Job summary
- Main area
- Midwifery
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 388-8018048-FC&I-A
- Employer
- Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Women's Health Unit
- Town
- Torquay
- Salary
- £28,392 - £31,157 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 21/09/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Specialist Maternity Support Worker (Complex Needs and Safeguarding)
NHS AfC: Band 4
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Specialist Maternity Support Worker (Complex Needs and Safeguarding) to join our maternity team.
This rewarding role focuses on providing compassionate, trauma-informed support to women and birthing people experiencing complex health, social and safeguarding needs during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Working across community and hospital settings, you will play a vital role in helping families access the right support at the right time, promoting positive outcomes for women, babies and their wider family networks.
As a key member of the maternity team, you will work alongside midwives, safeguarding professionals, children's services, early help teams and a range of partner agencies to deliver personalised care and support for families experiencing vulnerability, disadvantage or safeguarding involvement.
We are looking for an individual who is compassionate, adaptable and non-judgemental, with excellent communication and organisational skills. You will be confident in building therapeutic relationships, managing a diverse workload, and supporting families through what can often be challenging and emotionally complex situations.
This role requires regular travel across a variety of settings, including hospital sites, clinics, family centres and service users' homes.
Main duties of the job
As a Specialist Maternity Support Worker, you will:
- Provide practical, emotional and trauma-informed support to women and families during the antenatal and postnatal period.
- Support women and birthing people with complex health, social and safeguarding needs to access maternity care and wider support services.
- Undertake home visits, community-based appointments and hospital-based support interventions.
- Act as a point of contact for families, offering guidance, signposting and support to access appropriate services and community resources.
- Work collaboratively with midwives, health professionals and partner agencies to coordinate care and improve outcomes.
- Support the identification of barriers to accessing maternity services and help implement reasonable adjustments to improve accessibility.
- Assist with birth planning, hospital passports and preparation for parenthood.
- Contribute to safeguarding processes by recognising concerns, escalating appropriately and participating in safeguarding supervision and multi-agency working.
- Support maternity clinics and undertake clinical tasks within scope of practice, including venepuncture, newborn blood spot screening, neonatal observations and infant feeding support.
- Maintain accurate records and contribute to service audits, quality improvement projects and data collection activities.
Working for our organisation
Working within our maternity service offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful difference to families experiencing adversity, vulnerability and complex life circumstances.
You will be part of a supportive and dedicated multidisciplinary team committed to delivering high-quality, personalised and trauma-informed care. We are passionate about reducing health inequalities and ensuring every family receives the support they need to achieve the best possible outcomes.
We actively promote learning, innovation and professional development, offering opportunities to expand your knowledge and skills in safeguarding, public health and specialist maternity care.
This role is ideal for someone who shares our commitment to compassionate care, values collaborative working, and is motivated to help families create positive and sustainable change during one of the most important periods of their lives.
Find out more about why you should join us, click here.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- · Develop positive therapeutic relationships with families, including those experiencing distressing or emotionally challenging circumstances.
- · Work collaboratively with maternity, safeguarding, public health and community teams to ensure coordinated support and safe care planning.
- · Attend and contribute to relevant multidisciplinary and multi-agency meetings as required.
- · Respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, seeking advice and escalating concerns to registered professionals in line with Trust policy.
- · Support staff and service users with information, guidance and signposting regarding safeguarding and early help pathways.
- · Handle telephone enquiries, recognising situations that require escalation to midwifery staff.
- · Maintain confidentiality, professional boundaries and high standards of integrity at all times.
- · Demonstrate respect for diversity, individual choice and cultural differences, delivering person-centred care.
- · Contribute to the delivery of trauma-informed care that promotes safety, trust and empowerment.
- · Recognise and escalate safeguarding concerns in accordance with local and national safeguarding procedures.
- · Participate in safeguarding supervision and reflective practice.
- · Support women presenting with complex social circumstances within hospital settings and facilitate access to appropriate services.
- · Assist service users to engage with maternity services, including attendance at appointments and familiarisation visits to hospital environments.
- · Support the development of personalised care plans, birth plans and hospital passports.
- · Take appropriate action during emergencies, including summoning emergency services and supporting clinical staff when required.
Person specification
Qualifications and training
Essential criteria
- GCSE Maths (A-C or equivalent)
- GSCE English (A-C or equivalent)
- NVQ/QCF Level 3 in a relevant field
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of working in a maternity setting
- Safeguarding training
- Extended IT skills
- Specific training in health promotion interventions
- Smoking Cessation Training Level 2
- Phlebotomy
Knowledge and experience
Essential criteria
- Evidence of working in a patient facing role
- Knowledge of basic parenting skills
- Experience of providing healthcare, healthcare advice or health promotion advice to patients or members of the public
- Recent experience of working in hospital/caring environment
Desirable criteria
- Recent experience working in a maternity setting
- Working in family support services
- Experience of providing help, support and/or counselling on a one-to-one or group basis
- Experience of delivering training to groups of people
Specific Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to build and maintain good working relationships with professionals/individuals from different professional and social backgrounds
- Excellent communication (written and verbal) and listening skills
- Good organisational skills
- Understanding and ability to maintain confidentiality issues
- Knowledge of principles or health promotion and health inequality
- Ability to show empathy and compassion to people in challenging situations
Desirable criteria
- Experience of using clinical systems
- Understanding of audit and evaluation
- Knowledge of addiction
- Working knowledge of maternity services
- Experience of using social media platforms
Mental effort
Essential criteria
- Frequent concentration and navigating competing priorities
Emotional effort
Essential criteria
- Frequent requirement to speak to pregnant women and birthing people about distressing issues such as difficult family situations, domestic abuse, child protection, pregnancy loss and child removal
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Hannah O'Sullivan
- Job title
- Specialist Public Health Midwife
- Email address
- hannaho'[email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01803 654644
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