Maternity Care Assistant

Job Title: Maternity Care Assistant (MCA) rotational between

hospital and community settings

Base: Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Wycombe Hospital,

Buckingham Hospital or Amersham Hospital

Agenda for Change banding: 2

Hours of Work: Full time or part time

Details of Special Conditions: Post-holder will be expected to undertake and

complete the in-house competency-based training

and assessment programme at Level 2 in order to

pass through first gateway.

Managerial Accountability &

Professional Accountability: Supervising midwife → Shift co-ordinator → Matron

→ Head of Midwifery

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE POST

• To work as an integral member of the multi-disciplinary maternity care team, caring for women and babies within the locality with competence, compassion, and respect, mindful always of issues of consent and principles of equality and diversity.
• To work under the guidance and direction of midwives, undertaking delegated tasks once trained and declared competent and aware at all times of the responsibilities and limitations of the MCA role.
• To be at all times vigilant and alert to the appearance and behaviour of mothers and babies, reporting back to a midwife any deviations from normal or other causes for concern regarding physical, mental/emotional and social well-being.
• To ensure that client goodwill and confidence in the Trust is maintained at all times by carrying out duties in a confident, courteous and sympathetic manner.
• To establish and maintain good communication and working relationships between staff, patients, relatives and visitors.
• To participate in maintaining a safe, orderly and efficient working environment, especially with regard to the requirements of infection control.
• To use all resources correctly and with regard to cost effectiveness.
• To contribute towards an atmosphere that is conducive to team-working, support and learning.
• To manage own work activities efficiently and effectively.
• To always work within Trust policies, with particular attention to the Personal Safety Policy, Security Policy, Health & Safety, Infection Control, Safeguarding of Adults and Children, Information Governance.

RESPONSIBILITITES

Outline of responsibilities of Band 2 Maternity Care Assistant and approximate percentage of total role:

• housekeeping and environmental 60%
• clinical care 20%
• administration and clerical 15%
• developmental and educational <5%

All duties are performed in co-operation with other staff, complementing the roles of maternity support workers, midwives, housekeepers, domestic staff, clerical support staff, nursery nurses and so on; the extent and focus of the role will therefore vary according to the presence or absence of these people in each area of work.

The following description is not exhaustive; the MCA may be required to perform other reasonable tasks, providing she feels competent to do so.

HOUSEKEEPING and ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Clean, restock and make ready beds, cubicles, rooms and other clinical areas between patients on the antenatal/postnatal ward, labour ward and in clinics.
2. Using appropriate checklists, check, clean and restock as necessary clinical trolleys, community bags, neonatal resuscitaires and other items.
3. Monitor, order and store in orderly fashion clinical and non-clinical supplies, in co-operation with housekeepers and clerical support staff, for use in both hospital and community settings.
4. Work with all other staff to ensure a generally clean, safe and tidy working environment in clinical and non-clinical areas, in the community and in hospital.
5. Assist midwives with the cleaning, care and orderly storage of medical devices and other clinical equipment in all settings.
6. As requested by midwives, report defective devices to the medical engineering department or other agencies.
7. Welcome, supervise and attend to the needs of visitors to the hospital, being mindful of the security policy within the Maternity Unit.
8. Greet, involve and treat with courtesy and respect all family members and others involved in support of mother and baby in community settings.
9. Report accidents and other incidents to the midwife in charge of the area and complete appropriate records, including DATIX forms.
10. Ensure care and safe keeping of patient’s personal possessions in accordance with hospital policy.

