Robyn Dalton, who works at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston won the national award for Excellence in Midwifery for Education and Learning in the RCM’s annual awards ceremony.
United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (ULTH) introduced MSWs in 2018 and, by March 2023, there were 22 MSWs working in postnatal wards and communities across the Trust.
Maternity support workers help midwives in caring for pregnant women, new mothers and newborn babies. Their role involves tasks, such as taking babies’ observations, offering feeding support, cleaning and keeping supplies and equipment stocked up. This allows midwives to focus on more complex care needs. MSWs are the heart of maternity care provision and invaluable to maternity services.
A MSW Support and Development Midwife role was devised to ensure the MSWs were aligned with the Health Education England (HEE) Maternity Support Worker Framework requirements. Robyn was appointed to this new role.
She discovered that none of the MSWs in the Trust had proficiency in all the clinical skills required for full compliance with the framework. Robyn set a strategy, which included a new skills passport aligned with the framework.
At the ceremony in London last month, the RCM’s Chief Executive, Gill Walton, said: “The training and sponsorship the team obtained for MSW development greatly enhanced skills and morale in the MSW team.
“ULTH successfully aligned its maternity support workers with the national framework and achieved positive feedback on training, fostering skills enhancement, team building and recognition in the regional MSW forum for full compliance.”
The RCM award recognises a midwifery educator who can demonstrate innovation, dynamism, commitment and enthusiasm for education to benefit student midwives, midwives or MSWs.
Robyn, who lives in Sleaford said: “It was a huge shock to be announced as the winner of this award. I already felt like a winner for being shortlisted, so to win is a dream come true.
“I am proud of my work alongside our amazing team of maternity support workers and feel thrilled that their contributions are being recognised and valued, as they are essential to our maternity service and deserve our utmost support and celebration.”
Katy Lovelock, a maternity support worker from Boston said: “Robyn’s work has been completely invaluable. She organised the training days we needed and provided updated competency packs so we’re working at the same level and upskilled us to be the best we can be.
“Before the project, I did feel a little undervalued but now I am excited to come to work, committed to providing the safest, best care I can to families and cannot imagine ever doing anything else.”