Maternity Care Assistant

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust; Worcester; Sur place; GBP 21 000 - 25 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is recruiting a Maternity Care Assistant to work with the maternity team. The role involves assisting in antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care, delivering compassionate, woman-centred support under supervision, and maintaining high standards of safety and professionalism.

The post requires attendance at mandatory training, involvement in safeguarding, and collaboration with the wider MDT to promote infant feeding, wellbeing and family-centred care.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of Health and Safety issues in healthcare environments.
• Understanding of data protection and confidentiality requirements.
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients, families and MDT members.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in a healthcare setting.

Responsabilités

• Assist the midwife and MDT to provide safe, woman-centred care.
• Maintain clear, accurate clinical records and documentation.
• Attend mandatory training and participate in appraisals and trainee support.
• Support in obstetric and neonatal emergencies and health promotion activities.
• Assist with infant feeding support and promoting skin-to-skin contact.

Connaissances

Health and Safety

Data protection

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Prioritising workload

Independence

Safeguarding

Teamwork

Adaptability

Training and development

12-24 hour shift readiness

Ethics and professional boundaries

Formation

NVQ Level 2 in Health care or equivalent

GCSE Maths and English (A-C)

Care certificate

Description du poste

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Maternity Care Assistant

The closing date is 23 November 2026

The primary role of the Maternity Care Assistant (MCA) is to assist, support and work in collaboration with the midwife and the wider multidisciplinary team; in order to provide a safe and holistic approach to women centred care.

The midwife is ultimately responsible for the care of the mother and her new-born(s), and it is under the direct or indirect supervision of the midwife that the MCA assists with and provides personal care following completion of any relevant or appropriate training. The post is rotational and the employee will be provided with appropriate training for the clinical setting in which they are working. These settings include antenatal inpatient or outpatient care, intrapartum inpatient care and postnatal inpatient and outpatient care.

The post holder is expected to undertake a set of defined competencies. Support will be given to employees to further develop their skills and explore pathways for progression where appropriate. This job description is directly linked to The Maternity Support worker Competency, Education and career Development Framework set out by Health Education England (HEE)

*** Please note that this role is not eligibly for sponsorship of migrant workers due to the RQF level of the role ***

Main duties of the job

The key duties for the maternity care assistant role focus on developing positive relationships with women and their families, respecting their wishes with compassion and empathy. The postholder must deliver trustworthy, woman-centred care, promptly report concerns or errors. Emphasis is placed on understanding team roles and contributing effectively to team working.

General duties include administrative tasks such as managing clinical records. The postholder is expected to maintain professionalism, challenge discrimination, promote equality, and uphold legal and ethical responsibilities.

Training responsibilities involve attending mandatory sessions, developing skills and knowledge, participating in appraisals, and supporting trainees. Ensuring a safe environment is vital, including hazard checks, equipment maintenance, infection prevention, and incident reporting.

Additional responsibilities cover assisting in obstetric and neonatal emergencies, supporting health promotion and screening activities, and understanding relevant mental health policies. The role includes promoting physical and emotional wellbeing and escalating concerns as needed.

Infant feeding duties require supporting breastfeeding and formula feeding and promoting skin-to-skin contact and responsive feeding.

About us

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a largeacute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acuteservices to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to alarger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services fromthree sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and ourcaring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centredcare. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people towork with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin oureveryday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Being open and honest

Ensuring people feel cared for

Showing respect to everyone

We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement System.

We are proud to have achieved Timewiseaccreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

DBS Checks and Costs

Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check(at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in SupportingInformation section for more details on DBS checks and costs.

Job responsibilities

The primary role of the Maternity Care Assistant is to assist, support and work in collaboration with the midwife and the widermultidisciplinary team; to provide a safe and holistic approach to women centred care.

The midwife is ultimately responsible for the careof the mother and her new-born(s), and itis under the direct or indirect supervision of themidwife that the MCA assists with and provides personal care following completion of anyrelevant or appropriate training. The

post is rotational and the employee will be providedwith appropriate training for the clinicalsetting in which they are working. These settingsinclude antenatal inpatient care, intrapartum inpatient care and postnatalinpatient care.

