).
Work closely with the Lead Midwife in the Office of the Nursing
and Midwifery Services Director, who links to the Chief Nursing
Office in the DoH, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland
Amended 2.11.2015 – Wording of Eligibility Criteria – (nursing replace with midwifery)
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The Scope and
Purpose of the Post
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and relevant Higher Education Institutions pertaining to
Midwifery
Work in partnership with consumer organisations
Working relationships are also required with Acute Services
colleagues across the Hospital Groups and liaise specifically
with Directors of Midwifery.
Work closely with relevant key staff in other divisions as it
pertains to midwifery care in maternity services
The proper execution of duties will involve the development of
appropriate communication arrangements with a range of senior
and other key stakeholders both internal and external.
The purpose of the post is to lead the provision of expertise
related to clinical midwifery services within the Maternity
programme office in the Acute Division
The person appointed to this post will be a key member of Acute
Hospital Group Division, leading with others the establishment of
the Women & Infants Programme and the implementation of a
new national model of care in line with the National Maternity
Strategy and maternity clinical networks.
Within the ONMSD, work with the lead midwife in providing
midwifery advice to the Women & Infants Programme and to the
Acute division overall. Work as an integral member of the senior
management team in the acute division.
The Director of Midwifery will support improvement in Maternity
healthcare delivery in line with best available clinical evidence
and midwifery policy.
The core purpose of this role is to:
 Work as an integral member of the Acute Hospitals Corporate
Management Team in the provision of clinical advice,
perspective and support to the Women and Infants Health
Programme in relation to maternity services.
Principal Duties and
Responsibilities
These will include:
Leadership
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With the support of the ONMSD, provide professional Midwifery
leadership for maternity care within and throughout the health
services in Ireland
Support the implementation of the National Maternity Strategy
through the Hospital Groups
With the support of the ONMSD provide support to the
programme on:
o Integrated pathways of care for women and their
families
o Midwifery clinical practice
o Midwifery workforce planning
o Midwifery education and professional development
requirements
Work with the programme team to ensure the involvement of
women and their families in maternity service development,
delivery and evaluation
With the support of the ONMSD, provide innovative leadership,
advice and professional guidance to support the modernisation
of maternity services and implement the strategic goals of the
HSE.
Support the ONMSD provide appropriate midwifery leadership
Amended 2.11.2015 – Wording of Eligibility Criteria – (nursing replace with midwifery)
development programmes to Midwives at all levels in services
Governance & Accountability
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Work with the programme team and the acute hospital division
to support issue identification, national policy prioritisation, risk
assessment and future planning in relation to maternity services.
With the support and advice of the ONMSD provide support and
midwifery expertise to the programme team advising on how and
when midwifery practice changes
Drive necessary changes / improvement in relation to clinical
governance / leadership in maternity services.
Support the analysis and interpretation of clinical and overall
Maternity services data to inform the management of the
Women and Infants Programme and the Acute division
Advise the Office of Nursing and Midwifery services of
developments/changes in maternity services in order to identify
the implications for midwifery practice
Quality & Safety
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Assist the development of an organisational culture that assures
that the values of caring, compassion, trust and learning are
central to midwifery and maternity practice throughout services
and within the Women and infants programme
Support the development of quality indicators and their
assurance for maternity services at national level, providing
specific guidance on midwifery care metrics and KPI’s (with the
support of the ONMSD)
Support the development of clinical risk reduction plans within
the programme
In partnership with the ONMSD, support Directors of Midwifery in
the hospital groups develop improvement initiatives
With the support of the ONMSD, provide clinical midwifery
guidance on the compliance with HIQA standards in conjunction
with the Quality & Patient Safety Lead.
With the support of the ONMSD provide advice to the
programme team on the professional development requirements
of midwives as appropriate
Assist the development and implementation of evidence based
standardised maternity care guidelines
Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality
Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role for
example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the
Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections,
Hygiene Standards etc and comply with associated HSE
protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards as
appropriate to the role.
Change Management and Service Improvement
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To participate, as a key member of the Acute Hospitals
Corporate Management Team in the collective decisions and
actions necessary to deliver, develop and streamline Women &
Infants services provided by the Acute Hospitals Division.
Support Directors of Midwifery within hospital groups in relation
to service reorganisation / reform in relation to maternity services
Support local / national midwifery development in line with the
Amended 2.11.2015 – Wording of Eligibility Criteria – (nursing replace with midwifery)
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National Maternity Strategy.
Promote and enable multidisciplinary team working in maternity
services
Work with Directors of Midwifery in Hospital Groups in
overseeing the
implementation of policies and key
recommendations from reports on maternity services
Communications
 Ensure active engagement with all relevant staff in relation to the
development of Maternity Services.
