Specialist Maternity Support Worker (Complex Needs and Safeguarding)

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust; Kingskerswell; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Part time

Job summary

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Specialist Maternity Support Worker to join the maternity team in Torquay. The role focuses on compassionate, trauma‑informed support for women and birthing people with complex needs, across community and hospital settings, travelling between sites as required.

You will work with midwives, safeguarding professionals and partner services to coordinate care, improve access to maternity services and promote positive outcomes for families and

Qualifications

• GCSE Maths and English at grade C or equivalent.
• NVQ/QCF Level 3 in a relevant field.
• Safeguarding training completed.
• Extended IT skills demonstrated.
• Health promotion training completed.
• Smoking Cessation Level 2 training.

Responsibilities

• Develop positive therapeutic relationships with families in pregnancy and postnatal periods.
• Coordinate support with midwives, safeguarding and community teams.
• Attend multidisciplinary meetings and contribute to safe care planning.
• Signpost families to appropriate services and support pathways.
• Assist with birth planning, hospital passports and care plans.
• Maintain accurate records and support safeguarding processes.
• Deliver trauma‑informed care and promote dignity and respect.

Skills

Communication skills

Empathy

Organisational skills

Confidentiality

Health promotion knowledge

Addiction knowledge

Clinical systems experience

Maternity services knowledge

Social media use

Education

GCSE Maths/English

NVQ/QCF Level 3

Safeguarding training

Extended IT skills

Health promotion training

Smoking Cessation Level 2

Job description

Specialist Maternity Support Worker (Complex Needs and Safeguarding)

NHS AfC: Band 4

Main area Midwifery Grade NHS AfC: Band 4 Contract Permanent Hours

• Part time
• Flexible working

24.5 hours per week Job ref 388-8018048-FC&I-B

Site Women's Health Unit Town Torquay Salary £28,392 - £31,157 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 06/11/2026 23:59

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Specialist Maternity Support Worker (Complex Needs and Safeguarding) to join our maternity team.

This rewarding role focuses on providing compassionate, trauma-informed support to women and birthing people experiencing complex health, social and safeguarding needs during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Working across community and hospital settings, you will play a vital role in helping families access the right support at the right time, promoting positive outcomes for women, babies and their wider family networks.

As a key member of the maternity team, you will work alongside midwives, safeguarding professionals, children's services, early help teams and a range of partner agencies to deliver personalised care and support for families experiencing vulnerability, disadvantage or safeguarding involvement.

We are looking for an individual who is compassionate, adaptable and non-judgemental, with excellent communication and organisational skills. You will be confident in building therapeutic relationships, managing a diverse workload, and supporting families through what can often be challenging and emotionally complex situations.

This role requires regular travel across a variety of settings, including hospital sites, clinics, family centres and service users' homes.

Main duties of the job

As a Specialist Maternity Support Worker, you will:

• Provide practical, emotional and trauma-informed support to women and families during the antenatal and postnatal period.
• Support women and birthing people with complex health, social and safeguarding needs to access maternity care and wider support services.
• Undertake home visits, community-based appointments and hospital-based support interventions.
• Act as a point of contact for families, offering guidance, signposting and support to access appropriate services and community resources.
• Work collaboratively with midwives, health professionals and partner agencies to coordinate care and improve outcomes.
• Support the identification of barriers to accessing maternity services and help implement reasonable adjustments to improve accessibility.
• Assist with birth planning, hospital passports and preparation for parenthood.
• Contribute to safeguarding processes by recognising concerns, escalating appropriately and participating in safeguarding supervision and multi-agency working.
• Support maternity clinics and undertake clinical tasks within scope of practice, including venepuncture, newborn blood spot screening, neonatal observations and infant feeding support.
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to service audits, quality improvement projects and data collection activities.

Working within our maternity service offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful difference to families experiencing adversity, vulnerability and complex life circumstances.

You will be part of a supportive and dedicated multidisciplinary team committed to delivering high-quality, personalised and trauma-informed care. We are passionate about reducing health inequalities and ensuring every family receives the support they need to achieve the best possible outcomes.

We actively promote learning, innovation and professional development, offering opportunities to expand your knowledge and skills in safeguarding, public health and specialist maternity care.

