Health in Pregnancy Support Worker

This is an exciting opportunity for a support worker to work with the Health in Pregnancy team supporting pregnant women in Walsall. You will assist by providing health and social support throughout their pregnancy and following the birth of their child.

Please note, we may close this vacancy early if we receive high numbers of applications.

• Assist the Healthy Pregnancy service to provide health and social support for women throughout pregnancy and following the birth of their child, focusing on the six domains of care.
• Support maternal mental health, support a healthy pregnancy, identify and address risk factors, ensure a safe and caring environment in the first year of life, support vulnerable mothers in pregnancy and beyond, promote breastfeeding, and raise awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding among disadvantaged groups.
• Promote the benefits of breastfeeding earlier in pregnancy and provide support to initiate and continue breastfeeding, signposting to local breastfeeding support groups and timely referrals to Specialist Health Visitor for Infant Feeding where concerns are identified.
• Adhere to and promote Department of Health & Baby Friendly Initiative recommendations in relation to infant feeding, introduction to solid foods, and support clients in implementing these recommendations by working with them individually.
• Encourage uptake of Healthy Start Vitamins for women during pregnancy and ensure access to Healthy Start vouchers for eligible families.
• Provide information to support women in the antenatal and postnatal period regarding services such as smoking cessation, alcohol support, my time active, carbon monoxide alarms, healthy weight services, nutrition during pregnancy, home safety, fire alarms, and room thermometers.
• Assist with any health promotion or health education activity within the hospital or community.
• Collate resources, set up rooms for activities, and ensure a safe environment for mothers to receive information.
• Support vulnerable women with lower levels of social situations through targeted, time‑limited work delegated by the Band 6 Practitioner/Senior Early Help Support Worker.
• Help families with completing forms and applying for assistance where low numeracy and literacy skills could impact care.
• Be accountable for own professional activities within the limitations of personal expertise and agreed knowledge and skills framework.
• Work within a pressurised environment due to unpredictable workloads and client demands.
• Liaise with maternity services where indicated and work alongside the Community Health Visiting team, which may involve meeting with mothers on the ward.
• Encourage and maintain good working relationships with other departments and specialties, maintaining departmental efficiency and flexibility.
• Advocate for vulnerable mothers in accessing services and assist families in completing forms.
• Act in a professional and sympathetic manner with women and their partners/families whilst upholding privacy, dignity and confidentiality according to Caldicott Principles.
• Escalate areas of concern to Specialist Practitioner where a parent or unborn child is deemed at risk.
• Establish and maintain communication with people on routine and operational matters using tact, persuasion, and adapting communication style when required.
• Demonstrate good communication skills, including deep listening.
• Participate in own individual performance review (IPR) as per Trust policy.

• Supporting maternal mental health
• Supporting a healthy pregnancy
• Identifying and addressing risk factors
• Ensuring a safe and caring environment in the first year of life
• Supporting vulnerable mothers in pregnancy and beyond
• Promoting breastfeeding

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is an integrated Trust and the only provider of NHS acute care in Walsall, serving a population of 284,300. It provides inpatient and outpatient services at the Manor Hospital as well as a wide range of services in the community. Walsall Manor houses the full range of district general hospital services under one roof. The £170 million development was completed in 2010, and ongoing upgrades ensure the Trust now has state‑of‑the‑art facilities, including a Critical Care Unit, Neonatal Unit, Obstetric Theatre, and Integrated Assessment Unit.

A new Urgent and Emergency Care Centre, opened in March 2023, has significantly improved emergency care facilities and capacity, providing almost 5,000 square metres of additional clinical space.