There is an ambitious agenda to support the improvement of maternity and newborn services in line with recognised best practice and Department of Health policy and guidance.

We are committed to ensuring staff working in these services are well trained and developed to meet the needs of and enable the best outcomes for women and their babies.

Completed and ongoing areas of work include;

• The West Midlands Royal College of Midwifery leadership programme provides midwifery leaders, managers and those aspiring to leadership with learning support to enable them to develop critical midwifery leadership competencies.

• Development of Maternity Support Workers competency framework and educational pathway.

• Development of training and educational pathway for Operating Theatre Maternity Support Workers.

• Exploration of transferability of support workers skills.

• Provision of training for midwives in supporting normal birth.

• Assistance with workforce planning for maternity services

• Literature review of choices available for women in maternity services

• Development of academic learning in social risk assessment for vulnerable women

• A pilot to increase the capacity for postgraduate training for radiographers in obstetric ultrasound and the regional co-ordination of clinical placements

• Commissioning of advanced neonatal nurse practitioner training programmes

• Pilot educational programme for children’s nurse educational pathway specific to neonates