Maternity Support Worker | The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust

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; to provide a safe and holistic approach to women‑centred care.

Key Responsibilities

• 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 MSW assists with and provides clinical 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 in the community setting.
• 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.
• The post is rotational within all areas of the Maternity Unit, but the successful applicant will start in the Antenatal Clinic/Fetal Assessment Unit which involves weekday working only.
• Demonstrate understanding of the importance of working in partnership with women and their families. Develops and maintains positive relationships, supports informed decision makers and respects the woman's and her families' wishes, with particular attention to when the family unit is separated, or mom/baby is critically ill.
• Understand the MSW's scope of practice and the importance of the role within national framework to enable working within limits of own competence and authority, escalating to the MDT to inform care planning in line with national and local guidance to avoid harm.

Clinical Duties – Care of the Woman

• Manage own time and caseload effectively whilst prioritising care needs for women and their babies under the direction and supervision of the midwife in antenatal, postnatal clinics, community hubs or home settings to ensure, if appropriate, the principles of continuity of carer are applied.
• Escort women and their families between clinical areas as required.
• Assist with the admission, orientation and discharge of women and their babies in accordance with local policy and guidance.
• Communicate effectively and clarify understanding with women and their families in all settings and are able to select appropriate methods to communicate when a disability or complexity may exist.
• Undertakes baseline/routine observations and measurements (and escalate any deviation from the normal range) to the named midwife or appropriate member of the multi‑professional team.
• Support women during clinical procedures and act as chaperone when requested to do so by the midwifery or obstetric team.
• Provide support to labouring women if asked to do so, and under the supervision of the midwife, this may include application of TENS machine or teaching breathing and massage techniques.
• Perform venipuncture or capillary blood sampling in line with national standards and local policy and guidance following completion of the appropriate competencies.
• Assist in the maintenance and understand the principles of good bladder care, removal of catheter and disposal of equipment following infection control policy and to document accurately the fluid balance.
• Assist in the nutrition and hydration needs of women.
• Assist women with mobilisation following surgical procedures and removal of dressings or cannula under direction of the midwife.
• Assist with the transportation of blood products if asked to do so and have an awareness of the storage requirements.

Clinical Duties – Care of the Newborn

• Undertake neonatal observations under direct and indirect supervision and escape any deviations from the normal range appropriately and in a timely manner, following the completion of competency practical and theoretical training.
• Observe the overall wellbeing of the newborn and erase any concerns to named midwife or multi‑professional team in a timely manner.
• Provide practical support and transition to parenthood for new parents when caring for their newborn, whilst promoting safety, bonding and teaching parenting skills in both the hospital and home settings.
• Assist or perform neonatal blood sampling including tests such as newborn blood spot and serum bilirubin ratio (SBR) test, following successful completion of appropriate competency as directed by the midwife.

Professional Attitudes and Responsibilities

• Convey an approachable and professional manner to all mothers and their families and demonstrates an awareness of discriminatory attitudes and challenges this behaviour to promote equality.
• Ensure that knowledge of local safeguarding policy and procedure is maintained.
• Be vigilant of child protection issues and refer issues of concern in a timely manner to registered midwife complying with legal requirements.

Training Responsibilities

• Attend all statutory and mandatory training as and when required.
• Identify own training and development needs and undertake appropriate training/education as required to ensure a contemporaneous knowledge base and skill set is maintained.
• Participate in annual individual performance review process, whereby objectives will be agreed, performance monitored, and personal development needs discussed.
• Act as a role model and participate in training for colleagues and peers, recognising the impact of personal behaviour on the culture and performance of the department, and the experience of service users.

Safe Environment and Infection Control

• Be conversant with the local infection control policy, whilst ensuring mandates are always adhered to.
• Act responsibly in respect of colleague's health, safety and welfare following safety at work practices including lone working, whilst working in 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 birthing environment.
• Ensure adequate stock levels are maintained in all clinical settings, and equipment is available; escalating any depletion of stock or resources in a timely manner.
• Assist in stocking up and cleaning all home birth team equipment if required.
• 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 the local risk management reporting system and escalating such concerns or incidents appropriately.
• Participate in the audit of standards within the unit if appropriate.

Obstetric and Neonatal Emergencies

• Assist / act as a runner in obstetric theatres including: Support and assist the midwife in the woman's preparation for transfer to theatre.
• Document times and personnel present in theatre records for each procedure.
• Undertake WHO checklist. Count swabs and needles in instrumental/operative delivery.
• Recognise and act upon within own parameters of competence any abnormal events or emergencies, escalating to the multidisciplinary team through the appropriate means in a timely manner.
• Assist the midwife with neonatal resuscitation where required, this may include collecting and/or passing equipment.

Health Promotion and Screening

• Maintain a contemporary knowledge base about local and national antenatal and newborn screening services and signpost women and their families to appropriately qualified practitioners if they are undecided or have concerns.
• Advise families about newborn blood spot screening, immunisations and produce GROW Charts following successful completion of appropriate competencies.
• Promote the principles of behaviour changes required in health promotion activities including diet, food hygiene, exercise, personal hygiene and smoking cessation.
• Complete relevant documentation for screening tests performed in the maternity records.
• Recognise any deterioration in mental and emotional wellbeing and respond appropriately, escalating to midwife to enable an appropriate care pathway.
• Be aware of and understand the current policy and service frameworks for mental health.
• Be aware of perinatal mental health issues and the appropriate referral pathway and to escalation to multidisciplinary team and concerns noted within home or hospital setting.

Infant Feeding Support

• 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 the functional anatomy and physiology of lactation and hormonal influences on milk production and mothering.
• Be able to describe key practices that facilitate initiation and support maintenance of breastfeeding.
• Understand circumstances which can affect lactation and breastfeeding and be able to support mothers to overcome common challenges and make appropriate referrals when necessary.
• Support parents who formula feed to do so responsively and as safely as possible.
• Highlight the importance of skin‑to‑skin contact to support infant feeding and how to facilitate within practice promoting responsive feeding cues.
• Understand principles and mechanisms of attachment and positioning for effective feeding in line with BFI standards.
• Understand how to protect breastfeeding should supplementation be required.
• 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 and how it impacts on practice.