Royal Devon NHS Foundation Trust

Midwife

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Midwife

Now is an excellent time to join the Royal Devon as a Midwife. Our busy maternity services stretch across the peninsula, with our main birthing units based at North Devon District Hospital and the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital Wonford, alongside our excellent team of midwives based out in the community.  

You’ll have a chance to reshape the future of maternity for generations to come, reaching out to the vulnerable families who need us most as we strive to implement the National Maternity Transformation programme. Work is varied, exciting and incredibly rewarding – you will be welcomed into a community that feels like a family.

Thanks to our flexible working approach and a culture of empowering our people, you’ll soon find yourself rolling up your sleeves and delving into our excellent development opportunities. Whether you are newly qualified, returning to practice, relocating or just looking for a new challenge, we have something for you.    

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What is it like to work at the Royal Devon?

What is it like to work at the Royal Devon?

One of the most exciting things about a career in maternity is the variety, and our sterling workforce of kind-hearted and hardworking individuals are fantastic at adapting to the ever-changing environment of the NHS. If this sounds a little daunting don’t worry, with your team around you and a toolbox of training and skills under your belt, you will soon be taking things by storm.

Rotational work across our different settings will give you an excellent taster of the different areas of maternity, something that will no doubt inspire you if you wish to specialise in the future. Most of our Support Workers work across our inpatient areas or as part of a community team. Those operating in bands 5, 6 and 7 will work within multidisciplinary teams across the various settings.

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Becoming a Midwife at the Royal Devon

How do I train to become a Midwife?

The first step to becoming a Midwife is to take a degree level programme approved by the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). This may be full-time or part-time if you are working in a relevant role. Approved full-time midwifery degree courses last for three years, half of your time is spent studying at university and the other half is gaining hands-on, supervised experience across a range of settings. Applications are made through UCAS.

Training and development UCAS
Nursing routes into Maternity

If you are a Registered Nurse, you can become a Midwife through a shortened midwifery degree. Once you have qualified, you will need to register with the NMC, then you can start a Band 5 Registered Midwife role. An essential part of becoming a Registered Midwife is completing our 12-month Preceptorship Programme, after which you’ll be awarded Band 6 status. To maintain your registration to practice with the NMC, you’ll need to go through the straightforward process of revalidation every three years.

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Other roles within Maternity

Another potential career route will see you grow from a Maternity Support Worker, gaining relevant qualifications and experience along the way. We will support you on your journey, providing opportunities to achieve qualifications as you progress along your ideal career route.

Discover how you can start your career with us as a Maternity Support Worker, and study to become a Nursing Associate. 

Healthcare Support Worker Nursing Associate

Your bespoke learning journey

Your bespoke learning journey

If you’re looking for a career and not just a job, the Royal Devon is the perfect place for you. We have an established track record for bright and impassioned individuals, so all you’ll need to do is bring your best and we’ll take care of the rest. In return, we’ll welcome you into the fold with learning and development opportunities and a package of support, benefits and guidance to enhance your wellbeing and transform your skillset.

You’ll be part of a friendly team of professionals dedicated to providing excellent standards of care to our patients. Guided by senior members of the team and collaborating with all kinds of different specialties, you’ll progress along your chosen career pathway with the help of your Personal Development Plan. This will drive your learning and identify a plethora of opportunities to build skills including IT, clinical, leadership, coaching and mentoring. It’s also a great way to achieve diplomas, T-Levels, and apprenticeships across a variety of levels.

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Advancing your career

Qualifying as a Midwife

Qualifying as a Midwife is an exciting time and there are so many things you can do to continue your professional development. This could mean moving through pay bands as you gain experience, or focusing on a specialism you are interested in such as screening, public health or infant feeding. We have funding available for your continued professional development, with pathways that can open up progression into specialist, management and advanced practitioner roles.

Training and development
Specialist roles

We have plenty of opportunities to help you transform your area of interest into a specialist role. We are always keen to nurture interest and expertise across all areas of maternity and will do our utmost best to help you achieve your career aspirations. Once you have become a specialist, you’ll be operating at Band 7.

