Job summary
THIS VACANCY IS ONLY OPEN TO THOSE WHO ATTENDED THE MATERNITY SUPPORT WORKER RECRUITMENT EVENT ON WEDNESDAY 4TH NOVEMBER 2026.

PLEASE NOTE, THERE IS NO SKILLED WORKER SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE FOR THIS ROLE.

We are seeking caring, compassionate and enthusiastic Maternity Support Workers to join our friendly Maternity Services team. Working alongside Midwives and other healthcare professionals, you will help provide high-quality care and support throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period.

This is a varied and fulfilling role where you will build meaningful relationships with women and their families, helping them feel informed, supported and cared for during one of the most important times in their lives. Whether providing practical assistance, offering reassurance, supporting infant feeding or helping parents develop confidence in caring for their new baby, your contribution will be invaluable.

Our Maternity Support Workers work across a range of maternity settings including Delivery Suite, Antenatal/Postnatal Wards, Community Maternity Services and Antenatal Day Services. As part of a 24-hour, 7-day service, you will be expected to work flexibly across different clinical areas and shift patterns to help meet the needs of women, babies and families.

Main duties of the job
As a Maternity Support Worker, you will work closely with Midwives and the wider multidisciplinary team to provide safe, compassionate and person-centred care to women, babies and families across a variety of maternity settings.

Your role will include supporting women with their care needs, assisting with newborn care, promoting and supporting infant feeding, undertaking maternal and neonatal observations, and helping to identify and escalate concerns appropriately. You will also carry out a range of clinical and non-clinical duties within your level of competence and training.

In addition, you will help create a welcoming and safe environment by maintaining clinical areas, supporting patient flow, completing accurate documentation and contributing to the smooth running of the service.

You will work across areas such as Delivery Suite, Antenatal/Postnatal Wards, Community Services and Antenatal Day Services, developing a broad range of skills and experience. Flexibility is essential, as the role supports a 24/7 maternity service and may require working across different clinical areas to ensure safe and effective care.

This role offers the opportunity to learn, develop and make a lasting positive impact on the experiences of women, babies and families every day.

Assessment Centre will take place on Wednesday 25th November 2026, from 5pm. If shortlisted, you must be able to attend on this date.

Job responsibilities

• To assist the registered midwife in providing high quality compassionate care.
• Providing women, their families and their babies with care and assistance appropriate to their needs.
• Always maintain patient privacy and dignity.
• To be responsible for carrying out tasks as delegated by the registered midwife who has overall accountability for care provision.
• Continue to develop and maintain competencies to support high quality safe care.
• Be an effective part of the multi-disciplinary team contributing to the departmental objectives.
• The post holder will perform additional skills appropriate to care need, recording clinical information through the completion of relevant assessment tools, such as assessment tools in infant feeding/Maternal Early Warning Score (MEWS)/Newborn Early Warning Track and Trigger (NEWTT2)
• You will be expected to contribute to housekeeping and other ward duties as required, e.g. general tidiness, ensuring pre-determined stock levels are met and clinical equipment is clean, working and stored correctly.
• Assist with administrative and clerical duties as required.
• To comply with the Trusts vision, values, behavioural compact, as well as policies and procedures.

Person Specification
Essential Knowledge and Skills

• Ability to communicate messages and instructions accurately to colleagues, both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrate good customer care skills and the ability to communicate effectively with the patients, families and visitors, adapting communication style to meet the needs of the recipient.
• Presents self as courteous, respectful and helpful.
• Basic keyboard and IT skills.
• Willingness to complete Competency Based Assessments and a Portfolio of evidence, to achieve the Care Certificate and any other training related to this role.
• Work effectively under direct supervision as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

Essential Physical Skills

• Standard keyboard skills to input, save and retrieve information, making use of the electronic patient record.
• Ability to assist patients to move as per Trust Moving and Handling Policy.
• Ability to perform clinical skills required to fulfil to job role.

Desirable Physical Skills

• Driving licence with access to a car for work purposes

Essential Qualifications

• GCSE Maths and English level 4 (or equivalent such as Maths and English Functional Skills Level 2)
• NHS Care certificate or willingness to complete

Desirable Qualifications

• Level 3 NVQ in Health and Social Care
• Health and Science T-Level
• A-Levels Science/Biology
• Advanced apprenticeship Level 3 (Senior Health Care Support Worker: Maternity Support)

Essential Experience

• Previous clinical experience within a health and social care setting

Desirable Experience

• Previous experience working in a maternity setting

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details
Employer name: South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust
Working pattern: Full-time
Contract: Permanent
Band: Band 3 (Band 2 until competencies met, then Band 3)
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Reference number: C9155-FCNM-1126-11
Closing date: 11 November 2026

Job locations
Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, SR4 7TP, United Kingdom
South Tyneside District Hospital, Harton Lane, South Shields, NE34 0PL, United Kingdom

For questions about the job, contact:
Maternity Workforce Lead: Amy Dowling, amy.dowling@nhs.net, 01915656256

The Trust welcomes all applications irrespective of race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under-represented groups. Flexible working is supported via our Flexible Working Policy. Please add your telephone number to your application form. If you use AI, and it poses a risk to the integrity of your individual recruitment process, we may withdraw your application at any stage of the process.