Job summary This is an opportunity for an experienced maternity support worker or health care assistant to extend their skill within the maternity Unit. Under the direction of the Registered Midwife, the Maternity support worker will work with all members of the multi disciplinary team to contribute to the provision of the highest standards of care delivery in undertaking personal care duties for women and families on the Maternity unit. Hours will be 12 hour shifts including days, nights and weekends Please note, this vacancy may close early should a sufficient number of applications be received. An Enhanced DBS with barred lists for both Adults & Children is required for the post. Main duties of the job Communicate effectively with individuals and their families, carers and health care practitioners using a range of techniques, keeping information confidential. Overcome barriers to understanding, e.g. patient/client has physical impairment, mental health condition or learning disabilities using tact empathy persuasion and reassurance. Knowledge of personal care and related procedures, through achieving an NVQ2. Observe patient's/clients responding and escalating concerns as appropriate. Instigate emergency procedures. Escalate any concerns regarding patient comfort/ pain. Promote mental health and wellbeing. To act as a chaperone as required. Follow the principles of safeguarding and protection, report any concerns to the Registered Midwife. Prioritises own work activities. Follow policies, may participate in discussions on proposed changes to procedures. About us Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites. We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care. Our Services: Acute Care Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites. Primary Care Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital. Community Services Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre. Specialist Regional Services We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales. Achievements: Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018 Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal) National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme Date posted 18 March 2025 Pay scheme Agenda for change Band Band 3 Salary £24,071 to £25,674 a year per annum Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time Reference number 409-7016817-A Job locations ODGH Wigan Road Ormskirk L39 2AZ Job description Job responsibilities KEY DUTIES Communicate effectively with individuals and their families, carers and health care practitioners using a range of techniques, keeping information confidential. Overcome barriers to understanding, e.g. patient/client has physical impairment, mental health condition or learning disabilities using tact empathy persuasion and reassurance. Knowledge of personal care and related procedures, through achieving an NVQ2. Observe patients/clients responding and escalating concerns as appropriate. Instigate emergency procedures. Escalate any concerns regarding patient comfort/ pain. Promote mental health and wellbeing. To act as a chaperone as required. Follow the principles of safeguarding and protection, report any concerns to the Registered Midwife. Prioritises own work activities. Follow policies, may participate in discussions on proposed changes to procedures. CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES To assist the midwives in the care of women antenatally, during labour and postnatally to ensure that planned programmes of care are provided Work with the midwife to prepare women for elective caesarean section. Assist Midwife with placing women in lithotomy position in preparation for an instrumental delivery or theatre procedure. Process fetal scalp/umbilical pH through Delivery Suite analyser. Assist midwives and doctors with instrumental deliveries, such as laying up trolleys, opening packs, gathering equipment and the disposal of equipment. To maintain high standards of cleanliness and hygiene within all clinical areas Prepare (including cleaning) the clinical area. Clean, fill and maintain birthing pool to correct temperature. Management of blood spillage. Clean and make beds. Re-stock and request reorder of equipment. Sterilise feeding equipment if required. Prepare equipment such as ultrasound ready for midwifery and medical staff. Identify and report faulty equipment. Participate in maintaining the general personal hygiene needs of women where required; this includes toileting, bed bathing and oral hygiene. To assist in the provision of food and drink to women If required record mothers oral fluid intake and urine output. Ensure women receive meals at mealtimes where appropriate. To be aware of the general condition and wellbeing of women and babies by close observation. Recognise signs of ill-health in mothers and report to midwife. e.g. if during the course of assisting women with hygiene and baby care, abnormalities are observed such as pain, pallor, breaks in skin, skin hot to touch, abnormal stools etc inform the midwife who is caring for the woman. To assist women and their partners in the care of their babies following local training Identification and security of baby Skin care including awareness of the potential seriousness of skin rashes. Eye care of baby. Nappy change. Discuss changing stool and micturition of normal neonate. Provide reassurance to new mothers and birthing partners. Promote skin-to-skin contact with healthy babies and their mothers. Support mothers with bathing their baby. Following BFI training be pro-active in supporting women to breast feed their babies and give them the advice and assistance they require according to BFI (baby friendly initiative) and trust guidelines reporting any concerns to the Registered Midwife Inform parents about the benefits of breastfeeding. Position and comfort of breastfeeding women including the position and attachment of the baby. Support women with hand expression of breast milk. Assist women to use breast pumps. Support mothers to cup feed. Assist with syringe feeding of expressed milk. Support mothers with formula feeding. To record on Maternity Information system accurate records of all care provided. To escort patients to different clinical areas within the unit if clinically appropriate e.g for ultrasound scan. To undertake role of runner in Maternity unit theatre following in-house training Document times and personnel present in theatre records for each procedure. Check swabs and needles with Scrub Midwife. Support and reassure the woman and birth partner during the procedure. Clean and prepare theatre. Set up equipment. Handle, package and send specimens. Contributes to maintain a safe healthy working environment reports any concerns to the Registered Midwife. Follow the principles for implementing a duty of care, always acting in the best interest of individuals to ensure they do not come to harm. Takes appropriate action in response to incidents or emergencies following local guidelines. e.g. in accordance with Trust resuscitation and Health and safety guidelines. ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES To assist with the admission, transfer and discharge of mothers and babies. Update Medway as required and tracking notes. To facilitate the distribution of messages. Filing of appropriate paperwork. Obtain and organise appropriate paperwork for clinical staff. Answer bell / telephone enquiries reporting any patients queries/problems to the Midwife in Charge and relaying and recording messages accurately. Assist with the retrieval of case notes. Making appointments arrange bookings if required, organise paperwork for bookings. To assist with photocopying and maintaining sufficient levels of documents required for area of work. TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES Following training uses equipment/handles patient/client valuables; ensure equipment used by others, e.g. hoists, is safe and properly used. Occasionally participates in audits, surveys, development activities. To attend maternity mandatory training and updates in infant feeding practices. Demonstrates own duties to new starters. Job description Job responsibilities KEY DUTIES Communicate effectively with individuals and their families, carers and health care practitioners using a range of techniques, keeping information confidential. Overcome barriers to understanding, e.g. patient/client has physical impairment, mental health condition or learning disabilities using tact empathy persuasion and reassurance. Knowledge of personal care and related procedures, through achieving an NVQ2. Observe patients/clients responding and escalating concerns as appropriate. Instigate emergency procedures. Escalate any concerns regarding patient comfort/ pain. Promote mental health and wellbeing. To act as a chaperone as required. Follow the principles of safeguarding and protection, report any concerns to the Registered Midwife. Prioritises own work activities. Follow policies, may participate in discussions on proposed changes to procedures. CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES To assist the midwives in the care of women antenatally, during labour and postnatally to ensure that planned programmes of care are provided Work with the midwife to prepare women for elective caesarean section. Assist Midwife with placing women in lithotomy position in preparation for an instrumental delivery or theatre procedure. Process fetal scalp/umbilical pH through Delivery Suite analyser. Assist midwives and doctors with instrumental deliveries, such as laying up trolleys, opening packs, gathering equipment and the disposal of equipment. To maintain high standards of cleanliness and hygiene within all clinical areas Prepare (including cleaning) the clinical area. Clean, fill and maintain birthing pool to correct temperature. Management of blood spillage. Clean and make beds. Re-stock and request reorder of equipment. Sterilise feeding equipment if required. Prepare equipment such as ultrasound ready for midwifery and medical staff. Identify and report faulty equipment. Participate in maintaining the general personal hygiene needs of women where required; this includes toileting, bed bathing and oral hygiene. To assist in the provision of food and drink to women If required record mothers oral fluid intake and urine output. Ensure women receive meals at mealtimes where appropriate. To be aware of the general condition and wellbeing of women and babies by close observation. Recognise signs of ill-health in mothers and report to midwife. e.g. if during the course of assisting women with hygiene and baby care, abnormalities are observed such as pain, pallor, breaks in skin, skin hot to touch, abnormal stools etc inform the midwife who is caring for the woman. To assist women and their partners in the care of their babies following local training Identification and security of baby Skin care including awareness of the potential seriousness of skin rashes. Eye care of baby. Nappy change. Discuss changing stool and micturition of normal neonate. Provide reassurance to new mothers and birthing partners. Promote skin-to-skin contact with healthy babies and their mothers. Support mothers with bathing their baby. Following BFI training be pro-active in supporting women to breast feed their babies and give them the advice and assistance they require according to BFI (baby friendly initiative) and trust guidelines reporting any concerns to the Registered Midwife Inform parents about the benefits of breastfeeding. Position and comfort of breastfeeding women including the position and attachment of the baby. Support women with hand expression of breast milk. Assist women to use breast pumps. Support mothers to cup feed. Assist with syringe feeding of expressed milk. Support mothers with formula feeding. To record on Maternity Information system accurate records of all care provided. To escort patients to different clinical areas within the unit if clinically appropriate e.g for ultrasound scan. To undertake role of runner in Maternity unit theatre following in-house training Document times and personnel present in theatre records for each procedure. Check swabs and needles with Scrub Midwife. Support and reassure the woman and birth partner during the procedure. Clean and prepare theatre. Set up equipment. Handle, package and send specimens. Contributes to maintain a safe healthy working environment reports any concerns to the Registered Midwife. Follow the principles for implementing a duty of care, always acting in the best interest of individuals to ensure they do not come to harm. Takes appropriate action in response to incidents or emergencies following local guidelines. e.g. in accordance with Trust resuscitation and Health and safety guidelines. ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES To assist with the admission, transfer and discharge of mothers and babies. Update Medway as required and tracking notes. To facilitate the distribution of messages. Filing of appropriate paperwork. Obtain and organise appropriate paperwork for clinical staff. Answer bell / telephone enquiries reporting any patients queries/problems to the Midwife in Charge and relaying and recording messages accurately. Assist with the retrieval of case notes. Making appointments arrange bookings if required, organise paperwork for bookings. To assist with photocopying and maintaining sufficient levels of documents required for area of work. TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES Following training uses equipment/handles patient/client valuables; ensure equipment used by others, e.g. hoists, is safe and properly used. Occasionally participates in audits, surveys, development activities. To attend maternity mandatory training and updates in infant feeding practices. Demonstrates own duties to new starters. Person Specification Qualifications Essential NVQ level 2 or equivalent in healthcare related subject Basic literacy and numeracy skills Desirable Care Certificate Knowledge & Experience Essential Knowledge of personal care Experience of working in a health-related role Knowledge of working in a team Physical Effort Essential The role requires frequent manual handling Person Specification Qualifications Essential NVQ level 2 or equivalent in healthcare related subject Basic literacy and numeracy skills Desirable Care Certificate Knowledge & Experience Essential Knowledge of personal care Experience of working in a health-related role Knowledge of working in a team Physical Effort Essential The role requires frequent manual handling 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 Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Address ODGH Wigan Road Ormskirk L39 2AZ Employer's website https://www.merseywestlancs.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)