Maternity Care Assistant
Go back Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
The closing date is 12 April 2026
The primary role of the Maternity Care Assistant (MCA) is to assist, support and work in collaboration with the midwife and the wider multidisciplinary team; in order to provide a safe and holistic approach to woman‑centred care.
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 MCA assists with and provides personal care following completion of any relevant or appropriate training. The post is rotational and the employee will be provided with appropriate training for the clinical setting in which they are working. These settings include antenatal inpatient or outpatient care, intrapartum inpatient care and postnatal inpatient and outpatient care.
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).
Main Duties
The key duties for the maternity care assistant role focus on developing positive relationships with women and their families, respecting their wishes with compassion and empathy. The postholder must deliver trustworthy, woman‑centred care, promptly report concerns or errors. Emphasis is placed on understanding team roles and contributing effectively to team working.
General duties include administrative tasks such as managing clinical records. The postholder is expected to maintain professionalism, challenge discrimination, promote equality, and uphold legal and ethical responsibilities.
Training responsibilities involve attending mandatory sessions, developing skills and knowledge, participating in appraisals, and supporting trainees. Ensuring a safe environment is vital, including hazard checks, equipment maintenance, infection prevention, and incident reporting.
Additional responsibilities cover assisting in obstetric and neonatal emergencies, supporting health promotion and screening activities, and understanding relevant mental health policies. The role includes promoting physical and emotional wellbeing and escalating concerns as needed.
Infant feeding duties require supporting breastfeeding and formula feeding and promoting skin‑to‑skin contact and responsive feeding.
About Us
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond. The Trust operates hospital‑based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester. Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient‑centred care. You could be one of them.
We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.
* Being open and honest
* Ensuring people feel cared for
* Showing respect to everyone
We are committed to developing a culture of continuous improvement by embedding the principles of our Improvement System.
We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.
DBS Checks and Costs
Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.
Job Responsibilities
Develops and maintains positive relationships, respects the woman's and her families’ wishes, with kindness, compassion and empathy.
Should be trustworthy, provide woman‑centred care and support, and take ownership for mistakes by reporting concerns or errors to a registered practitioner in a timely manner.
Recognises the Maternity Care Assistant’s scope of practice within national frameworks.
Understands main principles of team working and can define their own role and role of others.
Administrative Duties
Keeps complete, clear, accurate and timely records. Provide administrative support to the maternity team.
Professional Attitudes and Responsibilities
Conveys an approachable and professional manner to all mothers and their families.
Demonstrates an awareness of discriminatory attitudes and challenges this behaviour, with reference to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage, civil partnership, pregnancy, race, religion, sex and sexual orientation.
Is aware of legal and ethical responsibilities in relation to own role including the need to work in ways agreed by the employer.
Does not project own experiences and values onto others and demonstrates understanding of own role and contribution in creating inclusive, equitable care.
Is aware of organisational aims, objectives, policies and values that relate to the MCA role.
Recognises the importance of maintaining own health, wellbeing and resilience to ensure that personal performance and judgement is not affected by ill‑health.
Ensures knowledge of local safeguarding policy and procedure is maintained. Understands and follows principles of safeguarding and protection and adheres to local security procedures.
Training Responsibilities
Attend all statutory and mandatory training as and when required. Maintain and develop own skills and knowledge with training accessed where required. Keeps evidence of personal development, prepares for and participates in appraisal.
Participate in annual individual performance review process, whereby objectives will be agreed, performance monitored, and personal development needs discussed.
Is always welcoming and takes an interest in the education and development of trainee Maternity Care Assistants and Trainee Maternity Support workers acquiring skills and knowledge.
Safe Environment
Ensure actions promote a positive and safe environment, check the clinical area for hazards, ensure the working order of equipment, report any concerns, faults or breakages to the appropriate person in a timely manner.
Demonstrates the ability to respond flexibly to needs of the working environment. Demonstrates safe and evidence‑based practice in all skills and procedures stated within job description.
Ensures each woman feels safe and knows how to access support if required. Uses a range of techniques for infection prevention and control. Uses PPE as required.
Act responsibly in respect of colleague health, safety and welfare following safety at work guidance and protocol. Ensures the cleanliness of equipment in all clinical and non‑clinical areas and assists the midwife in appropriately preparing the birthing environment.
Ensures adequate stock levels are maintained in all clinical settings, and equipment is available; escalates any depletion of stock or resources in a timely manner. Assist in stocking up and cleaning all home birth team equipment if required. Report any incidents using the local risk‑management reporting system and escalates such incidents appropriately and in a timely manner.
Understands importance of following standard operating procedures, protocols, policies and guidelines to promote safety. Understands the importance of courage and candour, recognising and reporting behaviours or errors that could result in poor outcomes for women and their families. Supports audit and service improvement initiatives and keeps up to date with changes in policy and practice.
Care of the Woman
Escort women and their families between clinical areas as required.
Assist with the admission, orientation and discharge of women and their babies in accordance with local policy and guidance.
Communicate respectfully, effectively and timely manner when speaking with women and the wider MDT, utilising verbal and non‑verbal skills.
Understand and gain valid consent prior to action or providing care.
Manages delegated tasks effectively and in a timely manner for which they have received training, ensuring basic care needs for women and babies are met. Reports completion of tasks and any finding to an appropriate practitioner.
Assists in effective care planning and evaluation by sharing relevant information in a timely manner with members of the MDT.
Understands benefits of continuity of carer and how this applies within own role.
Recognises and responds to signs of discomfort and anxiety or concerns raised promptly reporting them to an appropriate practitioner.
Support women during clinical procedures and act as chaperone when requested to do so by the midwifery or obstetric team.
Shares knowledge and teaches skills that empower women and their families to safely and effectively care for themselves.
Provides support with personal care to labouring women if asked to do so, and under the supervision of the midwife.
Assists in the maintenance and understand the principles of good bladder care, such as hydration and to document accurately the fluid balance.
Assists in nutritional needs of women.
Assist women with mobilisation following surgical procedures under direction of the midwife.
Care of the Newborn
Observe the overall wellbeing of the newborn and escalate any concerns to named Midwife or multi‑professional team in a timely manner.
Provide practical support and transition to parenthood for new parents when caring for their newborn.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Skills
* Awareness of Health and Safety issues
* Knowledge and understanding of data protection confidentially
* Approachable manner with good interpersonal skills
* Effective written and verbal communication skills
* Ability to prioritise workload
* Ability to work without direct supervision
* Able to identify when to elevate issues/concerns
* Ability to work as part of team
* Adaptable and flexible approach to work
* Positive attitude to training and development
* Ability to work 24‑hour shift pattern, including weekends and bank
* Understanding of Safeguarding issues
* Understanding of the role and own professional boundaries
Qualifications
* GCSE Maths and English Grades A‑C, Levels 4‑9, Functional Skills Level
* 2 or equivalent
* NVQ Level 2 in Health care or equivalent experience
* Commit to undertake in‑house training
* Care certificate
Experience
* Previous experience of working with members of the public
* One year's formal maternity care experience in a hospital/birth centre
* Experience of using hospital patient record system
* Experience of working in an acute hospital setting
* Experience of providing high quality care
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 name
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
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