Derin Webb is a graduate of the BMidwif Midwifery course at Manchester. Here, Derin talks about making the leap from law to studying midwifery as a mature student, and working to ensure equitable access to maternity care for all.
My journey began with a law undergraduate degree and a master’s in international development. It was my passion for justice and equality that led me to roles in local community development, and immigration and asylum law.
Fast forward a few years (or decades!) and I decided to combine my dedication to equality with a role where I could directly care for women. This led to me embarking on the midwifery degree at Manchester, which I really enjoyed.
The degree has opened many doors for me, and I have since gained years of experience providing care to women and birthing people and their families. As a midwife, I now have experience in providing continuity of care in areas of high deprivation in Manchester, and I have a special interest in outcomes for black and brown women.
New career opportunities
In my current role as the Cultural Safety and Ethnic Minority Engagement Midwife at the largest hospital trust in the UK, I have the opportunity to ensure that the maternity care we provide is equitable, personalised, clinically and culturally safe.
I am passionate about protecting human and birthing rights, as well as promoting choice by providing holistic and sensitive care of women and birthing people from multi-ethnic and multicultural backgrounds.
As part of this work, I also have a role with a national charity, where I deliver training to higher education institutions and hospitals on embedding human rights considerations into their maternity care provision.
I also have a role as the Strategic Lead for Health Inequity and Policy at the Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN), a Black-led organisation working to address the wider social determinants to eradicate health disparities for Caribbean and African people in the UK. CAHN focuses on health inequities, and operates to influence more targeted policies and improved practices for the Black community across a number of prevalent health and wellbeing challenges, including maternal healthcare.
My dedication to equality has driven me to exploring these roles and pushing for improved healthcare across the board. I hope this demonstrates that, as a midwife, it is possible to combine your passions and pursue a range of opportunities.
I would encourage anyone with an interest in this area to follow their dream; looking after women and birthing people in their pregnancy is an absolute privilege.
Learn more about studying midwifery at Manchester.
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