Your Responsibilities

The Midwifery programme has validated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. This adheres to the Standards of proficiency for midwives on midwifery programmes (NMC 2019). Therefore, this is a non-standard university course which has some exceptions to some university regulations, as outlined below.

Midwifery students are required to need to complete mandatory training before commencing placements. Please see your BSc Midwifery Organisation Site for details of the yearly requirements and deadlines for completion. You will be unable to commence your practice placement until all mandatory and other preparatory work is completed.

Please also read Your Health and Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

As a student member of the College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences you have certain additional responsibilities. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) set out standards of behaviour both in and out of work.

You have a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at the start of the course, and you will also be required to declare each year that you have not committed any criminal offences within the previous 12 months. This includes speeding fines. If you do not do this, you may be required to leave the course. Additionally, you must declare immediately any cautions or convictions, pending charges or adverse determinations made by other regulators, professional bodies and educational establishments should they occur during your programme. You must remember that as well as being a student at the university you are studying to enter a professional register, as such you are expected to be of 'good health and character' throughout the course and through your professional midwifery career. At the end of the course the student's health status and declaration of good character is signed by the Lead Midwife for Education who is a signatory of the NMC register.

Your Health, DBS and Good Character are assessed prior to the course, and you will be asked to complete a self-declaration each year to confirm that there are no changes to this. Where there is cause for concern regarding a student's health status, they are referred to Occupational Health. There are taught sessions on professional conduct and students are referred to the appropriate NMC documentation online. Any student whose behaviour falls below expected professional standards will be subject to a fitness to practise investigation. The University, through the College, reserves the right to review a student's continued membership of a course if clear evidence of their professional unsuitability emerges. 

Students are expected to conform to the current NMC code and the additional guidance on study.

Any student whose behaviour falls below expected professional standards will be subject to a fitness to practise investigation.

In addition, see the Student Charter and guidance related to Academic Conduct Regulations.

You may need to raise concerns regarding Practice.

If you witness anything on placement that causes you to have concern about patient/client or staff safety or standards of care, you must escalate that concern as soon as possible.

The process for escalating your concerns can be found here.

The process for reporting accidents or incidents whilst on placement can be found here.

There is a process for managing drug errors in practice which will be effective from September 2018. This process 'Drug Error Risk Assessment Process' has been included on the placement web site for access by nursing and midwifery staff in the department, students and practice partners. The Drug Error Risk Assessment Process is now accessible in pdf format from the SHU Policies page on the College’s Placement Information Websites. If you are involved in a drug error in practice, please follow the reporting requirements contained in this process and the requirements for all incident reporting on the practice placements web site.

It is vital that you inform the University of any changes to your name, address or contact telephone number. You can change your details via the student portal or by contacting the College Administration Office.

You should consult your Course Leader or Academic Advisor about withdrawal from the programme.

The University also requires written confirmation of date of withdrawal. Students can 'step off' the programme for a maximum period of one year. If there are any interruptions to your 3-year full time midwifery programme of education, the programme must be completed within 6 years of the commencement date.