Maternity Support Worker (MSW)

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the United Kingdom is seeking a Maternity Support Worker to assist midwives and provide holistic care to women and their families. The role involves direct support in clinical settings, effective communication with parents, and ensuring high standards of care and safety. Successful candidates will have relevant training and a strong commitment to patient-centric practices. This is a fixed-term position with opportunities for further education and professional development.

Qualifications

• Must complete relevant competency training to assist with clinical care.
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients and families, including understanding consent.
• Knowledge of infection control policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Assist in providing safe and holistic maternity care to women and newborns.
• Support midwives in delivering high-quality patient care and communicate effectively with families.
• Maintain cleanliness and safety of clinical environments and equipment.

Skills

Team collaboration

Communication skills

Patient care

Time management

Empathy

Education

Relevant training in Maternity Support

Job description

The primary role of the Maternity Support Worker (MSW) 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.

Post will be fixed term for 10 or 12 months. It is under the direct or indirect supervision of the midwife that the MSW assists with and provides clinical care following completion of any relevant or appropriate training. The employee will be provided with appropriate training for the clinical setting in which they are working.

Responsibilities

• Undertake planned delegated care as part of the midwifery team, delivering high standards of clinical, physical, psychological and social aspects of care under the supervision of a registered practitioner.
• Work in partnership with women and their families, developing and maintaining positive relationships, supporting informed decision making and respecting the woman, birthing person and their family's wishes.
• Work within limits of own competence and authority in line with the MSW's scope of practice in the national framework to inform care planning in line with national and local guidance, escalating to the multi‑disciplinary team to avoid harm as required.
• Work collaboratively as part of a team.
• Promote a professional, welcoming and caring environment.
• Have a positive attitude and consistently demonstrate the Trust's values and behaviours.

Care of the Woman

• Manage own time effectively, prioritising care needs of women and their babies under the direction and supervision of the associated professional.
• Communicate effectively and clarify understanding with women and their families in all settings, selecting appropriate methods when a disability or complexity may exist.
• Understand and gain consent before providing care.
• Undertake baseline and routine observations and measurements, escalating any deviation from the normal range to the named midwife or appropriate member of the multi‑disciplinary team.
• Perform venepuncture or capillary blood sampling in line with national standards and local policy and guidance following completion of relevant competency training.
• Assist with the nutrition and hydration needs of women and birthing people.

Care of the Newborn

• Undertake neonatal observations under direct and indirect supervision, escalating any deviations from the normal range appropriately and in a timely manner, following completion of practical and theoretical competency training.
• Observe the overall wellbeing of the newborn and raise any concerns to the named midwife or multi‑professional team in a timely manner.
• Provide practical support and transition to parenthood for new parents while promoting safety, bonding and teaching parenting skills in the home.
• Assist or perform neonatal blood sampling including tests such as newborn blood spot and TCB jaundice test as directed by the midwife, following successful completion of appropriate competency training.

Infant Feeding

• Have the knowledge and skills to support initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding.
• Understand the importance of skin‑to‑skin contact to support infant feeding and how to facilitate this within practice, promoting responsive feeding to feeding cues.
• Understand principles and mechanisms of attachment and positioning for effective feeding in line with BFI standards.
• Be aware of the range of circumstances which can affect lactation and breastfeeding and be able to support mothers to overcome common challenges and make appropriate referrals when necessary.
• Help women continue breastfeeding should supplementation be required.
• Support with expressing and storage of breastmilk, including hand and pump expression technique and the use of cup feeding.
• Be aware of the main constituents of human milk and their function, including colostrum and mature breastmilk.
• Appreciate the importance and the role of human milk and breastfeeding to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes for infants, their mothers and the wider family, and in promoting and protecting public health.
• Understand functional anatomy and physiology of lactation and hormonal influences on milk production and mothering, including the role of the Feedback Inhibitor of Lactation (FIL).
• Support parents who formula feed to do so responsively and as safely as possible, including minimising the risks, making up feeds, sterilising equipment, holding a baby and pacing feeds.
• Develop an understanding of the importance of secure mother‑infant attachment and the impact this has on health and emotional wellbeing, irrespective of feeding method.
• Understand the importance of the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent WHA Resolutions (the Code) and how it impacts on practice.

