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Detailed job description and main 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 employee will be provided with appropriate training for the clinical setting in which they are working. These settings include antenatal and newborn screening, maternity immunsation team and Fetal Medicine Clinics.

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. This job description is directly linked to The Maternity Support worker Competency, Education and career Development Framework set out by Health Education England (HEE) https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/maternity/maternity-support-workers.  This may be particularly relevant to employees who are looking to progress and prepare for entry into a programme of further study or development.

Main duties and Responsibilities

• 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,
• 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.

Administrative Duties

• Ensure that all clinical documentation written or electronic is accurately and confidentially collected, updated, stored, and filed in accordance with local information governance and record keeping policy and guidance.
• Provide administrative support to the maternity team, within the clinical setting.
• Participate in tracking, obtaining, and filing clinical records as required in line with local policy and guidance.
• Update appropriate databases.

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 behavior to promote equality. This will appreciate protected characteristics and recognize how to support these people from these groups. This includes age, disability, gender reassignment, Marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, Sex and Sexual orientation (Equality Act 2010)
• Ensure that knowledge of local safeguarding policy and procedure is maintained.
• To 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.
• Completing competencies to meet the National Framework of Maternity Support Workers.
• 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.
• To act as a role model and participate in training for their colleagues and peers, recognising the impact of personal behavior on the culture and performance of the department, and the experience of service users.

Safe Environment

• Be conversant with the local infection control policy and hazardous substances policies, 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; escalate any depletion of stock or resources in a timely manner.
• 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 escalate such concerns or incidents appropriately and in a timely manner.
• Participate in the audit of standards within the unit if appropriate.

Care of the Woman

• Manage own time and caseload effectively whilst prioritising care needs for women and their babies under care under the direction and supervision of the midwife in antenatal and newborn screening, maternity immunisations and fetal medicine clinics.
• Escort women and their families between clinical areas as required.
• Communicate effectively and clarifies understanding with women and their families in all settings and can select appropriate methods to communicate when a disability or complexity may exist.
• Understand and gains valid consent prior to action or providing care.
• Undertake 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.
• 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 nutrition and hydration needs of women.
• Assist with the transportation of blood products if asked to do so and have an awareness of the storage requirements.

Obstetric and Neonatal Emergencies

• Recognises and acts 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/Nurse with adult emergency situations that might occur.
• Assist the Midwife/Nurse with neonatal emergency situations that might occur.

Health Promotion and Screening

• Maintains a contemporary knowledge base about local and national antenatal and newborn screening services and signposts women and their families to appropriately qualified practitioners if they are undecided or have concerns.
• Has an understanding and can advise families about newborn blood spot screening, immunisations and can produce GROW Charts following successful completion of the appropriate competencies.
• Recognises and promotes the principles of behavior changes required in health promotion activities including diet, food hygiene, exercise, personal hygiene, and smoking cessation. (For example, assess CO levels and signposting to local service appropriately as per policy guidance).
• To complete the relevant documentation for screening test performed in the maternity records.
• To recognise any deterioration in mental and emotional wellbeing and respond appropriately, escalating to midwife to enable an appropriate care pathway.
• To be aware of and understand the current policy and service frameworks for mental health (e.g., Capacity Act, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and Mental Health Act).
• To be aware of perinatal mental health issues and the appropriate referral pathway and to escalate to multi-disciplinary team and concerns noted within home or hospital setting.

Infant Feeding and Care of the Newborn

• Be aware of and understand both through completion of MSW training