Job summary
We have an excellent opportunity for new staff to join our busy and friendly Maternity team at Luton and Dunstable Hospital as Maternity Support Workers.
Maternity Support Workers (MSW) provide direct delivery of clinical care to all women and babies accessing maternity services. They may be based within specialist and integrated teams such as in theatre, fetal medicine units and community hubs.
Band 3 MSWs may serve as a point of contact/support for women and their families and provide clinical, physical, psychological and emotional care and support. They provide appropriate information and, where necessary, signpost to wider support organisations.
Main duties of the job
To work alongside and under direction of the midwife and other members of the multidisciplinary team in order to ensure the safe and effective care of mothers and babies.
Maternity Support Workers will be required to assist in providing personal care for women, including: post operative care, venepuncture, recording of observations and obtaining microbiology specimens. A Maternity Support worker will assist the midwives and wider multidisciplinary team in care of the newborn. Newborn tasks will include: completing observations in line with local guidance, taking newborn blood spot samples and Jaundice Monitoring using Transcutaneous Bilirubinometer and planning care accordingly.
Responsibilities will include promoting healthy lifestyle for women including smoking cessation, exercise, diet and drug misuse in line with national recommendations and government initiatives.
About us
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics.
You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career.
We have state-of-the art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. Please ensure that you make your application as soon as possible.
All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required.
Please review all documents attached to this advert to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Care of woman:
- To actively participate in the recognition and prevention of maternal illness and respond effectively in an emergency.
- To assist mothers with postnatal exercises
- To arrange and process microbiological specimens
- To obtain maternal capillary blood sample for glucose analysis, in line with Trust policy and guidelines.
- To independent undertaking venepuncture in line with national standards and local policy
- To independently remove epidural catheter
- To use the Haemacue, when asked, to assess the haemoglobin level of a woman, in line with national standards and local policy.
- Following appropriate training to undertake group health promotion teaching as agreed with ward/ departmental managers, in line with national frameworks and initiatives
- To actively participate in the recognition and prevention of domestic abuse, both physical and mental, reporting any suspicions to the ward manager.
- To promote healthy life styles, including smoking cessation, exercise and diet, drug misuse in line with national recommendations and Government initiatives
- To undertake routine postoperative care, within Trust and local policies and guidelines
Care of baby:
- To weigh the baby
- To complete identification and security of the baby, in collaboration with the midwife.
- To discuss with the mother normal appearance and range of changing stool and micturition in the health term new-born
- To recognise and report to midwife potential signs of neonatal jaundice
- To advise mother on care of umbilical cord and surrounding area
- To process umbilical cord blood sample for cord gases
- To gather urine sample in hospital
- To actively participate in the recognition and prevention of neonatal illness and respond effectively in an emergency situation.
- To actively participate in the recognition and prevention of child abuse, both physical and mental, reporting any suspicions to the ward manager.
- To undertake and document, using Newborn Early Warning Trigger and Track (NEWTT) Chart, routine healthy baby observation (hospital/community), reporting abnormalities to the midwife
- To obtain capillary blood sample via heel prick to undertake Newborn Blood Spot testing
Infant feeding:
To support Breast feeding in line with Baby Friendly principles and local policy and guidelines, including:
- To assist women to undertake bonding activities,
- To assist women to undertake skin to skin,
- To assist women to expressing milk
- To assist women to use breast pump
- To assist women to cup feed healthy, term neonates
Administration:
To accurately Data input and retrieval into/from computer systems including;
-
- ICE i.e. retrieving test results
- CMIs, Maternity Booking system
- any other relevant electronic record systems
- To request investigations, when competent to undertake obtaining the sample required i.e. Blood samples, Mid-stream urine (MSU) and skin swabs.
- To maintain contemporaneous and accurate records of actions taken and care offered.
- To make client appointments in line with agreed care pathways and guidelines and record these in the agreed manner.
- To undertake follow up of women who do not attend (DNA) appointments, in line with Trust guidelines and policy.
Please see Job Description for full list of main responsibilities and tasks.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Care of woman:
- To actively participate in the recognition and prevention of maternal illness and respond effectively in an emergency.
- To assist mothers with postnatal exercises
- To arrange and process microbiological specimens
- To obtain maternal capillary blood sample for glucose analysis, in line with Trust policy and guidelines.
- To independent undertaking venepuncture in line with national standards and local policy
- To independently remove epidural catheter
- To use the Haemacue, when asked, to assess the haemoglobin level of a woman, in line with national standards and local policy.
- Following appropriate training to undertake group health promotion teaching as agreed with ward/ departmental managers, in line with national frameworks and initiatives
- To actively participate in the recognition and prevention of domestic abuse, both physical and mental, reporting any suspicions to the ward manager.
- To promote healthy life styles, including smoking cessation, exercise and diet, drug misuse in line with national recommendations and Government initiatives
- To undertake routine postoperative care, within Trust and local policies and guidelines
Care of baby:
- To weigh the baby
- To complete identification and security of the baby, in collaboration with the midwife.
- To discuss with the mother normal appearance and range of changing stool and micturition in the health term new-born
- To recognise and report to midwife potential signs of neonatal jaundice
- To advise mother on care of umbilical cord and surrounding area
- To process umbilical cord blood sample for cord gases
- To gather urine sample in hospital
- To actively participate in the recognition and prevention of neonatal illness and respond effectively in an emergency situation.
- To actively participate in the recognition and prevention of child abuse, both physical and mental, reporting any suspicions to the ward manager.
- To undertake and document, using Newborn Early Warning Trigger and Track (NEWTT) Chart, routine healthy baby observation (hospital/community), reporting abnormalities to the midwife
- To obtain capillary blood sample via heel prick to undertake Newborn Blood Spot testing
Infant feeding:
To support Breast feeding in line with Baby Friendly principles and local policy and guidelines, including:
- To assist women to undertake bonding activities,
- To assist women to undertake skin to skin,
- To assist women to expressing milk
- To assist women to use breast pump
- To assist women to cup feed healthy, term neonates
Administration:
To accurately Data input and retrieval into/from computer systems including;
-
- ICE i.e. retrieving test results
- CMIs, Maternity Booking system
- any other relevant electronic record systems
- To request investigations, when competent to undertake obtaining the sample required i.e. Blood samples, Mid-stream urine (MSU) and skin swabs.
- To maintain contemporaneous and accurate records of actions taken and care offered.
- To make client appointments in line with agreed care pathways and guidelines and record these in the agreed manner.
- To undertake follow up of women who do not attend (DNA) appointments, in line with Trust guidelines and policy.
Please see Job Description for full list of main responsibilities and tasks.
Person Specification
Educational Requirements
Essential
- 5 GSCEs or equivalent
- Previous clinical experience within a healthcare setting
Desirable
- Care certificate
- Level 3 NVQ or Apprenticeship
Skills knowledge and abilities
Essential
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Desirable
- Previous experience working in maternity services
- Venepuncture trained
Experience
Essential
- Willingness to undertake additional training
Person Specification
Educational Requirements
Essential
- 5 GSCEs or equivalent
- Previous clinical experience within a healthcare setting
Desirable
- Care certificate
- Level 3 NVQ or Apprenticeship
Skills knowledge and abilities
Essential
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Desirable
- Previous experience working in maternity services
- Venepuncture trained
Experience
Essential
- Willingness to undertake additional training
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