The opportunities to hone your specialist skills are endless, but you can also climb up to band 8 in a management capacity. We also have a dedicated team of Professional Midwifery Advocates (PMA’s) that you can join. This is made up of experienced midwives who have received specialist leadership training to help advocate for women and support all staff in maternity.

Advance Clinical Practice in Midwifery
Advanced Clinical Practitioners

You’ll need to complete a Master’s Degree Level 7 qualification in your chosen subject. You’ll receive lots of guidance and support whilst you do so. There is now a level seven (master’s level) apprenticeship in advanced clinical practice available, which can be funded through the apprenticeship levy. You can learn more about this on the Health Education England website.

Advanced and enhanced practice
Management

Looking to expand your role and inspire others with your knowledge and leadership skills? Your next step may see you take up the position of a dynamic Community Team Leader, Labour Ward Co-Ordinator, or Midwifery Matron. These types of roles are responsible for the delivery of high-quality care and the patient experience through proactive clinical and professional leadership to maternity staff at all levels.

It’s the perfect choice for impassioned motivators with a flair for communication. Sounds great, what do I need to do? You’ll need at least five years of clinical experience under your belt, plus any relevant skills acquired through clinical audit and supervision experience. Explore the training opportunities available and build up your tools to make sure you are in excellent stead for the future.

Leadership Academy

Experienced Midwives

Return to practice

Mentoring, requalifying, and re-registration are all covered in our generous Return to Practice package at the Royal Devon.

Return to practice
Overseas

If you’re interested in bringing your skills to England, you’ve come to the right place. When you work with us, you’ll join our passionate team and enjoy job security, a competitive salary and flexible hours.

Overseas

Preceptorship programme

Preceptorship programme

Whether you are newly qualified, joining us from outside the UK, or returning to practice, our Preceptorship Programme will help you find your feet so you feel as confident and competent as possible.

The structured programme consists of a series of study days, after which you will apply theory to practice and hone the skills you have learned as you gain experience within your clinical area. These study days are spread over the course of a year.

Alongside this, you’ll have an exclusive chance to have allocated time with a Professional Midwifery Advocate who will further support you in your role. The added bonus of the programme is our buddy scheme. Your buddy will be someone outside of your team, who you can lean on for personal and professional advice.

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What can I expect to get paid?

Agenda for change

Known as ‘Agenda for Change’, NHS pay is structured around different bandings for a fair and transparent pay structure. Levels of pay vary within each band according to experience. As your career develops, you can expect to earn more and move to the top of your pay banding before working your way up to the next one.

  • Maternity Support Workers and Trainee Nursing Associates are usually within Bands 2 to Band 4
  • Qualified Midwives usually start within Band 5 or Band 6
  • Specialist Midwives and Senior Midwives can advance all the way up to Band 7 or Band 8 
Agenda for change

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Sallie Winterbach, Registered Midwife
Sallie Winterbach, Registered Midwife

I love being a Midwife at the Royal Devon, being based at a centre for clinical excellence gave me a solid foundation for my clinical practice. I feel very grateful and lucky to say that I was trained at one of the best hospitals in the world. 

Midwifery is exciting and it challenges your clinical skills and personality each and every day. It’s a huge responsibility for a midwife to ensure that a woman is safe and healthy to be able to deliver her baby – it’s a great privilege to be able to share such an intimate time with a family.

In an environment that is constantly changing, being a midwife in the NHS has its challenges but nothing compares to the overwhelming joy when you hear the first cry of a newborn baby.  

Sharing my knowledge and experiences with my colleagues is something I am proud to do, inspiring them and supporting them on their career journeys. It is safe to say my enthusiasm and love for my job shine through every working day!

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Midwifery NHS careers
We'll help you feel at home

We'll help you feel at home

We have a bespoke package of support, guidance and resources to help you get settled. 
Work flexibly

Work flexibly

Choose your shifts to suit your needs, apply to join our Staff Bank

Last updated: April 24, 2023

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