South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Maternity System (SYB LMS) has recently secured funding of up to £24,900 to increase support for women and families during pregnancy and childbirth.
The funding has been put in place to support the region in implementing a “more rigorous and standardised level of education” for Maternity Support Workers.
The development of a framework will aim to reduce the differences in skills and experience of those undertaking the role, providing a more consistent approach that will help to ensure high levels of care provision. It is hoped that the new approach will provide Maternity Support Workers with quality education and training to support them in competency assessments and will ensure they are paid correctly for their work within the maternity team.
The MSW Competency Framework will also offer Maternity Support Workers staff greater flexibility in other maternity systems across the country, reducing variation and duplications in training.
Development of the framework in South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw will take place over a period of four months, with midwife project leads spearheading the work in each of the acute trusts.
Lindsay Keightley, Midwife in Doncaster and lead for the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Local Maternity Systems (LMS), said: “Health Education England piloted a new Maternity Support Worker (MSW) Competency Framework in 2019 in North West London and as it was successful they invited applications for roll out in other parts of the country. The vital contribution Maternity Support Workers make to the delivery of safe and personalised care for women and their babies is widely recognised and we feel putting this framework in place will strengthen that even further.”
