Specialist Maternity Support Worker (Complex Needs and Safeguarding)

• Provide practical, emotional and trauma-informed support to women and families during the antenatal and postnatal period.
• Support women and birthing people with complex health, social and safeguarding needs to access maternity care and wider support services.
• Undertake home visits, community-based appointments and hospital-based support interventions.
• Act as a point of contact for families, offering guidance, signposting and support to access appropriate services and community resources.
• Work collaboratively with midwives, health professionals and partner agencies to coordinate care and improve outcomes.
• Support the identification of barriers to accessing maternity services and help implement reasonable adjustments to improve accessibility.
• Assist with birth planning, hospital passports and preparation for parenthood.
• Contribute to safeguarding processes by recognising concerns, escalating appropriately and participating in safeguarding supervision and multi-agency working.
• Support maternity clinics and undertake clinical tasks within scope of practice, including venepuncture, newborn blood spot screening, neonatal observations and infant feeding support.
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to service audits, quality improvement projects and data collection activities.

• Develop positive therapeutic relationships with families, including those experiencing distressing or emotionally challenging circumstances.
• Work collaboratively with maternity, safeguarding, public health and community teams to ensure coordinated support and safe care planning.
• Attend and contribute to relevant multidisciplinary and multi-agency meetings as required.
• Respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, seeking advice and escalating concerns to registered professionals in line with Trust policy.
• Support staff and service users with information, guidance and signposting regarding safeguarding and early help pathways.
• Handle telephone enquiries, recognising situations that require escalation to midwifery staff.
• Maintain confidentiality, professional boundaries and high standards of integrity at all times.
• Demonstrate respect for diversity, individual choice and cultural differences, delivering person-centred care.
• Contribute to the delivery of trauma-informed care that promotes safety, trust and empowerment.
• Recognise and escalate safeguarding concerns in accordance with local and national safeguarding procedures.
• Participate in safeguarding supervision and reflective practice.
• Support women presenting with complex social circumstances within hospital settings and facilitate access to appropriate services.
• Assist service users to engage with maternity services, including attendance at appointments and familiarisation visits to hospital environments.
• Support the development of personalised care plans, birth plans and hospital passports.
• Take appropriate action during emergencies, including summoning emergency services and supporting clinical staff when required.

Desirable

• Evidence of working in a maternity setting
• Safeguarding training
• Extended IT skills
• Specific training in health promotion interventions
• Smoking Cessation Training Level 2
• Phlebotomy

Essential

• Evidence of working in a patient facing role
• Knowledge of basic parenting skills
• Experience of providing healthcare, healthcare advice or health promotion advice to patients or members of the public
• Recent experience of working in hospital/caring environment

Desirable

• Recent experience working in a maternity setting
• Working in family support services
• Experience of providing help, support and/or counselling on a one-to-one or group basis
• Experience of delivering training to groups of people

Essential

• Ability to build and maintain good working relationships with professionals/individuals from different professional and social backgrounds
• Excellent communication (written and verbal) and listening skills
• Good organisational skills
• Understanding and ability to maintain confidentiality issues
• Knowledge of principles or health promotion and health inequality
• Ability to show empathy and compassion to people in challenging situations

Desirable

• Experience of using clinical systems
• Understanding of audit and evaluation
• Knowledge of addiction
• Working knowledge of maternity services
• Experience of using social media platforms

Essential

• Frequent requirement to speak to pregnant women and birthing people about distressing issues such as difficult family situations, domestic abuse, child protection, pregnancy loss and child removal