Maternity Health Care Assistant

Job description

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

Barts Health supports the Pregnancy Loss Pledge and commits to supporting their staff through the distress of miscarriage.

We are dedicated to being an outstanding place to work and will work with you to get the best experience. We know flexible working is not a one size fits all and will mean something different to everyone. We are inclusive, so if you are interested in flexible working, please speak to the recruiting manager.

Job overview

This post attracts individuals who are new to care. You will receive support to complete the Band 3 competencies and progress into a Band 3 role within 6 months upon successful completion of all required competencies; until then, you will be placed at a Band 2 salary.

To work as a member of the ward and community team, assisting the Midwifery staff with supporting the care needs of women and their babies. To undertake assigned tasks and appropriate interventions for women and their babies with minimal supervision but under the direction of the midwife.

Be able to work in a flexible manner regarding hospital/community placements and shift patterns/on-calls depending on the needs of the service. To provide leadership and support to junior colleagues and ensure high standards are maintained in a safe environment which promotes equitable and compassionate care.

Always be aware of the responsibilities and limitations of the Maternity Care Assistant (MCA).

Main duties of the job

• Works collaboratively with midwives, service users and the multidisciplinary team to provide quality care.
• Actively listens and asks appropriate questions to understand the needs of women and the requirements of colleagues
• Shares and disseminates accurate information and feedback verbally, written and electronically (including the use of CRS) in a timely manner, ensuring confidentiality where required
• Knows when and how to escalate any concerns regarding the mother or baby to the midwife
• Keeps relevant, accurate, legible and up to date records of care given and communication with women and colleagues
• Contributes to the provision of a welcoming environment to women and their families by presenting a positive image of self and maternity service and promoting the Trust values.

Working for our organisation

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To carry out such care as directed by the trained midwifery on the ward / department and community. You will be expected to carry out these duties only when training has been given or under supervision by a trained member of staff.

To carry out assigned tasks involving direct care of mothers and babies in support of and under the general supervision of a registered midwife.

Communicate factual information to women using persuasion, reassurance, tact and sensitivity. Overcome barriers to understanding and communication for example when dealing with clients who have hearing difficulties or whose first language is not English.

Clinical

• Accept delegated responsibility following training in skills and competencies including phlebotomy, bladder care including the removal of catheters, removal of cannula, processing of fetal and cord blood samples and blood spot screening.
• Under the direction of a midwife is able to provide postnatal care to mothers and babies making observations, assessments and appropriate referral of any concerns to the midwife
• Provide consistent evidence based information and support on infant feeding, parenting skills and safety issues such as cot death, room temperature and bed sharing, reporting any concerns to the midwife.
• Recognising common problems such as breast feeding and jaundice and taking appropriate actions such as referral to the midwife or infant feeding specialist as necessary
• Recognise and report any suspicions of abuse or domestic violence to a midwife or other health professional
• Assist midwives in emergency situations e.g. fetch equipment, call for ambulance, act as scribe
• If required and following training be able to provide adult basic life support and neonatal resuscitation competently until help arrives.
• Works closely with the midwives to complete discharges in a timely manner. Competent in providing the discharge talks to patients and their families
• Assist in stock control and the ordering of supplies for the clinical area
• Support midwives following birth with the weighing of baby, dressing and assisting with preparation for suturing and cleaning

Person specification

Qualifications and knowledge

Essential criteria

• Demonstrate basic numeric and literacy skill / ability to undertake NVQ level 2 training at a later date
• English and maths at GCSE Level or Equivalent

Experience

Essential criteria

• Good communication skills

Desirable criteria

• Previous Healthcare Experience
• Organisational Skills
• Auxiliary in the NHS

Skills

Essential criteria

• Good communication
• Courteous manner
• Legible handwriting

Personal and people development

Essential criteria

• Well groomed, adhere to uniform policy while working
• Ability to work within a team
• Motivation to undertake required activity

Communication

Essential criteria

• Ability to establish and maintain effective communication at all levels
• Ability to work as part of the multi disciplinary team
• A sound understanding of confidentiality
• Interpersonal skills

Desirable criteria

• Good organisational skills

Visa Sponsorship Information

This role is subject to UK immigration requirements. Where sponsorship is required, applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for a Skilled Worker visa in accordance with current UK Visas and Immigration rules, including any salary, qualification, and role-specific requirements applicable at the time of appointment. Candidates who require sponsorship will only be considered where the post is eligible and where all sponsorship criteria can be met. Evidence of the right to work in the UK will be required before appointment. Please note that for roles employed under Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions, the High-Cost Area Supplement (HCAS) is not included when calculating the basic salary for the purposes of sponsorship.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment where staff treat one another with dignity and respect. We aim to create an equitable working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential.

As an Equal Opportunities Employer we actively support applications from individuals' who apply under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme and will process your application as appropriate.

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications has been received and we regret that we are unable to provide notification if your application is unsuccessful.

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to Barts Health NHS Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Barts Health is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and to child protection. The Trust aims to ensure as far as is possible that anyone, paid or unpaid, who seeks to work in our organisation and who gains access to children, is safe to do so. As such, you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Check as part of the recruitment process if appointed to a post with direct access to children or vulnerable adults.

Barts Health promotes active travel as part of its goal to reach Net Zero. Each site is accessible by public transport and the Trust has a cycle to work scheme and some sites have Brompton Hire Pods.

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