Perinatal Mental Health Specialist Midwife

Job summary
We are seeking an experienced Midwife with a passion for Perinatal Mental Health to join our specialist team as a Band 6 Perinatal Mental Health Midwife.

Working closely with the Perinatal Mental Health Specialist Lead Midwife, you will play a key role in supporting women, birthing people and their families experiencing mental health difficulties during pregnancy and the postnatal period. You will provide specialist assessment, support and care coordination, helping to ensure women receive safe, compassionate and personalised care throughout their maternity journey.

This is an exciting opportunity for a compassionate band 6 midwife to contribute to the continued development of a growing specialist service in an area recognised locally and nationally as a key priority within maternity care.

Main duties of the job
As a Perinatal Mental Health Midwife, you will:

• Provide specialist support, assessment and care planning for women experiencing perinatal mental health difficulties.
• Deliver emotional, psychological and practical support to women and their families.
• Undertake comprehensive mental health and risk assessments and contribute to care planning and review.
• Work collaboratively with maternity, neonatal, mental health, safeguarding and community services to provide seamless care.
• Act as a specialist resource for maternity and neonatal colleagues, offering advice and support on perinatal mental health issues.
• Support the delivery of perinatal mental health education and training across the Women's and Children's Division.
• Participate in multidisciplinary and multi-agency meetings to ensure coordinated, person-centred care.
• Contribute to service development, quality improvement, audit and implementation of best practice.

About us
#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?

Details
Date posted: 09 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year
Per Annum, Pro Rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Part-time,
Flexible working
Reference number: 179-8251248-W
Job locations: West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Hardwick Lane
Bury St Edmunds
IP33 2QZ
United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
For full details of the job Role and Person Specification, please see attached Job Description. The closing date for this vacancy may change if we receive a strong response. Please ensure that you apply for any post you are interested in as soon as possible.

Person Specification
Education & Qualifications
Essential

• Valid NMC registration as a registered midwife or a nurse.
• Degree or equivalent level qualification.

Desirable

• Diploma in Counselling

Experience & Knowledge
Essential

• Extensive clinical experience.
• Evidence of multi-professional working.
• Experience of Working in an acute NHS trust.
• Experience of supervising trained and untrained staff.
• Specialist knowledge in perinatal mental health or a willingness to undertake training.
• An understanding of the Mental Health Act 1983 (revised 2007).

Skills & Abilities
Essential

• Practitioner in accordance with the NMC code.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Good organisational skills.
• Ability to work as part of a team as well as autonomously.
• Analytical skills.
• Working knowledge of safeguarding issues
• Teaching skills.

Management
Essential

• Ability to deputise for Perinatal Mental health Lead Midwife in their absence.
• Proven leadership qualities to include the ability to influence and motivate others.
• Evidence of good Time management.

Desirable

• Proven leadership and organisational skills.
• Project Management.

Personal Qualities
Essential

• Commitment to and up to date knowledge of issues affecting perinatal mental health care
• Flexible approach to working hours and duties.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details
Employer name: West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Address: West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Hardwick Lane
Bury St Edmunds
IP33 2QZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website: (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Senior Midwifery Outpatient Matron
Hayley McBride
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View phone number on meeveem.com