CLINICAL CARE

1. Assist midwives during antenatal and postnatal clinics and checks; meet and greet women, listen and comfort, fetch equipment, prepare rooms and couches, prepare women for examinations, keep the clinic area clean, orderly and efficient, help with baby care and breastfeeding, answer questions if within competence or refer to midwife.
2. Escort women and babies to other departments or wards, transporting appropriately, keeping records secure, and handing over accurately to receiving healthcare worker or other responsible person.
3. Chaperone medical and midwifery staff for physical examinations as required.
4. Prepare and support women physically and emotionally for examinations and other clinical procedures, assist throughout taking into account infection control requirements and issues of consent and personal dignity.Clean up and restock the area afterwards.
5. Weigh and measure women and calculate body mass index, perform urine analysis, and keep accurate records.
6. Collect specimens of urine or stool and blood tests as required
7. Dispatch all specimens to the appropriate laboratory by the most efficient means.
8. Undertake Bilichek readings and inform midwife of results for plotting and action.
9. Assist the midwife with preparations for normal birth in all settings and help clear up afterwards.
10. Assist midwives with supporting women in labour; fetching equipment, filling birth baths and birth pools, preparing food and drinks, supporting birth partners, giving positive support and encouragement, and so on.
11. Assist midwives preparing women for surgery, especially in emergencies; fetching equipment, helping woman change clothing, supporting partners, assisting with transfer of woman to the obstetric theatre.
12. Assist midwives with the care of women immediately after birth; changing bed linen, clearing the room, washing and changing perineal pads, making comfortable, facilitating skin-to-skin contact and early breastfeeding, giving refreshments, supervising visitors, and so on.
13. Welcome, orientate and settle women (with or without babies) onto the antenatal/postnatal ward, giving necessary information and making them feel comfortable and secure.
14. Be mindful and alert at all times to the needs of women in hospital or community, and be ready to give practical help, encourage, explain, listen, and report concerns to the midwife.
15. Help women confined to bed or with limited mobility following illness or operative procedures with personal hygiene needs, including washing, intimate hygiene and assistance with toileting.
16. Assist domestic staff and others with serving meals and drinks to patients as required, especially those confined to bed, occupied with baby care, or with other special needs; making sure all women receive adequate food and drinks, and liaising as necessary with the catering department.
17. Assist with the movement and positioning of women of restricted mobility (for example, following anaesthesia or emergency) complying at all times with moving and handling best practice; support newly mobile women as they walk around the ward.
18. With due respect for women’s property, ensure bed spaces are orderly, clean and uncluttered, so allowing safe access by staff in an emergency.
19. Assist mothers and fathers in the care of their babies, demonstrating and enabling nappy changing, washing, bathing, handling, safe sleeping principles and comforting techniques.
20. Care for babies of mothers who are absent or unwell, mindful at all times of security issues.
21. Assist mothers as they learn to feed their babies by breast or bottle; teaching evidence-based principles of positioning, attachment and baby-led feeding, advising, encouraging, listening to concerns, demonstrating preparation of artificial milk feeds if required and liaising with midwives, nursery nurses and lay supporters.
22. Teach and assist with hand and pump expression of breast milk, label and store the milk correctly and arrange for the sterilisation of all equipment.
23. Promote good bladder care for all postnatal women, advising, monitoring output, encouraging a good fluid intake by ensuring water always available and offering hot drinks, reporting concerns and keeping accurate and legible fluid intake and output charts.
24. Care for women with in-dwelling urinary catheters; empty catheter bags, remove catheters as requested by midwives.
25. Perform basic observations of well mothers; temperature, pulse, respiratory rate, and blood pressure and accurately and legibly complete the MEWS chart.
26. Perform basic observations of well babies including visual assessment of jaundice, condition of eyes, mouth, cord, skin, nappies, feeding and weight; accurately complete the baby record accordingly, adding free text as necessary.
27. Recognise and respond appropriately to emergency situations, calling for help, fetching equipment, attending to relatives and other patients and keeping brief records if requested of times, personnel and actions.
28. Recognise and respond appropriately to an ill or collapsed woman; call for help, and perform adult basic life support, with awareness of the specific needs of maternity patients.
29. Recognise and respond appropriately to an ill baby; call for help and assist the midwife or paediatrician with neonatal basic life support.

