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At the start of your shift, you join a midwife visiting a woman in labour who’s opted to have a home birth. Your role is to support the midwife, preparing the equipment, helping the woman to the bathroom, rubbing her back and keeping basic observations such as the woman’s breathing and colour, her ability to cope with pain and her body temperature.
You help the midwife during the birth and, afterwards, make sure the woman is comfortable by giving her a wash, change her clothes and give her a hot drink. You make sure all equipment and linen are dealt with.
You join the midwife later to help with an education session for new families. You set up the room, prepare the teaching materials and welcome the families as they arrive. The work is rewarding and interesting, you meet people from all walks of life and every day you are making a difference to the lives of local families.
You have good communication skills and are kind and caring. You don’t mind a hectic environment or working unusual hours and can keep calm under pressure.
You’ll usually need good basic GCSEs (or the equivalent) to demonstrate literacy and numeracy. Gaining a health and social care qualification will also be beneficial, so consider taking this qualification when you finish school. This may be available as an apprenticeship.
A-Levels (or the equivalent) aren’t essential for this role. You may want to consider getting a relevant level 2 qualification in childcare and passing your driving test.
Then when you’ve got a job as a maternity support worker, you’d typically work towards a relevant level 2 or 3 qualification in healthcare support while you’re working. Apprenticeships are available in some parts of the country.
We'd love to hear from you. If you'd like to talk to us about apprenticeships and traineeships, email hyp-tr.apprentices@nhs.net
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An interactive resource to help you find your career with us in the local NHS.
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