 Work collaboratively, facilitating interaction across and between
other relevant divisions in the HSE including the Office of the
Nursing and Midwifery Services Director
 Engage with external stakeholders as appropriate pertaining to
midwifery issues
 Support and advise the maternity clinical networks across and
through the Hospital Groups
 To act as spokesperson for the Organisation as required
 Demonstrate pro-active commitment to all communications with
internal and external stakeholders
General
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To support, promote and actively participate in sustainable
energy, water and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable,
low carbon and efficient health service
The above job description is not intended to be a
comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the
post holder may be required to perform other duties as
appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from
time to time and to contribute to the development of the post
while in office.
Other requirements
specific to the post
Access to own transport as the role will involve a travel commitment.
Eligibility Criteria
Qualifications and/
or experience
Applicants must demonstrate all of the criteria listed below:
1. Professional Qualifications, Experience etc
(a) Eligible applicants are those who on the closing date for the
competition:
i.
Are registered in the Midwifery Division of the Register
of Nurses kept by An Bord Altranais agus
Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann or be entitled to be so
registered
and
ii.
Have had experience in midwifery management
and
iii.
Have had satisfactory midwifery experience
and
(b) Candidates must possess the requisite knowledge and ability
(including a high standard of suitability and management ability)
for the proper discharge of the duties of the office
and
(c) Candidate must have undertaken training in management
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appropriate to the post
Health
A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully
competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the
office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a
reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.
Character
Each candidate for and any person holding the office must be of good
character.
Age
Age restrictions shall only apply to a candidate where he/she is not
classified as a new entrant (within the meaning of the Public Service
Superannuation Act, 2004). A candidate who is not classified as a
new entrant must be under 65 years of age on the first day of the
month in which the latest date for receiving completed application
forms for the office occurs
Please note that appointment to and continuation in posts that
require statutory registration is dependent upon the post holder
maintaining annual registration in the relevant division of the register
maintained by An Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann
(Nursing Midwifery Board Ireland)
Skills,
competencies
and/or knowledge
Professional Knowledge & Experience
 Knowledge of the role of the Maternity Service in the broader
health service structure and its relationships with external
agencies
 Knowledge of all aspects of midwifery practice and its
development
 Knowledge of professional midwifery regulation
 Detailed knowledge of HIQA standards
 Detailed knowledge of the Irish health services and maternity
services
 Detailed knowledge of the role of the issues, developments and
current thinking on best practice in relation to Midwifery care
Building and Maintaining Relationship -Communication
 Have excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to
develop and maintain collaborative relationships and strategic
partnerships.
 Have strong communication skills (both written and verbal) and
an ability to negotiate, influence and advocate.
 Have a significant and demonstrable senior track record of
operating at a corporate level with a senior management team.
Operational Excellence – Managing and Delivering Results
 Demonstrate an understanding of the performance systems
needed to manage maternity services at a national level
 A proven ability to prioritise, organise and schedule a wide
variety of tasks and to manage competing demands
 Demonstrate evidence of effective planning and organising
skills including awareness of resource management and
importance of value for money
 Demonstrate evidence of ability to make complex decisions
Amended 2.11.2015 – Wording of Eligibility Criteria – (nursing replace with midwifery)
Leadership
 Have demonstrated effective leadership in a challenging
environment including a track record of service innovation/
improvements.
 Have the capacity to lead, organise and motivate staff to
effectively function
 Significant experience in effective operational problem solving
utilising an inclusive approach which fosters learning and self
reliance amongst teams.
 Capable of leading, motivating and enthusing staff to achieve the
values of the HSE
Personal Commitment and Motivation
 Be driven by the values, aims and ethos of the HSE.
 Demonstrate a patient/service user centred approach to
provision of health and personal social services
 Be capable of coping with competing demands without a
diminution in performance.
Campaign Specific
Selection Process
Ranking/Shortlisting
/ Interview
A ranking and or shortlisting exercise may be carried out on the
basis of information supplied in your application form. The criteria
for ranking and or shortlisting are based on the requirements of the
post as outlined in the eligibility criteria and skills, competencies
and/or knowledge section of this job specification. Therefore it is
very important that you think about your experience in light of those
requirements.
Failure to include information regarding these requirements may
result in you not being called forward to the next stage of the
selection process.
Code of Practice
Those successful at the ranking stage of this process (where
applied) will be placed on an order of merit and will be called to
interview in ‘bands’ depending on the service needs of the
organisation.
