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College of Midwives of Ontario

College of Midwives of Ontario

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Guides and Publications

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Guiding Documents

Guides for Midwives

These documents outline procedures and define or describe standards related to legislation or regulation. Guides assist midwives with their understanding of College requirements or legal obligations imposed by other authorities.

Professional Misconduct Guide

Gives an overview of actions and behaviours that constitute professional misconduct.

Download

Mediating Risk in Caring for Related Persons & Others Close to Midwives

Provides guidance to midwives who are asked to provide treatment to their family members or people with whom they share a close relationship.

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Guide on Removing & Withholding Information Under s. 23 of the Code

Describes situations in which registrant information can be deemed obsolete or irrelevant and be removed from the College’s website.

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Guide on Mandatory and Permissive Reporting

Outlines circumstances where midwives, employers, and operators of facilities are required to file a mandatory report with the College.

Download

Guide to the Health Care Consent Act

Lays out the obligations of midwives in obtaining consent from clients for treatment.

Download

Guide on Compliance with Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA)

Provides an overview of the responsibilities of midwives in handling personal health information.

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Good Character Guide

Defines what “good character” means and how the College assesses it.

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Guides for Clients and Members of the Public

Guide on Funding Therapy and Counselling

Information on obtaining funding for therapy and counselling for individuals who were, or may have been, sexually abused while being treated by a midwife.

Download

Sexual Abuse Complaints Guide

The midwife-client relationship is based on trust. Sexual abuse by a midwife violates that trust and is never acceptable. This guide is intended to help a client understand why it is important to report sexual abuse and what to expect when a report is made.

Download

Guide to Filing a Complaint

A step-by-step guide for clients and other members of the public who wish to file a complaint with the College.

Download

College Guidelines

The guidelines below are best practice suggestions for midwives. They do not establish a minimum standard and are not mandatory.

Guideline for Reporting Sexual Abuse

This guideline assists midwives who believe that another regulated health professional has sexually abused a client in making a report, and defines when reporting is mandatory.

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Guideline for Midwives Using Social Media & Electronic Communications

This guideline provides suggestions for midwives to consider when using social media or communicating through email and other electronic means.

Download

Guideline on Managing Personal & Practice Health

This guideline assists midwives in recognizing sources of stress, mental illness, and addiction. It provides suggestions on how to manage personal health and wellness.

Download

Guideline on Ending the Midwife-Client Relationship

This guideline describes situations where it’s appropriate for a midwife-client relationship to end and the obligations of a midwife when this occurs.

Download

Guideline on Appropriate Professional Behaviour with Clients

This guideline has been developed to assist midwives in understanding how to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with clients.

Download

Resources

À quoi vous attendre de votre sage-femme (français)

Cette brochure décrit ce à quoi les clientes peuvent s’attendre de leur sage-femme.

Download

What to Expect from Your Midwife (English)

This brochure outlines what midwifery clients can expect when receiving treatment from a registered midwife.

Download

Transitional Certificate of Registration Information

Overview of the transitional certificate of registration and requirements of midwives who are granted registration in this class.

Download

Inactive Class Information

Detailed information about transitioning from active practice to the inactive class of registration and the ongoing requirements for inactive registrants.

Download

Complaints Process for Midwives

Overview of the complaints process and resources available to midwives if they are the subject of a complaint.

Download

Active Practice Requirements Information

Detailed information about the active practice requirements for midwives in the general class of registration.

Download

Jurisprudence Course Handbook

This handbook provides information on the ethical and legal framework for midwives Ontario.

Download

Vaginal Birth After Caesarean Section and Choice of Birthplace Position Statement

The College’s position on vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC).

Download

Mandatory Reporting Reference Tool for Midwives

When must midwives make mandatory reports? This chart outlines common reporting scenarios, and provides information about when, how, and what information to include when making a report.

Download

Strategic Documents

Public Engagement Strategy

As a regulatory college, we put the public at the forefront of all our work. This strategy sets out the principles and model we use to encourage public participation and engagement to ensure we’re regulating appropriately in the public interest.

Read more Download

Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

We believe that we do better working with others, and that maintaining quality relationships with our stakeholders will enable us to achieve better regulatory outcomes. This strategy sets out how the College engages with its stakeholders.

Read more Download

Strategic Plan

A detailed overview of the strategic priorities for 2021-2026, and how the College will achieve them.

Read more Download

Strategic Framework

A high-level statement of the College’s vision, mission, outcomes, and key priorities for 2021-2026.

Read more Download

Decision-Making Tools

The College is committed to fairness and transparency. This commitment is why we post our decision-making tools online.

Our Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) Statement is our new tool for policy development.

Our regulatory impact assessment is an evaluation of the expected impact of each regulatory or policy initiative that must be done before any regulatory measure is introduced or revised. The results of this analysis are a justification of the need for regulation. The regulatory impact assessment is designed to help decision-makers (e.g. staff, Committees):

  1. Understand the impact of decisions;
  2. Structure ideas;
  3. Test assumptions; and
  4. Think beyond a regulation-based solution as the default.

Every policy proposal designed to introduce a regulatory tool must be accompanied by a regulatory impact assessment (RIA) statement. This tool is designed to encourage rigour and better policy outcomes from the beginning by addressing the following questions:

  1. What is the problem you are trying to solve? Is it about the risk of harm?
  2. Are the risks you have identified currently managed?
  3. Are there any alternatives to regulation that mitigate identified risks? Can the issue be resolved locally?
  4. Will the burden imposed by regulation be greater than the benefits of regulation?
  5. What regulatory measures are you recommending to introduce?
  6. How are you planning to implement and evaluate your proposed policy option?

