Job summary
Qualified or Trainee Maternity Support Worker
An exciting development opportunity has arisen for reliable and conscientious team members to join maternity services - intrapartum care as either a Qualified or a Trainee Maternity Support Worker (MSW). The trainee applicant must have completed training at NVQ level 2 in health & social care / child care or midwifery care. It is essential the candidate will have experience working with mothers, babies/children and families.
Maternity support workers are central to quality care and information provision working alongside midwives and the wider professional teams to achieve excellence in maternity care. In your role you will assist in providing a comfortable and safe environment as well as providing direct care, information and support to mothers, babies and families to ensure the best patient experience. The Job holder will be required to work throughout our maternity service areas and be able to work days/nights/weekends /bank holidays.
We are seeking enthusiastic, hard-working, flexible individuals to assist us to provide the best care at all times. If you have the essential qualifications and experience, feel you have the qualities to suit the role and would like to make a difference then consider joining our excellent service.
For the trainee post, candidates will be required to undertake an apprenticeship at level 3-maternity modules over12-18 months.
Main duties of the job
JOB PURPOSE
Under the supervision of a registered midwife provide woman centered, family focused support and care. To work with mothers and their families within the intrapartum areas, whilst working towards NVQ level 3 in Maternity Support Work. This will involve being able to work as a team member with other health professionals providing care for mothers, babies and their families.
JOB DIMENSIONS
Direct care of the mother and baby, family support and clerical duties under supervision of a registered midwife.
Upon successful completion of relevant qualification progression will occur to a Maternity Support Worker level 3 role.
We can offer staff gymnasiums on hospital sites, subsidized restaurants, excellent pension scheme including life assurance cover and childcare facilities.
About us
Our district has 17,000 businesses including more FTSE 100 companies than any other north of England city. From the best curry in the country, to the world's turbo chargers, to breakthrough technologies that help to manage chronic pain, we have something for everyone.
We have a strong service sector and community ethos that works together to make Bradford a great place to live and work. As the youngest city in the UK, we are investing heavily in skills for the future by providing the right training at every level for the significant sectors of our economy, and Bradford University and Bradford College are positioning themselves as exemplars in their field. And on top of this, we have competitive house prices and good schools in attractive areas meaning a move to Bradford brings a very high standard of living at an affordable price.
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust employ just over 5,200 staff, serving a population of around 500,000. We also have the third-largest membership base in the country. We currently operate over two main sites; the Bradford Royal Infirmary provides the majority of inpatient services, and St Luke's Hospital provides outpatient and rehabilitation services.
As a teaching hospital, the Foundation Trust is at the forefront of research and development in healthcare. This promotes a culture of learning and professional development that ensures that all doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals practice the highest clinical standards.
Job description
Job responsibilities
PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
- Provide care to women and their families under the direction/supervision of a midwife.
- Work with the service towards implementing national standards and improvements in maternity care e.g. continuity of carer
- Act in a professional manner at all times
- Contribute to and maintain accurate, clear and reliable records, including the documentation of any care given to mothers and babies
- Be responsible for the safe keeping and maintenance of all equipment used
- Acknowledge your personal and professional limitations, liaising with and referring to midwives and other relevant health professionals at all times
- Provide physical and emotional support for mothers and babies as part of the team with the support of a midwife and report any adverse findings to the midwife
- Following training, prepare for and perform specific delegated clinical procedures e.g. blood pressure, pulse, temperature, urine testing, weighing mothers and babies, obtaining venous blood samples and Guthrie tests, removal of cannulae and catheters, blood glucose testing, act as a runner in the obstetric theatre, assist the anaesthetist with siting of an epidural, neonatal observations, tube feeding babies on TCU, neonatal observations.
- Assist and support mothers in the Transitional Care Unit with breast feeding support and tube feeding if required.
- Assist midwives in clinic by setting up for the clinic session, ordering and collecting stock and leaflets, obtaining and testing urine samples, taking and recording physical measurements, and following up results and arranging appointments
- Assist women with self-care following their birth, including assistance with bathing/showering/toileting, basic wound care, and eating and drinking. As well as supporting with baby cares where needed/requested
- Undertake the promotion and support of women breastfeeding, including practical assistance and hand expression of breast milk under the direction/supervision of the midwife in line with organisation policy and guidance
- Provide practical support for mothers who choose to formula feed their babies, including demonstration, support whilst sterilising equipment and making up feeds and verbal and written support
- Engage with women from vulnerable groups to offer support, information and encouragement with the birth experience and parenting to ensure they have full access to care, personalised to their needs/choices
- Undertake a range of administrative duties as directed by the midwife, including discharge planning and the collation of relevant statistics and basic audit work
- Take part in health promotion activities for individual women and their families, including smoking cessation, healthy eating, alcohol, infections, SIDS, co-sleeping, antenatal and neonatal screening including BCG, and family planning
- Take part in parent education for groups of women and their partners under the direction of a midwife, including baby massage and aqua natal, and assist women with writing their birth plans
- Participate in the teaching and support of work experience students, Preparation for Midwifery students and support staff new to the maternity services
- Ask for, listen to and value the views of women and their families regarding their birth experience, and discuss this with the midwives in order to develop the service in an appropriate, woman-centred manner.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working as part of a team
- Experience working in a neonatal/maternity environment
- Experience of working in the NHS
- Experience, knowledge and awareness of patient care need, e.g. patient monitoring
- Experience of dealing with members of the public
Skills
Essential
- Basic IT skills
- Good verbal and written command of English
- Good interpersonal skills
- Numeracy skills (demonstrated through qualifications or experience)
- Ability to plan organise own and delegated workload and work under pressure in a busy environment in a professional manner
- Aware of own strengths and limitations/levels of competence
- Record keeping and documentation
- Ability to respond to changes in patient condition
- Motivation, reliability and ability to work as part of a team
- Flexibility and adaptability
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of Information Governance and Confidentiality
- Understanding of equality and diversity issues and how this affects patients, visitors and staff
- Understanding of what the NHS Constitution means to you, and your responsibilities to the public, patients and colleagues.
- Good understanding of health care relevant to maternity care provision
- Understands the limits of the job role. Has the ability to recognise situations that require reporting and demonstrates the ability to escalate to a senior person where appropriate
- Ability to carry out and report on observations/ tests
Qualifications
Essential
- Care Certificate (or willingness to undertake)
- Minimum NVQ level 2 in Health & Social Care/Child care/Maternity Care
Desirable
- Minimum level 2 Maths and English
- NVQ level 3 in Health & Social Care or in Care, or specific Maternity Support Worker Training Course completed.
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 details
Employer name
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Bradford Teaching Hospitals
Bradford
BD9 6RJ