Last Updated on 12/10/2021

This checklist will be relevant to trainees who are expecting to become a parent. It includes those planning to take maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption leave. Please note that not all bullet points are relevant to every situation. The term ‘parental leave’ is used in places to include all types of leave for this purpose.

When you find out you are expecting a child

  • Read the LSCFT Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Policy and Procedure document. This provides additional essential information. The document can be found in the Handbook here
  • Fill in LSCFT pregnancy risk assessment form with your clinical tutor as soon as you inform your tutor you are pregnant. This needs to be completed monthly.
  • Check all Trust specific policies and Covid policies for how pregnancy impacts work e.g. whether it impacts going into placement in person.
  • Ensure you are familiar with the policy for taking sick leave, and agree with your clinical tutor and placement supervisor who you should inform of pregnancy related medical appointments, or official meetings concerning adoption.
  • If taking adoption leave, you need to complete an application form and provide written confirmation to your employer within 7 days of finding out about the match for adoption from the agency. See Section 8 of the policy.

Early on after finding out you are expecting a child

  • Consider the policies around maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption leave (as relevant) and begin to think about what type of leave you might want to take, how much, and when you want this to start.
  • Paternity leave needs to be applied for at least 28 days prior to commencement of leave, by completing the application form, and submitting it, along with a completed SC3 form (available on gov.uk).
  • Shared parental leave needs to be applied for at least 8 weeks prior to the start date. See section 6 of the policy for details of information that need to be provided to the Trust.

No later than the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth

  • Obtain a completed Mat B1 form from a midwife or doctor before this date.
  • Complete the Application for Maternity Leave with your clinical tutor and/or the clinical director. This application form is available on E-HR Infopoint via the Trust Intranet. The information filled in is not binding at this stage. Scan the completed Mat B1 form and send these two documents to your clinical tutor and Ruby Mitchell.
  • Decide which date you are intercalating from and apply to intercalate from being a student for the period of mat leave (but not annual leave) via Jen Whitfield.
  • Discuss Keeping in Touch (KIT days) or Shared Parental Leave in Touch (SPLIT days) with your clinical tutor. Trainees can take up to 10 KIT days while on maternity or adoption leave, and up to 20 SPLIT days while on Shared Parental Leave. These days can be taken back in annual leave. Inform Kate Swift if you intend to take any KIT or SPLIT days.
  • Think with your clinical tutor about how you would like to use the annual leave you accrue. There is some flexibility and it can be carried over to the following year.

Shortly before commencing parental leave

  • Consider whether you might like to be connected with the ‘part time/bespoke’ cohort and discuss this with your clinical tutor or ask the part-time cohort tutor, Emma Munks.
  • Let Christina Pedder know whether you would like to stay on your cohort’s email distribution list while you are on leave or whether you would like to be removed from it.
  • Consider with your clinical tutor whether you would like to return to the programme on a full-time or part-time (usually 0.7) contract.
  • If you are awaiting assignment results, let your clinical tutor know whether you would like to receive these while on parental leave or when you return.

While on parental leave

  • If arrangements need to be put in place for your placement when you return to training, arrange a meeting with your clinical tutor or the placement co-ordinator to discuss this several months before the placement is due to start.
  • Meet with your clinical tutor a few weeks before you return to training to discuss arrangements for coming back. If you are breastfeeding, this might include thinking about facilities for expressing e.g. a room and a fridge at the university and placement and agreeing a plan for sorting this out.
  • Arrange an ITP for when you return to training to review training plan and re-set deadlines.
  • Let Christina know your return date and which email distribution list (if any) you want to be added to.
  • Think through any other issues that need to be considered prior to your return e.g. which teaching days you will be attending, if any, and discuss with your clinical tutor.
  • Prior to returning, or just after returning to work, discuss with your tutors any key changes that have occurred on the programme that you need to be aware of to ease your transition back to work.