The primary role of the Maternity Care Assistant is to assist, support and work in collaboration with the midwife and the wider multidisciplinary team; to provide a safe and holistic approach to women centred care.
The midwife is ultimately responsible for the care of the mother and her new-born(s), and itis 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 clinicalsetting in which they are working.
These settings include antenatal inpatient care, intrapartum inpatient care and postnatal inpatient care.
The post holder is expected to undertake a set of defined competencies.
This job description is directly linked to The Maternity Support WorkerCompetency, Education and career Development Framework set out by Health EducationEngland.
Key Duties: Develops and maintains positive relationships, respects the womans and herfamilies wishes, with kindness, compassion and empathy.
Should be trustworthy, provide woman centred care and support, and takeownership for mistakes by reporting concerns or errors to a registered practitioner ina timely manner.
Recognises the Maternity Care Assistants scope of practice within nationalframeworks Understands main principles of team working and can define their own role and roleof others.
Administrative Duties Keeps complete, clear, accurate and timely records.
Provide administrative support to the maternity team.
Professional Attitudes and responsibilities Convey 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, civilpartnership, pregnancy, race, religion, sex and sexual orientation.
Is aware of legal and ethical responsibilities in relation to own role including the needto work in ways agreed by the employer Does not project own experiences and values onto other and demonstratesunderstanding of own role and contribution in creating inclusive, equitable care Is aware of organisational aims, objectives, policies and values that relate to the MCArole Recognizes the importance of maintaining own health, wellbeing and resilience toensure that personal performance and judgement is not affected by ill-health Ensure that knowledge of local safeguarding policy and procedure is maintained.
Understands and follows principles of safeguarding and protection and adheres tolocal security procedures.
Training Responsibilities Attend all statutory and mandatory training as and when required.
Maintains and develops own skills and knowledge with training accessed whererequired.
Keeps evidence of personal development, prepares for and participates inappraisal Participate in annual individual performance review process, whereby objectives willbe agreed, performance monitored, and personal development needs discussed.
Is always welcoming and takes an interest in the education and development ofTrainee Maternity Care assistants and Trainee Maternity Support workers inacquiring skills and knowledge.
Safe Environment Ensure own actions promote a positive and safe environment.
This includeschecking the clinical area for hazards, ensuring the working order of equipment,reporting any concerns, faults or breakages to the appropriate person in a timelymanner.
Demonstrates the ability to respond flexibly to needs of the working environment Demonstrates safe and evidence-based practice in all skills and procedures statedwithin job description Ensure that each woman feels safe and knows how to access support if required Uses a range of techniques for infection prevention and control.
Act responsibly in respect of colleagues health, safety and welfare following safetyat work guidance and protocol.
Ensure the cleanliness of equipment in all clinical and non-clinical areas and assistthe midwife in appropriately preparing the birthing environment.
Ensure adequate stock levels are maintained in all clinical settings, and equipment isavailable; escalate 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 escalatesuch incidents appropriately and in a timely manner.
To ensure they are followinglocal health and safety guidance Understands the importance of following standard operating procedures, protocols,policies and guidelines to promote safety Understands the importance of courage and candour, recognizing and reportingbehaviours or errors that could result in poor outcomes for women and their families Supports audit and service improvement initiatives and keeps up to date withchanges 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 inaccordance with local policy and guidance.
Communicate respectfully, effectively and timely manner when speaking with womenand the wider MDT, utilising verbal and non-verbal skills Understand and gains 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.
Reportscompletion of tasks and any finding to an appropriate practitioner Assists in effective care planning and evaluation by sharing relevant information in atimely manner with members of the MDT Understands the benefits of continuity of carer and how this applies within own role Recognizes and responds to signs of discomfort and anxiety or concerns raised bypromptly reporting them to an appropriate practitioner Support women during clinical procedures and act as chaperone when requested todo so by the midwifery or obstetric team.
Shares knowledge and teaches skills that empower women and their families tosafely and effectively care for themselves Provide support with personal care to labouring women if asked to do so, and underthe supervision of the midwife.
Assist in the maintenance and understand the principles of good bladder care, suchand hydration and to document accurately the fluid balance.
Assist in the nutrition needs of women Assist women with mobilisation following surgical procedures under direction of the midwife.
Notices vulnerability, changing or additional needs and reports these to a suitably qualified colleague to take forward Acts sensitively, compassionately and respectfully in situations where the family unitis separated e.g. if mother/baby are critically ill.
Make sure the family members areupdated with accurate information by the appropriate team member Ensures tasks that separate families are kept to a minimum and are carried out withkindness and empathy Acts sensitively, compassionately and respectfully during times of bereavement andloss and follows care plans within scope of their role Obstetric and Neonatal Emergencies support and assist the midwife in thewomans preparation for transfer to theatre Recognises and acts upon within own parameters of competence any abnormalevents or emergencies, escalating to the multidisciplinary team through theappropriate means, in a timely manner.
Where a registered practitioner is notpresent, they should initiate immediate first aid whilst awaiting arrival of appropriatelyqualified practitioner Health Promotion and Screening Directs queries regarding local and national services to support women and theirfamilies to a suitably qualified colleague to take forward To seek support from a qualified practitioner when a woman shows a desire to makechanges to health behaviours To be aware of and understand the current policy and service frameworks for mentalhealth Understands the aims and principles of health promotion, protection andimprovement.
Appreciates the importance of recognizing and supporting physical and emotionalhealth and wellbeing and actively encourage women and their families to talk abouthealth and wellbeing and escalate to midwife to enable appropriate care pathway Infant Feeding Be able to describe the key practices that facilitate the initiation and have theknowledge and skills to support maintenance of breastfeeding Understand and have an overview of circumstances which can affect lactation andbreastfeeding and be able to support mothers to overcome common challenges andmake appropriate referrals when necessary Be able to support parents who formula feed to do so responsively and as safely aspossible including minimising the risks, to make up feeds as safely as possible, howto sterilise equipment, how to hold a baby and pace the feeds Importance of skin-to-skin contact to support infant feeding and how to facilitate thiswithin practice promoting responsive feeding to feeding cues Understanding principles and mechanisms of attachment and positioning foreffective feeding in line with BFI standards Understands how to protect breastfeeding should supplementation be required Expression and storage of breastmilk to include hand and pump expressiontechnique and the use of cup feeding 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 caringfor their newborn
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