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Job summary

Main area
Maternity
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 4
Contract
Fixed term: 12 months (12 months from date of appointment, internal applicants only, seconded roles.)
Hours
Part time - 22.5 hours per week (x2 posts weekends and bank holidays required)
Job ref
252-7164449
Employer
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Darent Valley Hospital
Town
Dartford, UK
Salary
£27,857 - £30,570 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
02/06/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust logo

Senior Maternity Support Worker (Bespoke Vulnerable Families Team)

NHS AfC: Band 4

Job overview

Senior Community Maternity Support Workers (MSW’s) support the delivery of integrated maternity services to women and their families during pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period.

 This role is an extension of the Band 3 MSW. The post holder will liaise with a number of community and hospital-based services to enhance the service offered to women and their families through the direct delivery of care, and as a point of contact for support or signposting.

They will play a vital role within the community maternity team, providing enhanced care and support to pregnant women and new mothers with complex social needs, including mental health challenges, safeguarding concerns, and other vulnerabilities. Working under the guidance of registered midwives and within the boundaries of competency, the post holder will work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team to ensure safe, compassionate, and holistic care for women and their families.

 They will have a high level of autonomy and the ability to respond flexibly and sensitively to the diverse and often challenging needs of the caseload. The post holder will be expected to build trusting relationships with families, support engagement with maternity services, and deliver tailored care interventions to promote maternal and infant well-being.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS ROLE WILL NOT BE SPONSORED. Candidates must have the right to work in the UK independently, as visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Main duties of the job

Specialist tasks

Health Promotion

Promote healthy living through the provision of information and advice on nutritional health and smoking cessation.

Provide information, advice, and one-to-one support to vulnerable or high-risk mothers in respect to public health, breast/formula feeding, parenting skills, and family adjustment.

Bereavement

In cases of bereavement, assist families through provision of information and support.

Community settings

The MSW will undertake the following activities, following appropriate training and assessment:

To undertake A/N BP checks at home and feedback to midwife.

To support the midwife within the antenatal clinics.

The post holder will provide individualised care to service users and families with a specific focus upon reducing health inequalities across the geographical setting.

Working for our organisation

We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse employer. We strive to employ people who reflect the communities we serve, and aim to create an inclusive culture where everyone can reach their full potential. Whatever your race, ethnicity, belief, generation, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, disability or experience, you’ll appreciate the opportunities we give you to work in an inclusive atmosphere. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to build on the progress we’ve achieved to make our Trust diverse and the best place to work. We celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that help us overcome challenges and embrace new possibilities. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant Pledge and have a commitment to the Armed Forces Community.

We are dedicated to using our Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approach as our shared organisation model of change to enhance our services and ensure excellence in patient care.

If you are considering applying for a role, please be aware that as an NHS Employee you may have contact with vulnerable service users. We strongly encourage that all our staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 and are vaccinated annually against Flu, in order to protect the health and safety of our staff and patients. Your commitment will help us to put the safety and care of our patients first, as well as helping us to protect you and your colleagues.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

General responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
Managerial responsibilities
Professional responsibilities
Education and development responsibilities

For a detailed description of the Job roles and responsibilities please see the  attached job description.

Person specification

Education and Training

Essential criteria
  • NVQ qualification level 3/4 or equivalent in Health and Social Care or equivalent experience
  • Good standard of general education and English
  • Completion of care certificate and evidence of CPD
Desirable criteria
  • Extended safeguarding training/education
  • Additional infant feeding training/education

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria
  • Advanced communication skills
  • Basic IT skills
  • Effective problem solving and planning skills
  • Understanding of quality and change in clinical settings
  • Awareness of public health initiatives including legal and ethical issues relevant to role

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Significant clinical experience within health and social care settings relevant to role
  • Previous experience as Band 3 MSW
Desirable criteria
  • Familiar with maternity systems and technology

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoAge positiveInvestors in PeopleCare quality commission - GoodMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerArmed Forces Covenant Bronze Award

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Jo Maynard
Job title
Community Midwifery Matron
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01322428474
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