The Health Service Executive will run this campaign in compliance
with the Code of Practice prepared by the Commission for Public
Service Appointments (CPSA). The Code of Practice sets out how
the core principles of probity, merit, equity and fairness might be
applied on a principle basis. The Code also specifies the
responsibilities placed on candidates, facilities for feedback to
applicants on matters relating to their application when requested,
and outlines procedures in relation to requests for a review of the
recruitment and selection process and review in relation to
allegations of a breach of the Code of Practice.
Additional
information on the HSE’s review process is available in the
document posted with each vacancy entitled “Code of Practice,
Information for Candidates”.
Codes of practice are published by the CPSA and are available on
www.hse.ie/eng/staff/jobs in the document posted with each vacancy
entitled “Code of Practice, Information for Candidates” or on
www.cpsa.ie.
The reform programme outlined for the Health Services may impact on this role and as
structures change the job description may be reviewed.
This job description is a guide to the general range of duties assigned to the post holder. It is
intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive and is subject to periodic review with the
employee concerned.
Amended 2.11.2015 – Wording of Eligibility Criteria – (nursing replace with midwifery)
Director of Midwifery - Women & Infants Health Programme
National Acute Hospital Services Division
Terms and Conditions of Employment
Tenure
The appointment is whole-time and permanent. The post is pensionable.
Appointment as an employee of the Health Service Executive is governed
by the Health Act 2004 and the Public Service Management (Recruitment
and Appointment) Act 2004.
Remuneration
The salary scale for this post is Director of Nursing Band 1 €70,031 €71,978 - €73,928 - €75,864 - €77,758 – €79,659 - €81,552
Working Week
The standard working week applying to the post is: 37 Hours
HSE Circular 003-2009 “Matching Working Patterns to Service Needs
(Extended Working Day / Week Arrangements); Framework for
Implementation of Clause 30.4 of Towards 2016” applies. Under the terms
of this circular, all new entrants and staff appointed to promotional posts
from Dec 16th 2008 will be required to work agreed roster / on call
arrangements as advised by their line manager. Contracted hours of work
are liable to change between the hours of 8am-8pm over seven days to
meet the requirements for extended day services in accordance with the
terms of the Framework Agreement (Implementation of Clause 30.4 of
Towards 2016).
Annual Leave
The annual leave associated with the post will be confirmed at job offer
stage.
Superannuation
This is a pensionable position with the HSE. The successful candidate will
upon appointment become a member of the appropriate pension scheme.
Pension scheme membership will be notified within the contract of
employment. Members of pre-existing pension schemes who transferred
to the HSE on the 01st January 2005 pursuant to Section 60 of the Health
Act 2004 are entitled to superannuation benefit terms under the HSE
Scheme which are no less favourable to those which they were entitled to
at 31st December 2004
Probation
Infection
Control
Every appointment of a person who is not already a permanent officer of
the Health Service Executive or of a Local Authority shall be subject to a
probationary period of 12 months as stipulated in the Department of
Health Circular No.10/71.
Have a working knowledge of Health Information and Quality Authority
(HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for
Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of
Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc.
Amended 2.11.2015 – Wording of Eligibility Criteria – (nursing replace with midwifery)
Ethics in Public
Office 1995 and
2001
Positions
remunerated at
or above the
minimum point
of the Grade
VIII salary scale
(€ 64,812 as at
01.01.10)
Positions remunerated at or above the minimum point of the Grade VIII
salary scale (€ 64,812 as at 01.01.2010) are designated positions under
Section 18 of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995. Any person appointed
to a designated position must comply with the requirements of the Ethics
in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001 as outlined below;
A) In accordance with Section 18 of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995, a
person holding such a post is required to prepare and furnish an annual
statement of any interests which could materially influence the
performance of the official functions of the post. This annual statement of
interest should be submitted to the Chief Executive Officer not later than
31st January in the following year.
B) In addition to the annual statement, a person holding such a post is
required, whenever they are performing a function as an employee of the
HSE and have actual knowledge, or a connected person, has a material
interest in a matter to which the function relates, provide at the time a
statement of the facts of that interest. A person holding such a post
should provide such statement to the Chief Executive Officer. The
function in question cannot be performed unless there are compelling
reasons to do so and, if this is the case, those compelling reasons must
be stated in writing and must be provided to the Chief Executive Officer.
C) A person holding such a post is required under the Ethics in Public
Office Acts 1995 and 2001 to act in accordance with any guidelines or
advice published or given by the Standards in Public Office Commission.
Guidelines for public servants on compliance with the provisions of the
Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001 are available on the Standards
Commission’s website http://www.sipo.gov.ie/