The post holder is expected to undertake a set ofdefined competencies. This job description is directlylinked to The Maternity Support WorkerCompetency, Education and career DevelopmentFramework set out by Health EducationEngland.

Key Duties

Develops and maintains positiverelationships, respects the womans and herfamilies wishes, with kindness, compassion and empathy.

Should be trustworthy, provide woman centred care and support, and takeownership for mistakes by reporting concerns or errors to a registeredpractitioner ina timely manner.

Recognises the Maternity CareAssistants scope of practice within nationalframeworks

Understands main principles ofteam working and can define their own role and roleof others.

Administrative Duties

Keeps complete, clear, accurate and timely records.

Provide administrative support to the maternity team.

Professional Attitudes and responsibilities

Convey an approachable and professional manner to all mothers and theirfamilies

Demonstrates an awareness of discriminatory attitudes and challenges thisbehaviour,with reference to age, disability, genderreassignment, marriage, civilpartnership, pregnancy, race, religion, sexand sexual orientation.

Is aware of legal and ethical responsibilities in relation to own roleincluding the needto work in ways agreed by the employer

Does not project own experiences and values onto other and demonstratesunderstanding of own role and contribution increating inclusive, equitable care

Is aware of organisational aims, objectives, policies and values that relate tothe MCArole

Recognizes the importance of maintaining own health, wellbeing and resiliencetoensure that personal performance andjudgement is not affected by ill-health

Ensure that knowledge of local safeguarding policy and procedure is maintained.

Understands and follows principles of safeguarding and protection and adherestolocal security procedures.

Training Responsibilities

Attend all statutory and mandatory training as and when required.

Maintains and develops own skills and knowledge with training accessed whererequired. Keeps evidence of personaldevelopment, prepares for and participates inappraisal

Participate in annual individual performance review process, whereby objectiveswillbe agreed, performance monitored, andpersonal development needs discussed.

Is always welcoming and takes an interest in the education and development ofTrainee Maternity Care assistants and TraineeMaternity Support workers in acquiring skills and knowledge.

Ensure own actions promote a positive and safe environment. This includeschecking the clinical area for hazards,ensuring the working order of equipment,reportingany concerns, faults or breakages to the appropriate person in a timelymanner.

Demonstrates the ability to respond flexibly to needs of the workingenvironment

Demonstrates safe and evidence-based practice in all skills and proceduresstatedwithin job description

Ensure that each woman feels safe and knows how to access support if required

Uses a range of techniques for infection prevention and control. Using PPE asrequired.

Act responsibly in respect of colleagues health, safety and welfare followingsafetyat work guidance and protocol.

Ensure the cleanliness of equipment in all clinical and non-clinical areas andassistthe midwife in appropriately preparing thebirthing environment.

Ensure adequate stock levels are maintained in all clinical settings, andequipment isavailable; elevate any depletion of stock orresources in a timely manner.

Assist in stocking up and cleaning all home birth team equipment if required.

Report any incidents using the local risk management reporting system andescalatesuch incidents appropriately and in a timelymanner. To ensure they are followinglocal health and safety guidance

Understands the importance of following standard operating procedures,protocols,policies and guidelines to promote safety

Understands the importance of courage and candour, recognizing and reportingbehaviours or errors that could result inpoor outcomes for women and their families

Supports audit and service improvement initiatives and keeps up to date withchanges in policy and practice

Care of the Woman

Escort women and their families between clinical areas as required

Assist with the admission, orientation and discharge of women and their babiesinaccordance with local policy and guidance.

Communicate respectfully, effectively and timely manner when speaking withwomenand the wider MDT, utilising verbal andnon-verbal skills

Understand and gains valid consent prior to action or providing care.

Manages delegated tasks effectively and in a timely manner for which they have receivedtraining, ensuring basic care needs for womenand babies are met. Reportscompletion of tasks and any finding to anappropriate practitioner

Assists in effective care planning and evaluation by sharing relevantinformation in atimely manner with members of the MDT

Understands the benefits of continuity of carer and how this applies within ownrole

Recognizes and responds to signs of discomfort and anxiety or concerns raisedbypromptly reporting them to an appropriatepractitioner

Support women during clinical procedures and act as chaperone when requested todo so by the midwifery or obstetric team.

