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How to become a maternity care assistant
To become a maternity care assistant in NHSScotland, you’ll need experience as a maternity support worker. You must complete a Certificate of Higher Education Maternity Care Assistant qualification at SCQF level 7. You’ll also work towards a related healthcare qualification at SCQF level 8.
What is a maternity care assistant?
Maternity care assistants (MCAs) provide support and evidence-based advice to women or birthing people and their families during the antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal periods of childbirth. They are supervised by registered midwives.
MCAs help to plan, deliver, and evaluate maternity care. They are vital in creating a positive and nurturing environment that helps families thrive.
Starting your career as a maternity care assistant
Maternity care assistants usually begin their careers as support workers in maternity care services. Find out more about the role of a maternity support worker.
Work placements and volunteering
You may find it helpful to get some healthcare experience by doing a work placement or volunteering. You’ll get training, increase your knowledge, and learn new skills. This could help you when applying for a new job with NHSScotland.
Education and training pathway
To become a maternity care assistant in NHSScotland, you must be working as a maternity support worker. You’ll need to complete a certificate of higher education or a personal development award and be supported by your NHS employer.
CertHE Maternity Care Assistant course
The University of the West of Scotland delivers the CertHE Maternity Care Assistant course at SCQF level 7, fully funded by the Scottish Government.
It will help you to:
- develop your professional practice skills
- promote health and wellbeing in all stages of maternity care
- provide infant feeding, postnatal, and early parenthood support
Find out more about the Certificate of Higher Education Maternity Care Assistant course.
PDA Developing Professional Practice in Health and Social Care
The PDA Developing Professional Practice in Health and Social Care at SCQF level 7 is also available to maternity support workers. Find out where you can take this course.
Get to know the role
As a maternity care assistant, you’ll provide clinical support to registered midwives. You’ll take a holistic approach to midwifery care that meets the needs of women, birthing people, babies, and families.
Tasks include:
- provide high-quality maternity care in support of and supervised by a registered midwife
- take physiological measurements of women during pregnancy, including height, weight, body mass index, and blood pressure
- collect biological samples, including venous blood, capillary blood, and urine, and send them to the laboratory for testing
- maintain accurate records and ensure patient confidentiality
- provide support and comfort for babies and parents during paediatric examinations and investigations
- help women and their partners become confident in parenting skills, including breastfeeding, safe sleeping, immunisation, and promoting a healthy lifestyle
- maintain effective communication links with outside agencies and professional groups involved in caring for mothers and babies
- act as a positive role model for others in the midwifery team
- contribute to the design, development, implementation and evaluation of maternity services and quality improvement initiatives
You'll need these skills:
- caring
- communicating
- motivating and encouraging people
- problem-solving
- relationship-building
- collaborating
You could work with:
- midwives
- obstetricians
- anaesthetists
- gynaecologists
- sonographers
- GPs
- health visitors
- neonatal nurses
- social workers
You could work in:
- birth centres
- people’s homes
- midwife-led units
- consultant-led units
- maternity theatres
- GP practices
- health centres
Learning and development
Throughout your career, you must keep your knowledge and skills up to date through reflective practice and continuing professional development (CPD).
You’ll participate in career development planning to develop personally and professionally through training and education. This includes completing mandatory training, such as:
- health and safety
- infection control
- moving and handling
- breastfeeding management
- hearing screening
You must also complete role-specific training, including obstetric emergency and neonatal resuscitation.
Learn more about career development support on Support Worker Central.
Career progression
While working in the NHS, you’ll have access to learning and development opportunities to help you progress in your career. This could mean taking on more responsibilities or moving to an associate practice educator role.
Pre-registration undergraduate midwifery degree programmes
If you’re a maternity care assistant, you could complete an undergraduate degree to become a registered midwife. Your CertHE Maternity Care Assistant qualification is a recognised entry option to pre-registration undergraduate midwifery degree programmes in Scotland.
Search for undergraduate midwifery degree programmes on My World of Work.
Professional bodies
The Royal College of Midwives is a trade union and professional organisation that supports the whole midwifery team.
Explore careers
Discover the skills and qualifications you’ll need for each role and what the work will be like.
Explore careers
Help with recruitment
We'll guide you through the recruitment process, from applying online to interview preparation.
Discover more