We are
throughout your career
Every moment of every day, in every part of the country – in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man – families are being supported by midwives, maternity support workers (MSWs) and maternity care assistants (MCAs). They conduct research that underpins the evidence, educate and lead and provide crucial care to mothers and babies before, during, and after birth, ensuring that they receive high-quality healthcare. The impact of the midwifery community cannot be underestimated.
The Royal College of Midwives is the UK’s only membership body run for the midwifery community and by the midwifery community, by your side throughout your working lives. We are with midwives, student midwives, MSWs and MCAs, day to day, throughout their careers, from the moment they start their education and training to the day they leave the profession. Our work is guided and shaped by our members, and our mission is to improve their working lives, to amplify their voices and to build our midwifery community.
How we got here
We are proud to be the UK’s only membership organisation run for the midwifery community and by the midwifery community, as both a professional association and trade union. The RCM Board, which sets the strategic direction for the organisation, comprises midwives, MSWs and MCAs from across the UK, all elected by RCM members. This strategy has been influenced and shaped by the voices and experiences of our members. Through a range of engagement opportunities, including surveys and focus groups, we have heard what matters most to them in their professional lives, and where they feel the RCM has a role to play.
Our members have told us that they want the support, encouragement and empowerment from the RCM to:
Our commitment
We are proud that midwives, student midwives, MSWs and MCAs choose to be a part of the RCM. We are proud to provide a space where our members can grow and develop, and find support, both formally and informally. We are proud to reflect the voices of every single one of our members across the UK.
Working alongside our members, we are committed to equipping them with the resources, evidence-based guidance and support they need to deliver exceptional care and practise confidently. We will provide individual and collective support, locally and nationally, to improve their working conditions, from pay to the buildings in which they work. Shaped by our members’ experiences, we will use our voice to amplify theirs to shape the policies that affect their working lives and the safety of the women and families in their care.
During the lifetime of this strategy, and beyond, we are committed to be by the side of student midwives, midwives, MSWs and MCAs, day to day, throughout their working lives.