Health Promotion and Screening

• Maintain an up‑to‑date knowledge base about local and national antenatal and newborn screening services and signpost women, birthing people and their families to appropriately qualified practitioners if they are undecided or have concerns.
• Have an understanding and advise families about newborn blood spot screening, immunisations and produce GROW charts following successful completion of the appropriate competencies training.
• Recognise and promote the principles of behaviour change required in health promotion activities including diet, food hygiene, exercise, personal hygiene and smoking cessation.
• Complete the relevant documentation for screening tests performed in the maternity records.
• Recognise any deterioration in mental and emotional wellbeing and respond appropriately, escalating to a midwife to enable an appropriate care pathway.
• Be aware of and understand the current policy and service frameworks for mental health and how they impact on the role.
• Be aware of perinatal mental health issues and the appropriate referral pathway, including escalation to the multi‑disciplinary team within the home or hospital setting.

Safe Environment

• Understand and abide by the local infection control policy and procedure.
• Act responsibly in respect of colleagues' health, safety and welfare, following safety at work practices, lone working and compliance with local health and safety policy and guidance.
• Ensure the cleanliness of equipment in all clinical and non‑clinical areas and assist the midwife in appropriately preparing the environment.
• Ensure adequate stock levels are maintained in all clinical settings, escalating any depletion of stock or resources in a timely manner.
• Ensure the working order of equipment, reporting any concerns, faults or breakages to the appropriate person in a timely manner.
• Report any incidents or concerns using Datix and escalating them appropriately and in a timely manner.
• Participate in the audit of standards within the unit as and when required.

Administrative Duties

• Ensure that all clinical documentation written or electronic is accurately and confidentially collected, updated, stored and filed in accordance with local information governance and record‑keeping policy and guidance.
• Provide administrative support to the midwifery team as required.
• Maintain confidentiality and data protection in line with local information governance and in accordance with legal requirements for tracking, obtaining and filing clinical records.

Professional Attitudes and Responsibilities

• Convey an approachable and professional manner to all mothers, birthing people and their families.
• Demonstrate an awareness of discriminatory attitudes and challenge this behaviour to promote equality, recognising how to support people from protected characteristics groups.
• Ensure that knowledge of local safeguarding policy and procedure is maintained and used appropriately, referring issues of concern in a timely manner.
• Vigilant of child protection issues and refer concerns in a timely manner to the registered midwife in compliance with legal requirements.

With over 19,000 staff, we are one of the biggest employers in the city with a central role in supporting the health and wellbeing of our local population. We play a leading role in research, education and innovation.

We value diversity and inclusion

We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, or Disabled, as we are striving to be better represented at NUH.

Application Information

• Closing dates: Please submit your application form as soon as possible to avoid disappointment; we reserve the right to close vacancies prior to the published closing date if we receive a sufficient number of completed application forms.
• Communication: All communication related to your application will be via the email address you have provided. Please ensure you check your email account including your junk email regularly.
• Easy‑read application: If you have a disability and find it difficult to complete our online application form, you can apply via our easy‑read application which you can find on the intranet: https://www.nuh.nhs.uk/easy-read-job-application.
• APP: NUH are now able to offer application completion support and interview preparation support. Please follow the link to book onto our sessions: Support for NUH Job Applications.
• Under 18 applicants: If you are aged 16 or 17 and applying for a role that is more than 20 hours a week, please be aware that you will be asked to commence an Apprenticeship within the Trust alongside your role.

Salary

Salary will be quoted on a pro‑rata basis for part‑time workers.

Disability Confidence

All applicants who have declared a disability and who meet the essential criteria for the post will be shortlisted.

Preferential Interview

Employees within the East Midlands who are 'at risk' of redundancy will be given a preferential interview where they meet the essential criteria of the person specification.

International Recruitment

If you are applying for a role with us from outside of the UK please read the guidance on applying for a health or social care job in the UK from abroad.

ID and Right to Work Checks

NUH authenticates ID and right to work documentation including passports and driving licences through a system called Trust ID. NUH will scan your ID and right to work documentation into the Trust ID system at your face‑to‑face ID appointment.

Consent

• Transfer of information: If I have previous NHS service - I consent to the transfer of my Electronic Staff Record (ESR) data between this and other NHS Trusts. I also consent to the Occupational Health Department confidentially accessing my occupational health records from my current or previous employer in order to check the status of my vaccinations, immunisations and screening tests as relevant to the post. I understand this is an automated process and the information will only be used for these purposes prior to me taking up the position at NUH.
• Disclosure and Barring Service: My post may be subject to a DBS check which incurs a cost dependent on the level of check required (£49.50 for enhanced and £21.50 for standard). I agree to reimburse Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust the cost of a DBS check if it is required (by deduction from first month's pay). Should I decide to withdraw from my job offer, I agree to reimburse Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust the cost of the DBS check undertaken by cheque or other agreed method.

Further Information

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