Delivering Care and Support for Women Babies and Families
This element focuses on the practical application of maternity support work in community settings, encompassing caseload management, holistic wellbeing planning, clinical responsibilities, and the establishment of therapeutic relationships. Learners must demonstrate competence in delivering person-centred, evidence-based care that empowers women, babies, and families while adhering to professional scope and safeguarding protocols.
Assessment criteria
Topic Overview
The Open Awards Level 3 Certificate in Maternity Support Work (RQF) is a vocational qualification designed for individuals aspiring to work as maternity support workers (MSWs) in NHS or private healthcare settings. This certificate equips learners with the essential knowledge and practical skills to assist midwives and other healthcare professionals in providing antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care to mothers and newborns. The curriculum covers key areas such as anatomy and physiology of pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, as well as the psychosocial aspects of maternity care, including communication, safeguarding, and promoting maternal and infant health.
This qualification is critical because maternity support workers play a vital role in the maternity care team, helping to reduce the burden on midwives and improve patient outcomes. By understanding the physiological and emotional changes during pregnancy, labour, and after birth, MSWs can provide empathetic, evidence-based support. The course also emphasises infection control, emergency procedures, and record-keeping, ensuring that learners are prepared for the demands of a clinical environment. Within the broader Health & Social Care sector, this certificate aligns with the NHS Long Term Plan's focus on expanding the maternity workforce and improving safety and quality of care.
Students will explore topics such as the stages of labour, breastfeeding support, neonatal care, and mental health issues like postnatal depression. The qualification combines theoretical knowledge with practical assessments, including observations and reflective accounts, making it ideal for those already working in healthcare or seeking a career change. Upon completion, learners can progress to roles such as maternity support worker, healthcare assistant in maternity units, or further study towards midwifery degrees.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Antenatal care: routine checks, screening tests, and health promotion to monitor maternal and fetal wellbeing throughout pregnancy.
- →Stages of labour: first stage (cervical dilation), second stage (delivery of baby), and third stage (delivery of placenta), including signs of complications.
- →Postnatal care: physical recovery, breastfeeding support, and recognition of postnatal mental health conditions such as depression and psychosis.
- →Safeguarding: identifying and reporting signs of domestic abuse, child protection concerns, and vulnerable adults in maternity settings.
- →Infection control: standard precautions, hand hygiene, and management of infections like Group B Streptococcus and sepsis.
Learning Objectives
What you need to know and understand
- 1. Know how to deliver community based solutions to support women, families and babies 2. Understand how to manage a caseload3. Know how to develop a wellbeing plan with individuals or families 4. Be able to perform the clinicial responsibilities of a maternity support worker (MSW)5. Be able to develop positive relationships with families, parents and carers
Assessment Criteria
Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio
- Award credit for demonstrating the ability to assess a family's needs and co-produce a SMART wellbeing plan that incorporates health promotion, social support, and clinical indicators.
- Credit evidence showing effective caseload management, including prioritisation of visits, time management, accurate documentation, and inter-agency referrals where appropriate.
- Assessors must observe the delivery of safe clinical tasks (e.g., blood pressure monitoring, newborn weight checks) with correct technique, infection control, and informed consent.
- Credit should be given for recorded interactions that display active listening, empathy, and culturally sensitive communication to build trust with families, parents, and carers.
- Look for evidence of applying community-based solutions, such as signposting to local services, facilitating peer support groups, or adapting care plans to home environments.
Assessment Guidance
Guidance for achieving higher grades
- 💡When preparing assessments, familiarise yourself with the Open Awards marking criteria for each learning outcome; evidence must clearly link theory to practice.
- 💡In reflective accounts or professional discussions, use the STAR format (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure examples of caseload management and relationship building.
- 💡For observed clinical tasks, rehearse the correct sequence and ensure you verbalise each step, including checks for consent, dignity, and safety.
- 💡Demonstrate your understanding of community working by referencing real local services and explaining how you have used them to support a family, as this shows proactive application.
- 💡Use real-life examples from your placement or case studies to illustrate your understanding of maternity care pathways. Examiners value practical application of theory.
- 💡Memorise the key physiological changes in pregnancy (e.g., increased blood volume, cardiac output) and link them to common complications like anaemia or pre-eclampsia.
- 💡When answering questions on safeguarding, always refer to current legislation (e.g., Children Act 2004, Mental Capacity Act 2005) and local policies. Show you know how to escalate concerns.
Common Mistakes
Common errors to avoid in your coursework
- Failing to differentiate between the MSW role and that of a midwife, leading to tasks being performed outside the scope of practice.
- Creating wellbeing plans that are generic rather than personalised, missing specific goals, family input, or measurable outcomes.
- Poor caseload management resulting in missed visits, incomplete records, or neglecting to escalate safeguarding concerns in a timely manner.
- Overlooking the importance of non-clinical support, such as emotional reassurance and practical parenting advice, focusing solely on clinical tasks.
- Assuming consent without explicitly seeking it, particularly when performing intimate or invasive procedures.
- Misconception: Maternity support workers can perform the same clinical tasks as midwives. Correction: MSWs work under the supervision of midwives and are not qualified to conduct examinations, prescribe medication, or make clinical decisions independently.
- Misconception: Breastfeeding is instinctive and requires no support. Correction: Many mothers face challenges such as latch issues or low milk supply; MSWs are trained to provide evidence-based breastfeeding support and refer to specialists when needed.
- Misconception: Postnatal depression only occurs immediately after birth. Correction: It can develop anytime within the first year postpartum, and MSWs must be vigilant for symptoms throughout the postnatal period.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Pass / Merit / Distinction Evidence Checklist
How your portfolio evidence is graded for OPEN AWARDS Delivering Care and Support for Women Babies and Families
Every vocational unit is marked against named criteria rather than an exam percentage. Your tutor's brief lists the exact codes for this unit — here is what each band is asking you to do.
Demonstrate baseline knowledge, accurate terminology, and core practical application.
Provide detailed analysis, structured explanations, and clear workplace reasoning.
Deliver thorough evaluation, original problem solving, and fully justified recommendations.
Before You Start
Prior knowledge that will help with this topic
- •Level 2 qualification in Health & Social Care or equivalent (e.g., GCSEs in English and Maths at grade 4/C or above).
- •Basic understanding of human anatomy and physiology, particularly the reproductive system.
- •Work experience or voluntary placement in a healthcare setting (desirable but not essential).
Coursework AI Review
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Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
- 1. Know how to deliver community based solutions to support women, families and babies 2. Understand how to manage a caseload3. Know how to develop a wellbeing plan with individuals or families 4. Be able to perform the clinicial responsibilities of a maternity support worker (MSW)5. Be able to develop positive relationships with families, parents and carers
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