See our RIA statement tool

The College of Midwives of Ontario’s Inquiries, Complaints, and Reports Committee (ICRC) investigates public complaints and information the College receives through reports regarding concerns related to professional misconduct, incompetence, or incapacity. Based on this, the Committee decides whether the concerns warrant a referral to the Discipline or Fitness to Practise committee or if some other action would better serve the public interest.

The College’s commitment to fairness and transparency led us to develop the ICRC Risk Assessment Framework.

The framework is designed to guide panels in their assessment of complaints and reports by providing:

  • Guidance to panel members in making fair, consistent and transparent decisions,
  • Aid in considering clinical and/or practice issues that may be raised in complaints and reports, and
  • Context to assess risk of harm posed to clients and the public interest.

Risk is categorized into one of four categories:

  • No or minimal risk
  • Low risk
  • Moderate risk
  • High risk

By categorizing all actions into risk categories, decision-makers on the panel can uniformly assess each complaint and report, enabling transparent, consistent and fair decision-making.

For each complaint and report, the ICRC panel will assess the concerns using the following categories:

  • Demonstrating Professional Knowledge & Practice
  • Providing Person-Centred Care
  • Demonstrating Leadership and Collaboration
  • Acting with Integrity
  • Being Committed to Self-Regulation

In each situation there can be aggravating factors and mitigating factors, each of which will be considered by the panel. Some examples of aggravating factors include prior history, intent, and harm to the client. Some examples of mitigating factors include willingness to address the issue(s), cooperation, remorse, and no harm to the client.

Read the full ICRC Risk Assessment Tool. Get more information on the College’s complaints process.

When information about a registrant’s conduct or actions (that is not a formal complaint) comes to the attention of the College, the Registrar has a responsibility and obligation to take the steps necessary to address the alleged conduct or actions of the registrant.

This decision-making tool assists the Registrar in determining an appropriate outcome relative to risk to the public.

The tool demonstrates a consistent, and transparent formula that informs the Registrar’s decision-making when they consider information and decides on whether a regulatory outcome or further actions are required in the public interest.

The College may decide to conduct preliminary and informal inquiries as part of the process. Preliminary inquiries are not always required but may include obtaining additional information from the source and/or the registrant, or obtaining a copy of the midwifery record relevant to the alleged conduct. The nature of the preliminary inquiries will vary from case to case, depending on the alleged conduct and potential risk to the public.

Review the Registrar’s Investigation Decision Making Tool.

This framework guides decision-making regarding Quality Assurance Program (QAP) non-compliance, enabling a transparent, consistent, and fair process.

This tool guides Quality Assurance Committee panels in their evaluation of a registered midwife’s demonstrated accountability to the QAP.

Review the QAP Non-compliance Decision Making Tool.

All midwives and applicants re-entering active practice are required to demonstrate clinical competence in accordance with the requirements set out in the Registration Regulation, made under the Midwifery Act, 1991.

Where a registered midwife or an applicant has a clinical experience shortfall or deficiency, a requirement for clinical experience may be met by successfully completing a requalification program that has been approved by a panel of Registration Committee for that purpose.
This tool is designed to support consistent decision-making by the

Registration Panel when:

  • Assessing the extent to which deficiencies identified in a midwife’s or an applicant’s clinical experience affect their ability to provide competent midwifery care, and
  • Identifying what measures should be taken to satisfactorily address the deficiencies in the applicant’s or the registrant’s clinical experience.

Review the Registration Panel Risk Assessment Tool for Determining Requalification Programs.

To maintain a general certificate of registration, all midwives in the general class are required to actively practise the profession in accordance with s.12 of the Registration Regulation, made under the Midwifery Act, 1991.

Where a registered midwife has a shortfall in birth numbers and does not meet the active practice requirements (APR), the registrant is referred to a panel of the Registration Committee for consideration of a shortfall plan, the existence of extenuating circumstances or the need for a term, condition, or limitation to be imposed on the certificate of registration.

This tool is designed to support consistent decision-making by the registration panel when:

  • Assessing the extent to which shortfalls in registrants’ active practice affect their ability to provide competent midwifery care, and
  • Identifying what measures should be taken to satisfactorily address the deficiencies in the registrant’s active practice.

Registration Panel Risk Assessment Tool for Determining Active Practice Requirements Shortfall Plans and Outcomes.

On Call Newsletters

two parents look at each other while holding a newborn baby. text that reads "On Call" and the College of Midwives of Ontario logo is on the image.

On Call Summer 2023

On Call is the College’s digital newsletter offering quick and easy-to-read information about midwifery standards and regulation in Ontario, including practice advice, updates to practice standards, changes to regulation and legislation, and other news affecting midwifery practice.

Download On Call

Spring 2023

Winter 2023

Summer/Autumn 2022

Spring 2022

Winter 2022

Autumn 2021

Summer 2021

Spring 2021 

Autumn 2020

Summer 2020

Winter 2020

Autumn 2019

Summer 2019

Spring 2019

Winter 2019

Autumn 2018

July 2018

April 2018 

December 2017

August 2017

December 2016

August 2016

April 2016

December 2015

October 2015

Videos

Consent in Midwifery Care

This video was created to help midwives understand their professional and legal obligation to obtain informed consent when providing treatment to clients.

Let’s Talk Privacy with Kate Dewhirst

The College of Midwives of Ontario and the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario welcomed privacy expert and health lawyer Kate Dewhirst to provide privacy information for regulated health professionals.

Mandatory Reporting Webinar

This webinar, produced in collaboration with the Association of Ontario Midwives, discusses mandatory reporting requirements for midwives.

Presentations

Deanna Williams on the role of regulatory colleges

Dr. Zubin Austin on professionalism and competency

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