LSA Audit 2012/13
How satisfied were you with the following ?
Please prioritise the listed functions of supervision of midwives in order of
importance
Please rate your confidence in the following :
Preparing a supervisory investigation
report
5
29%
10
59%
Supporting a midwife through an
investigation
8
47%
8
47%
How do you work in partnership with women ?
With representative groups
7
41%
10
59%
Are you confident in supporting midwives requiring:
What have you found rewarding/challenging in being a Supervisor in the last 12
months?
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Supporting a midwife undertaking a supervised practice programme.
Supporting another supervisor overseeing a supervised practice programme.
I am a supervisor to some newly qualified midwives and I enjoy supporting them to develop their practice.
Investigating SOM for a supervised practice programme. This is the first time I have experienced this and was as a
result of my first investigation.
I learn something new every day and that is both rewarding and challenging
Undertaking supervisory investigations - utilising the learning from this and sharing that learning
Supporting my supervisees
Supervisory investigation resulting in supervised practice but midwife declined to undertake programme - very
disheartening.
Challenging - Supporting a women in her choice of place of birth. Rewarding - The fact that my knowledge/opinion
is valued and sort by my colleagues.
Women requesting home deliveries against medical advice
Meeting newly qualified midwives and supporting them as they consolidate their training. I enjoy their enthusiasm
and motivation
Rewarding- being able to identify the need and then developed new guidelines to facilitate midwife's practice.
challenging- to address poor practice especially where its been partly due to the heavy workload of the midwife
The improved positive attitude of midwives towards supervision
Recognising poor practice acting on it and being supported through the process.
Supporting midwives
Rewarding observing newly qualified supervisees develop and grow in confidence. Conducting investigations is
challenging but helps you to grow as a supervisor.
I have completed 3 investigations and have achieved learning and development from each one. i have also
become more confident to support other SOM in this task.
The challenge has been to understand why unsafe midwives continue to be provided with more opportunities to
improve /achieve, when it is obvious to the SOMs involved that they will not make the grade
How have you demonstrated your leadership skills as a supervisor?
• Developed group for midwives mentoring midwives on supervised practice programme.
• Vbac clinic
• I stay positive when changes are being made on the unit and encourage others to see how the changes will provide a
better service for the women in our care
• introduced mentor support group meetings to offer support for midwives mentoring midwives undertaking supervised
Practice programme.
• By chairing meetings and discussions
• acting as a role model
• Encouraging supervisees to become involved in clinical governance, SIRS etc.
• Lead by example.
• I have tried to promote excellent record keeping with both my team of Midwives and my supervisees. I have
championed the 'What you think Matters' cards within Community Midwifery.
• Being available for the midwives when caring for a woman during home delivery, encouraging
• I demonstrate leadership by aspiring, encouraging and coaxing
• taken part in developing guidelines and improving staff knowledge trough delivering training. taken an active part in the
planning and preparing change in the way inpatient care is delivered.
• Visibility within the clinical areas, dissemination of information, involving others to review and develop response/action
plans against reports/policy
• Challenging poor documentation as and when it is seen on a shift to prevent problems in future
• Providing advice and support to midwives
• I try to lead by example, be available for advice and be a good role model.
• Evidence based practice challenge poor practice promote good record keeping. confident in own practice and attitude.
confident in bringing to the fore out dated or unsatisfactory practices.
• By looking for ways of providing a quality service to women, considering new developments and working with others to
bring them to fruition
How do you as a SOM promote women centered care ?
• Encourage midwives to think of the woman. Vbac clinic individual birth plans
• I work mainly on delivery suite and always encourage midwives to use the management plan in labour to
discuss birth options with all women
• deliver normality training to midwives.
• by enabling them to discuss their options
• attending quality groups review of current guidance
• Education
• Communication
• I support the women in my care in their choices and decisions throughout their pregnancy, supporting them at
Consultant appointments if necessary. To ensure that they feel listened to and that a decision is made with
joint consent.
• Act as an advocate for women throughout all of their antenatal/intrapartum and postnatal period
• ensuring midwives are aware of the need for women to make informed choices based on evidence and safety
• continually encourage my supervisees to look at the woman as an individual and involve her in planning her
care throughout her pregnancy not just for labour. To be available for the women to be their advocate in
planning their care.
• By ensuring the woman is not 'forgotten', promoting midwives to 'listen' and 'hear' what the women is saying
• listen to what a woman wants, speak up and challenge when there is poor obstetric input, encourage
midwives to firmly believe what "midwife means“, always maintain dignity at a high standard antenatally/intrapartum and post-natally, always recognize the importance of de-briefing if any trauma or unexpected event
has occurred, respect the woman no matter what her background is.
• talking to women to provide choices
• All of my care is woman centered, visiting the local children's centres, in my advice to women.
• put the woman, not the midwife at the centre of care. her needs come first, over the needs of the service, so
have championed longer day unit opening hours, evening scanning times,
• By looking at care pathways from the woman's perspective.
Please give any other comments you have about supervision in your unit
• Good team of very different personalities some SOM more proactive then others
• We are fortunate to have a large group of supervisors who work well as a team and are always ready to
support each other
• in order to promote supervision in a positive way we have included a presentation on supervision, delivered by
supervisors, to midwives attending mandatory training. We recognised that for some midwives their main
involvement with a supervisor was during an investigation and not necessarily a positive experience for them.
• none
• i believe that as a group of supervisors we work well as a team and undertake matters concerned to
supervision professionally
• Great team of supervisors
• None
• I sometimes feel its a little 'incestuous', especially in an investigation. When colleagues cant comment or help
you as their supervisees are involved. This lack of transparency, I feel, sometimes reflects on the 'supervision‘
within the unit.
• I feel we work very well as a group of supervisors, I could approach anyone for advise or support
• I believe we have a strong supervisory presence within the unit
• our meetings are well planned and organized but sometimes feel it is more management driven
• I feel the team here is cohesive and supported of each other which promotes effective leadership
• meet 1x monthly/paid annually so recognised financially. good sharing of workload regarding investigations.
good support. need more private space /office.
• good team approach. Supporting of one another
• I think we have a good team of supervisors.
• supervision in my unit is strong, has a high profile. staff are given information on the mandatory study days
about supervision and are encouraged to give feedback and make suggestions.
• The best part of SV is spending time with my named Supervisees. The annual review gives protected time to
get to know each other better and for them to discuss their professional role, the great bits and the things they
find most challenging. I enjoy motivating and getting them to think outside the box. The worst part of SV in this
Unit is the monthly SOMs meetings. The format does not interest, stimulate or motivate me. It could be a
wonderful opportunity for learning, sharing experience and coming up with innovative ideas but sadly the
dominant force is to ensure processes are followed, action plans are completed and tasks are ticked off.
Please comment on what further assistance the LSA could provide for you
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Continue to provide the study sessions. CTG master class this year was excellent
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Continue being available
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Continued support
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To be more visible
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I feel its how we as Supervisors promote the LSA!
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Nothing I can think of
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I am happy with the support provided
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can't think at the moment
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Review of some dated guidance e.g. 'delivering family and friends'
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always enjoy study days. would like more case history information if confidentiality allows
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already providing advice and support
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I do not feel the LSA need to provide anything else.
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I have received excellent support from LSAMO
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It would be good if the LSA could find someone who could inject me with the passion I used to
have for Supervision but I know that is within my own gift.