Good management in maternity care is important because it can help achieve goals, optimise resources, reduce costs, strengthen the organisation, provide stability for the workforce and improve outcomes for women. It involves the continuous management of the service, identifying and addressing challenges, implementing and evaluating solutions. This includes knowing what to do and when and ensuring that it is done in the most effective way within existing constraints.

While there is often focus on the manager as an individual, management is also a group responsibility, particularly in the NHS or universities. Effective management helps direct efforts towards a predisposed course and involves the skill of getting things done by means of a team. It is about creating conditions that empower people to perform and operate at their best. Good managers are able to identify the right person for the job. The objectives for any management team include:

• Getting the best possible results
• Cost effectiveness
• Fairness through consistent policies
• Increasing efficiency

The RCM career framework has identified some specific management roles in the maternity workforce, although everyone has a responsibility to manage themselves and the care that provided. In this way we can ensure the delivery of high quality evidence-based care that improves outcomes for women and their families. Developing knowledge and expertise brings increasing confidence to enable you to support and manage others.

Here we illustrate some of the possible managerial roles for a midwife in the NHS.

Please go to the next pages to view the management roles.

The following i-learn courses can support you in a move to working in education:

- A range of leadership courses - search for leadership using the search icon (magnifier) at the top of this page

- Managing change for midwifery managers

- Appraisal skills for midwifery managers

Developing personal effectiveness workshop (face-to-face training: see RCM website events page for more information and dates)

Click the link for further resources and links associated with management roles.