Community Maternity Support Worker

The post holder will work in the specific service area delivering planned care for all women/birthing people and their babies under indirect supervision.

The Maternity Support Worker works as part of the Community Midwifery Team. The team delivers antenatal and postnatal midwifery care to a defined population within Torbay and South Devon. As part of the community midwifery team the post holder collaborates with a wider multi-disciplinary team in offering maternity services to the community. The work takes place in a variety of settings, including home visits, clinic settings, and other community venues.

The Maternity Support Worker will be responsible to carry out duties delegated by the named midwife.

No budgetary control but responsible for the effective and appropriate use of resources.

Interviews to be held on Wednesday 12th June 2024

To undertake a range of clinical activities relevant to your specific service area

Work within clearly defined accountability frameworks

To value differences and individuality

To work in partnership with women/birthing people, families, parents and carers to identify health needs

To offer support and advice to women/birthing people and carers

To be aware of diversity and where there are barriers to understanding, such as hearing, mental capacity impairment and other difficulties of comprehension, adjustments and adaptations will be used to communicate.

To provide holistic, woman/birthing people centred care.

To respect women's/birthing people's choice.

Ensure informed consent is obtained

The post holder will work closely with the named midwife

The post holder will work collaboratively with the safeguarding lead midwife & public health midwife

Undertake and deliver antenatal and postnatal care under the direction of the named midwife.

The post holder will remain professional

Women/birthing people led interventions

Attend training

Participate in audits

Why work with us

The post holder will have the opportunity as part of a team to deliver antenatal and postnatal care, making a difference to women/birthing people and babies health outcomes in Torbay and South Devon.

You will have the opportunity to work with women/birthing people, babies and their families, to allow them to feel empowered in making healthier lifestyle choices.

Communicate professionally at all times. Demonstrate active listening and the ability to ask appropriate, sensitive and relevant questions. Demonstrate excellent verbal and non-verbal communication appropriate to the situation.

To develop working relationships with women/birthing people and their families; carers; health professionals; voluntary sector organisations; housing and supporting people teams; children's services and other local authorities and health trusts in individual and group settings.

Communicate effectively with people who may themselves have communication difficulties, including willingness to seek out and use resources to help those whose first language is not English or those with sensory or learning difficulties.

Answering telephone calls, taking comprehensive messages and notifying colleagues, dealing with post, e-mails, answering queries, etc. Undertaking all communication in a way that is appropriate to the communication needs of the woman/birthing person.

On occasion, to accompany members of the midwifery team on home visits or clinic appointments, where lone-working is not appropriate.

The ability to develop working relationships with colleagues such as the safeguarding lead midwife and public health midwife.

Planning and organisation

Organises and supports planned intervention in health and community settings e.g. antenatal classes, child health clinics, open access/drop in sessions: health demonstrations and presentations, parenting groups and other support groups e.g. breast-feeding support groups.

To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.

The ability to plan and organise own diary with regards to the wider team.

Responsibility for patient and client care

Able to recognise situations where women/birthing people require advice and help from the Midwifery team, for example, a health need which requires further assessment by a midwife or doctor.

Knowledge of infant feeding and nutrition and the ability to provide guidance and support.

Provide appropriate advice and support to women/birthing people where required, under the supervision of the named midwife, reporting back as appropriate.

Undertake and assist in the delivery of antenatal and postnatal care under the direction of the named midwife.

Able to recognise when situations need to be referred to the named midwife e.g. child protection or a health need which requires assessment.

As part of the wider midwifery team participate in providing lifestyles advice, promoting health and wellbeing and supporting and signposting women/birthing people to other services for help e.g., Smoking cessation, drug and alcohol service, depression and anxiety service and routine enquiry (domestic violence).

Policy and service responsibility

Infection control, hygiene and safety, including a general knowledge of appropriate cleaning materials and solutions to use on specific items of equipment, applicable to home visits, child health clinics, infant feeding clinics.

Demonstrate the ability to follow record keeping policies and procedures.

To attend all mandatory training sessions as required by the Trust.

Promote breast feeding and adhere to UNICEF Baby Friendly initiatives.

Be aware of safeguarding requirements adhering to the Torbay Safeguarding Children's Partnership (TSCP) and Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Care Trust policies.

Attend the Team allocation meetings.

Responsibility for finance, equipment and other resources

To report any accidents, defects in equipment, near misses and untoward incidents following Trust procedure and carry out local action as appropriate.

To work within constraints of resources/budgets available.

May have responsibility for stock control within their working environment.

Responsibility for supervision, leadership and management

Takes responsibility for participating in regular planned supervision including Safeguarding supervision with safeguarding lead midwife and management supervision pro rata.

To attend allocation meetings and wider team meetings.

Participate in the individual performance development review maintaining a professional portfolio of training, education and knowledge base.

Participate in a workplace induction programme for new staff.

Information technology and administrative duties

To develop an excellent working knowledge of current IT systems.

To record accurate, contemporaneous records in a timely manner on the electronic record keeping system.

To assist in the collection of audit data as and when required.

Responsibility and accountability

Ability to contribute to surveys and audits as required.

Excellent record keeping skills, with legible hand writing, word processing and typing skills.

To ensure clear, concise documentation throughout your care, using SystmOne and through the use of Brigid.