Chairs x 5 for the Boards of Mothers and Baby Units

The role of an Independent Chair of the Mothers and Baby Unit

The primary function of this role is to independently chair admission application board meetings for Mother and Baby Units in Women’s Prisons in England.

This includes:

1. To handle all information relating to their role as Official Sensitive, not for wider sharing in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GPDR) 2018. This includes use of an official email address.
2. To support the prison to engage with the relevant external agencies inputting into Mother and Baby Unit placements.
3. To chair all multidisciplinary Mother and Baby Unit Admission Boards in compliance with the requirements contained within the Pregnancy, Mother and Baby Unit (MBUs) and Maternal Separation from Children up to the Age of Two in Women’s Prisons Policy Framework (2021), to form a written recommendation for submission to the prison Governor/Director.
4. To discuss prior to the Board, where appropriate, any matter(s) which a professional/board member was unable to include in their report to reach agreement on how this should be managed successfully.
5. To meet with applicants prior to Boards taking place to introduce themselves, explain the role of the Independent Chair, and the process for Admission Boards and to ensure that they understand their rights.
6. To ensure that Boards have access to all available information (contained within a dossier), in compliance with the Policy Framework, before making a final recommendation to the Governor/Director.
7. To clarify contributions to Boards where appropriate, to ensure everyone in attendance understands them, in a professional manner.
8. To hold neutral boards without a voting function and to summarise contributions made by all parties and recommendations made, for accurate recording in the minutes.
9. To make recommendation and effectively communicate this to the Governing Governor/Director, in person where possible.
10. Where the recommendation of the Board is not to approve a place, to provide a letter to the mother providing details around the discussion, the outcome, and the reasons. Where the outcome is conditional, the letter must include all the conditions. The letter must be written in an accessible way and consider the individual needs of the mother and how to convey information to her.
11. To Chair all multidisciplinary Child Placement Boards where a separation plan or upper age limit extension application requires a decision, in compliance with the requirements of the Pregnancy, Mother and Baby Unit (MBUs) and Maternal Separation from Children up to the Age of Two in Women’s Prisons Policy Framework (2021), and in line with responsibilities outlined at 3-7 and 9 as above.
12. To report any concerns regarding procedures, professional standards, or individual cases to the prison or HMPPS Women’s Directorate as appropriate.
13. To contribute to the Mother and Baby Units Appeal and Advice Panel and work with other professionals to support decision making in the best interests of the child.
14. To work in an inclusive, procedurally just and trauma informed and responsive way, and to challenge discriminatory practice where necessary. To ensure that all attendees and organisations have a voice and that their contribution is valued and discussed appropriately, with understanding of differing organisational roles and responsibilities.
15. To fully engage in ‘new member’ training, mandatory learning, monthly-meetings, and annual appraisal processes. This includes routine peer reviews and shadowing, to support learning and consistency of decision making.