Shares knowledge and teaches skills that empower women and their families tosafely and effectively care for themselves

Provide support with personal care to labouring women if asked to do so, andunderthe supervision of the midwife.

Assist in the maintenance and understand the principles of good bladder care,suchand hydration and to document accurately thefluid balance.

Assist in the nutrition needs of women

• Assist women with mobilisation followingsurgical procedures under direction of the midwife.

Notices vulnerability, changing or additional needs and reports these to asuitably qualified colleague to take forward

Acts sensitively, compassionately and respectfully in situations where thefamily unitis separated e.g. if mother/baby arecritically ill. Make sure the family members areupdated with accurate information by theappropriate team member

Ensures tasks that separate families are kept to a minimum and are carried outwithkindness and empathy

Acts sensitively, compassionately and respectfully during times of bereavementandloss and follows care plans within scope oftheir role

Obstetric and Neonatal Emergencies

support and assist themidwife in thewomans preparation for transfer to theatre

Recognises and acts upon within own parameters of competence any abnormalevents or emergencies, escalating to themultidisciplinary team through theappropriate means, in a timely manner. Wherea registered practitioner is notpresent, they should initiate immediate firstaid whilst awaiting arrival of appropriatelyqualified practitioner

Health Promotion and Screening

Directs queries regarding local and national services to support women andtheirfamilies to a suitably qualified colleague totake forward

To seek support from a qualified practitioner when a woman shows a desire tomakechanges to health behaviours

To be aware of and understand the current policy and service frameworks formentalhealth

Understands the aims and principles of health promotion, protection andimprovement.

Appreciates the importance of recognizing and supporting physical and emotionalhealth and wellbeing and actively encouragewomen and their families to talk abouthealth and wellbeing and escape to midwifeto enable appropriate care pathway

Infant Feeding

Be able to describe the key practices that facilitate the initiation and havetheknowledge and skills to support maintenanceof breastfeeding

Understand and have an overview of circumstances which can affect lactation andbreastfeeding and be able to support mothersto overcome common challenges andmake appropriate referrals when necessary

Be able to support parents who formula feed to do so responsively and as safelyaspossible including minimising the risks, tomake up feeds as safely as possible, howto sterilise equipment, how to hold a babyand pace the feeds

Importance of skin-to-skin contact to support infant feeding and how tofacilitate thiswithin practice promoting responsive feedingto feeding cues

Understanding principles and mechanisms of attachment and positioning foreffective feeding in line with BFI standards

Understands how to protect breastfeeding should supplementation be required

Expression and storage of breastmilk to include hand and pump expressiontechnique and the use of cup feeding

Care of the Newborn

Observe the overall wellbeing of the newborn and elevate any concerns to named Midwife or multi-professional team in atimely manner

Provide practical support and transition to parenthood for new parents whencaringfor their newborn

Use of AI in writing application forms

We value originality and integrity in our hiring process.

Applications should be your own work, and AI-generated content is not acceptable and may result in your application being disqualified. We appreciate your understanding and encourage you to showcase your skills and experiences authentically.

Person Specification

Knowledge and skills

• Awareness of Health and Safety issues
• Knowledge and understanding of data protection confidentially
• Approachable manner with good interpersonal skills
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to prioritise workload
• Ability to work without direct supervision
• Able to identify when to elevate to issues/concerns
• Ability to work as part of team
• Adaptable and flexible approach to work
• Positive attitude to training and development
• Ability to work 24-hour shift pattern, including weekends and bank
• holidays
• Understanding of Safeguarding issues
• Understanding of the role and own professional boundaries

Qualifications

• GCSE Maths and English Grades A-C, Levels 4-9, Functional Skills Level
• 2 or equivalent
• NVQ Level 2 in Health care or equivalent experience
• Commit to undertake in-house training
• Care certificate

Experience

• Previous experience of working with members of the public
• One years formal maternity care experience in a hospital/birth centre
• Experience of using hospital patient record system
• Experience of working in an acute hospital setting
• Experience of providing high quality care

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust