Role of the Supervisor of Midwives
A Supervisor of Midwives is an experienced midwife who has practised as a midwife for at least three years and has successfully completed a programme of education to enable her to do this role. She has been through a local selection process and has been appointed to the role.
Midwives are responsible for helping a woman to make an informed choice about her care but sometimes the choices available are limited by locally agreed policies or the availability of services. This can sometimes lead to challenges for both midwives and women and may be a situation where a Supervisor of Midwives can help. When midwives and or women are faced with a situation where they feel they need further support and advice, the Supervisor of Midwives can act as a resource and assist in discussions with women. The supervisor of midwives is a source of sound professional advice on all midwifery matters and may provide professional advice to all practitioners, on midwifery care and practice (LSA, NMC 2008). The supervisor is accountable to the LSA for all supervisory activities and, as there is no hierarchy in supervision, each Supervisor of Midwives can approach the LSA Midwifery Officer for advice or support.
The Supervisor of Midwives also:
• contributes to activities such as confi dential enquires into maternal deaths
and stillbirths and deaths in infancy, risk management strategies, clinical audit
and frameworks for clinical governance;
• provides advice and support to midwives about practice issues;
• provides professional leadership;
• ensures that midwives have access to the statutory rules and guidance
and local policies to inform their practice.
How to become a Supervisor of Midwives
National guidelines on the nomination, selection and appointment of supervisors of midwives are available from your local supervisors of midwives or your LSA Midwifery Officer. The role is open to any midwife who has been qualifi ed for three years and who has been practising for at least one year in the two years immediately prior to application, who meets the person specifi cation and is supported by her peers (NMC 2004). You will also be required to undertake a course of preparation for the role (NMC 2006).
