My name is Hafsah and I am a Maternity Support Worker in the Antenatal Clinic at Bradford Teaching Hospital, working alongside the parent education midwives to help deliver multi language antenatal classes.
Having finished university, I came across the job role on the NHS Jobs website and was instantly intrigued as I love the idea of working with babies and helping pregnant women and families through this crucial journey they are on.
I completed a degree in ‘Working with Young People, Children and Families’. This specific degree allowed me to gain an understanding of the laws and legislation around families and children, which gave me the knowledge and skills to be able to undertake this role to the best of my ability.
My job role varies as we face new challenges every day. I work alongside midwives and am present when they carry out examinations, review ultra sound scans or simply just discuss any concerns the patients may have.
I have undertaken various course such as breastfeeding classes and work alongside the postnatal ladies who struggle with English and discuss any concerns they may have in Urdu/Punjabi.
Having the opportunity to carry out this role and be a part of the multi-language class has been an amazing experience. The parent education midwives do an exceptional job in ensuring all the ladies of Bradford have access to a wide range of informative classes. I am able to witness the difference it makes when patients are provided with a tailored approach as they are able to ask any questions they want in the language they feel comfortable speaking.
Maternity support workers within the team who speak different languages has had a real positive impact upon the parent education team. Classes have expanded to include a large proportion of the community who would otherwise not be able to attend due to the language barrier. Women feel more relaxed when they are able to communicate in their own language, with a health professional rather than an interpreter.
Having now worked as a Maternity Support Worker I would like to return to university to complete a degree in midwifery.
