Morecambe Bay maternity services invest in staff to invest in better care

By RCM on 07 December 2016 Caring For You Charter

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) is working with the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) to improve the support available for midwives and maternity colleagues.

The Trust’s maternity services have signed the RCM’s Caring for You Charter, which aims to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of midwives. This supports and enables them to continue providing the best possible care for women and their families.

Launched in June, the campaign is aiming to get NHS organisations across the UK to sign up to the Caring for You Charter.

Sascha Wells, Director of Midwifery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, UHMBT, said: “We were really pleased to sign up to the Caring for You Charter because it reaffirms to our staff our commitment to providing the best possible working environment for them. It is essential that our midwives and maternity support workers feel supported and valued, not only for their wellbeing but it also has a direct link to the standard of care provided to women and families.

“Earlier this year, we launched our Flourish campaign which aims to improve the health and wellbeing of our staff by encouraging them to make small changes such as moving more and being more mindful. We see the signing of the Caring for You Charter as an extension of this work as we hope that by showing our commitment to being a supportive and flexible employer, staff will continue to feel valued and recognise that they have an important role to play in our maternity services going forward.”

Lynne Galvin, RCM Regional Officer for the North West, said: “I am delighted that the Trust has signed the Charter. They have a committed team of midwives and maternity support workers at the Trust. This is a very positive move by the Trust and I welcome their commitment to staff and the people they care for.”

When signing the charter, organisations are committing to five key principles:

• Work in partnership with the RCM Health and Safety Representative to develop and implement an action plan about health, safety and wellbeing issues that are important to the maternity workforce and maternity service users
• Ensure that midwives and maternity support workers have access to a variety of shift patterns and flexible working and promote a positive workplace culture around working time including taking breaks
• Foster a positive working environment for all by signing up to the RCM/RCOG statement of commitment calling for zero tolerance policy on undermining and bullying behaviours
• Enable midwives and maternity support workers to access occupational health and other organisational policies for their mental and physical health, safety and wellbeing
• Nurture a compassionate and supportive workplace that cares for midwives and maternity support workers so that they can care for women and their families

Andrews Amanda, a RCM workplace representative at the Trust, said: “As a branch, we whole heartedly agree with the principles underpinning the Caring for You campaign. We were delighted when so many of us at the RCM conference could be with Sascha Wells, our Director of Midwifery when the charter was signed. We look forward to working with Sascha and the team to implement this important campaign within our branch.

For more information, contact the RCM Press Office on 020 7312 3456, or email pressofficer@rcm.org.uk

For further information on UHMBT, please contact the Communications team on 01539 716675 or communications.team@mbht.nhs.uk.

ENDS

Notes to editors

About the RCM - The RCM is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team. It provides workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance and information, and learning opportunities with a broad range of events, conferences and online resources. For more information visit the RCM website at www.rcm.org.uk.