The closing date is 16th Sep 2025
Anticipated Interview date(s) 26th September
Job summary
We are looking for a caring, motivated, and compassionate individual to join our maternity team at Musgrove Park Hospital as a Maternity Support Worker (MSW).
As part of our multidisciplinary maternity team, you will play an essential role in supporting women, their partners, and babies during their hospital stay. Working under the direction of registered midwives, you will contribute to providing safe, individualised, and high-quality care in a busy, supportive environment.
This role is ideal for someone with a passion for family-centred care, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work effectively as part of a team. You will also be a role model for junior maternity support workers and student midwives, helping to uphold our Trust values of kindness, respect, and teamwork.
Main duties, tasks & skills required
* Assist midwives in delivering care to women, their babies, and families in line with agreed care plans.
* Support women with infant feeding, including breastfeeding and bottle-feeding, and promote parenting skills such as bathing, nappy changing, and newborn care.
* Carry out observations including temperature, pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and urinalysis, reporting any concerns promptly.
* Undertake newborn care including weighing babies, blood spot tests, and neonatal observations.
* Provide practical support such as preparing clinical areas, maintaining stock, and escorting women and babies as required.
* Promote health education in areas such as breastfeeding, smoking cessation, obesity reduction, and newborn safety.
* Support the admission and discharge process under the supervision of a registered midwife.
* Maintain accurate records to ensure safe, consistent, and effective care.
Please be advised - this vacancy may close early if we reach a sufficient amount of applications.
About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:
* Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
* NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
* Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
* A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential
Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.
We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.
Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.
The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.
Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Job description
In this role, you will:
* Work as a valued member of the maternity team, supporting midwives and colleagues in the safe delivery of care.
* Provide holistic support to women and families, demonstrating compassion, empathy, and respect at all times.
* Deliver both direct care (e.g., assisting with feeding, wound dressings, observations) and indirect care (e.g., clerical support, data entry, stock management) to ensure smooth running of the service.
* Contribute to health promotion activities, supporting women to make informed choices about their care and their baby's health.
* Participate in mentoring and supporting junior colleagues and student midwives as appropriate.
* Engage in training and personal development opportunities, ensuring your practice is safe, effective, and aligned with Trust policies and professional standards.
* Be adaptable and flexible, able to work across the ward rotation and cover a full range of shifts to meet the needs of the service.
* Uphold the Trust's commitment to safeguarding, infection control, confidentiality, and equality of care.
This is an excellent opportunity to join a supportive and dynamic maternity team, making a real difference to women and their families at one of the most important times of their lives.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential
* GCSE Maths and English or Functional Skills Maths and English, level 1 or equivalent
Desirable
* NVQ3 in Healthcare, OR, prepared to undertake a level 3 NVQ in Healthcare and complete within 1 year (to achieve KSF Foundation Gateway)
* Basic life support training
* Training in breastfeeding support
Experience
Desirable
* Previous experience in Maternity care environment
* Previous experience in a healthcare environment
Additional Criteria
Essential
* Access to a Means of travel to work
* Evidence of a good standard of Literacy/English language skills
* Able to transport and move essential equipment / people with appropriate adaptations if required.
* Must be able to work unsocial hours, including night duty and have a flexible approach to working hours.
* Clinically competent and evidence of completed training in phlebotomy, Manual BP's, urinalysis
* Able to prioritise and organise work.
* Able to work under instruction and as part of a team.
* Able to work under pressure.
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.
For help with your application, contact:
Ian Jones
Pay scheme
Agenda for Change
Band
Band 3
Salary
£ to £ Yearly
Contract
Fixed Term
Duration
6 Month(s)
Working pattern
Part-Time, Full-Time
Reference number
184-OL-GR-3177
Job locations
Musgrove Park Hospital
Musgrove Road
Taunton
Somerset
TA1 5DA