ADMINISTRATION and CLERICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Answer face-to-face and phone enquiries from women, staff and others with efficiency and courtesy, accurately relaying messages verbally or in writing.
2. Answer patient call bells and door bells swiftly and with courtesy and friendliness, and deal promptly with requests or problems if within competence, or inform a midwife.
3. Call personnel in emergencies and non-emergencies, relay messages and requests, and run errands to enhance efficiency and quality of care (for example, to pharmacy to collect medicines).
4. Organise and prepare paperwork for clinical use, maintaining sufficient quantities of items for specific uses (such as bookings, labour, or discharge), fax, photocopy, or deliver documents as necessary.
5. Input data into electronic systems with accuracy and care and obtain information and data from same.
6. Record the admission, transfer and discharge of mothers and babies and update computerised records.
7. Track and retrieve records, file papers and charts, and help keep patient records orderly and secure.
8. Generate customised antenatal growth charts.

DEVELOPMENTAL and EDUCATIONAL

1. Satisfactorily complete the in-house competency-based training and assessment programme.
2. Attend all mandatory maternity training, including Moving & Handling, and complete all Trust e-learning requirements.
3. Take responsibility for own personal development needs, identifying deficiencies in knowledge and skills, and liaising with managers and others to meet these needs.
4. Attend regular (minimum annual) appraisal sessions with designated senior midwife.
5. Orientate and support new MCAs and student midwives, doctors and nurses.
6. Assist with audit, research and data collection.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Trust Values

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Health and Safety at Work Act

The post holder is required to take responsible care for the health and safety of him/herself and other persons who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions at work. The post holder is also required to co-operate with Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust to ensure that statutory and departmental safety regulations are adhered to.

Confidentiality

The post holder has a responsibility to maintain confidentiality and ensure the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998, the Confidentiality: NHS Code of Practice and Trust policy on confidentiality and Data Protection are applied to patient, staff and Trust business/information.

Equal Opportunities

The Trust welcomes all persons without regard to age, ethnic, or national origin, gender or sexual orientation, religion, lifestyle, presenting illness, marital or parental status or disability. We aim to provide a non-judgemental service at all times.

Managing Risk: Maintaining skills and learning from problems

Reducing risk is everyone's responsibility. All staff in the Trust must attend training identified by their manager, or stated by the Trust to be mandatory. The Trust uses risk assessments to predict and control risk and the incident reporting system to learn from mistakes and near misses and so improve services for patients and staff. All staff are expected to become familiar with these systems and use them The Trust has designated the prevention and control of infection as a core issue in the organisation's clinical governance, managing risk and patient safety programmes. In consequence, all employees are expected to:-

1. Follow consistently high standards of infection control practice, especially withreference to hand hygiene and aseptic techniques,
2. Be aware of all Trust infection control guidelines and procedures relevant to their work.

SAFEGUARDING OF CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE ADULTS

During your employment with the Trust, you have a responsibility to safeguard children and vulnerable adults. You are required to complete statutory and mandatory training and take appropriate action as set out in the Trust’s policies and procedures.

Governance

Post holders will aim to ensure that areas of the trust under their responsibility comply with “Standards for Better Health” Core and Developmental Standards and bring deficiencies to the attention of their Director”

Information Management/ Data Quality

The post holder must ensure that Trust records are documented, secured, stored and disposed of appropriately and in accordance with the Records Management: NHS Code of Practice and Trust policy. In addition, information recorded must be fit for purpose - accurate, relevant, up to date and complete.

Freedom of Information

The post holder must be aware that any information held by the Trust in theory could be requested by the public, including emails and minutes of meetings. It is therefore essential that records are accurately recorded and maintained in accordance with the Trust's policies.

Travel to other sites

You may be required to travel to other Trust locations. Please complete travel expense using the online system. Details of allowances can be obtained from the Human Resources Department.

Smoking statement

Smoking is not permitted in any premises or grounds managed, leased or owned by the Trust. Smoking is not permitted in Trust vehicles or in any vehicle parked on Trust premises.

General

The duties outlined above are not intended as a restrictive list and may be extended or altered to include other tasks that are commensurate with the grade. Should you have any queries or concerns relating to the contents of this letter, please contact the Recruitment team, Amersham Hospital, Whielden Street, Amersham, Bucks, HP7 0JD.