This role is ideal for someone who shares our commitment to compassionate care, values collaborative working, and is motivated to help families create positive and sustainable change during one of the most important periods of their lives.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Develop positive therapeutic relationships with families, including those experiencing distressing or emotionally challenging circumstances.
• Work collaboratively with maternity, safeguarding, public health and community teams to ensure coordinated support and safe care planning.
• Attend and contribute to relevant multidisciplinary and multi-agency meetings as required.
• Respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, seeking advice and escalating concerns to registered professionals in line with Trust policy.
• Support staff and service users with information, guidance and signposting regarding safeguarding and early help pathways.
• Handle telephone enquiries, recognising situations that require escalation to midwifery staff.
• Maintain confidentiality, professional boundaries and high standards of integrity at all times.
• Demonstrate respect for diversity, individual choice and cultural differences, delivering person-centred care.
• Contribute to the delivery of trauma-informed care that promotes safety, trust and empowerment.
• Recognise and elevate safeguarding concerns in accordance with local and national safeguarding procedures.
• Participate in safeguarding supervision and reflective practice.
• Support women presenting with complex social circumstances within hospital settings and facilitate access to appropriate services.
• Assist service users to engage with maternity services, including attendance at appointments and familiarisation visits to hospital environments.
• Support the development of personalised care plans, birth plans and hospital passports.
• Take appropriate action during emergencies, including summoning emergency services and supporting clinical staff when required.

Qualifications and training

• GCSE Maths (A-C or equivalent)
• GSCE English (A-C or equivalent)
• NVQ/QCF Level 3 in a relevant field
• Evidence of working in a maternity setting
• Safeguarding training
• Extended IT skills
• Specific training in health promotion interventions
• Smoking Cessation Training Level 2

Knowledge and experience

• Evidence of working in a patient facing role
• Knowledge of basic parenting skills
• Experience of providing healthcare, healthcare advice or health promotion advice to patients or members of the public
• Recent experience of working in hospital/caring environment
• Recent experience working in a maternity setting
• Working in family support services
• Experience of providing help, support and/or counselling on a one-to-one or group basis
• Experience of delivering training to groups of people

Specific Skills

• Ability to build and maintain good working relationships with professionals/individuals from different professional and social backgrounds
• Excellent communication (written and verbal) and listening skills
• Good organisational skills
• Understanding and ability to maintain confidentiality issues
• Knowledge of principles or health promotion and health inequality
• Ability to show empathy and compassion to people in challenging situations
• Experience of using clinical systems
• Understanding of audit and evaluation
• Knowledge of addiction
• Working knowledge of maternity services
• Experience of using social media platforms

Mental effort

• Frequent concentration and navigating competing priorities

Emotional effort

• Frequent requirement to speak to pregnant women and birthing people about distressing issues such as difficult family situations, domestic abuse, child protection, pregnancy loss and child removal

You will be joining the organisation at an exciting time. As the first fully integrated care organisation in England, we are working to improve the way we deliver safe, high-quality health and social care. We have a positive and vibrant working atmosphere, we are proud of our investment in our staff both in terms of developing potential career skills and valuing people.

If you provide support to a family member or friend with health or care needs, we aim to be a Carer-friendly employer. We have a 'Staff Carers' policy which includes flexible working where possible and a Carer's Passport scheme that links you into support and discounts.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• We reserve the right to close vacancies early if we receive a high volume of applications. Therefore, we encourage you to apply promptly.
• Please read the job description carefully and tailor your application to reflect the requirements of the role.
• Applicants who identify in their application form they are a part of the Armed Forces community will be guaranteed an interview, provided they meet the minimum essential criteria outlined in the job description and person specification for the role. Step into Health guidance can be found on our NHS Employers website.
• Correspondence will be sent via Trac, text, and email. Please ensure you check your email and Trac account regularly.
• Applicants with no previous NHS experience will ordinarily be appointed to the minimum of the band.
• If you have not received an invitation to interview within 28 days of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
• It is your responsibility to ensure the timely receipt of appropriate references.

The Trust is committed to preventing discrimination, valuing diversity and achieving equality of opportunity. No person (staff, patient or public) will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of the nine protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. If you require support you can obtain this from our Equality Business Forum which has representatives from all protected groups.

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This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.