Service Support for the Maternal Mental Health Service

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the new Maternal Mental Health Service (MMHS) at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. The Maternal Mental Health Service is an NHS England-commissioned service supporting women and birthing people experiencing mental health difficulties related to the maternity experience, including birth trauma, perinatal loss and fear of childbirth.

As a Maternal Mental Health Service Support, you will play a key role in supporting the day-to-day operation of the service, providing administrative, coordination and patient support to a multidisciplinary team. You will help coordinate appointments, referrals, meetings and service pathways, act as a first point of contact for service users, and support data collection and reporting requirements. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the development of a new service and help improve the experience and care of women and families across County Durham and Darlington

To work Cross Site within the Antenatal Clinic departments - Base to be confirmed at interview.

Main duties of the job

The Maternal Mental Health Service Support will provide administrative and coordination support to the Maternal Mental Health Service, helping to ensure women and families receive timely, well-organised care. The post holder will coordinate appointments, clinics and multidisciplinary meetings, manage referrals, maintain accurate records and databases, monitor service activity, and support data collection and reporting. They will act as a first point of contact for service users, providing compassionate telephone and email support, arranging appointments, managing enquiries and signposting to appropriate services. The role will work closely with maternity, mental health and partner organisations to support effective communication, pathway coordination and service delivery, contributing to a positive patient experience and the successful implementation of this new NHS England-funded service

About us

If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager.

You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks.

We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented.

Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents.

Over reliance on AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of success.

For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.

Job responsibilities

As a Maternal Mental Health Service Support , you will play a vital role in supporting the day-to-day operation of a new NHS England-funded Maternal Mental Health Service. You will work alongside specialist midwives, psychologists, therapists and other healthcare professionals to help ensure women and families receive timely, coordinated and compassionate care.

Key responsibilities include:

Coordinating appointments, clinics, multidisciplinary team meetings and service reviews.

Managing referrals, waiting lists and patient pathways to support timely access to care.

Acting as a first point of contact for service users via telephone and email, responding to enquiries and arranging appointments.

Maintaining accurate electronic records, databases and documentation in line with Trust policies.

Supporting communication between maternity services, mental health teams, primary care and partner organisations.

Managing shared inboxes, including the Birth Reflections Service inbox.

Assisting with data collection, audits, performance monitoring and reporting requirements.

Preparing reports, agendas and meeting minutes, and tracking actions arising from meetings.

Supporting service improvement, quality assurance and the implementation of the Maternal Mental Health Service.

Providing a professional, compassionate and sensitive response when communicating with women and families who may be experiencing distress relating to birth trauma, pregnancy loss or other maternity-related mental health difficulties.

This is a varied and rewarding role that combines administration, service coordination and patient support, helping to ensure the smooth running of a specialist service designed to improve outcomes and experiences for women, babies and families across County Durham and Darlington. The role does not provide clinical advice or treatment but is essential to the safe, effective and efficient delivery of the service.

Person specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience in an administrative or coordination role.
• Experience working in a busy office or service environment.
• Experience managing diaries, meetings or appointments.
• Experience using electronic systems and databases.
• Experience communicating professionally via telephone and email.
• Experience working with confidential information.
• Experience working as part of a team.

Desirable

• Experience in NHS, maternity or mental health services.
• Experience supporting a clinical team.
• Experience coordinating clinics or MDT meetings.
• Experience data collection or reporting.
• Experience communicating with vulnerable service users.

Special Skills & Knowledge

Essential

• Excellent organisational skills.
• Good communication and telephone skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities.
• Ability to maintain accurate records.
• Ability to use Microsoft Office and electronic systems.
• Ability to work independently within defined procedures.
• Ability to escalate concerns appropriately.
• Ability to work sensitively with confidential information.
• Good time management skills.
• Ability to support meeting coordination and minute taking.
• Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to work within role boundaries.
• Ability to communicate with distressed individuals by phone in a calm manner.
• Ability to follow procedures and seek guidance.
• Ability to prioritise workload.
• Ability to maintain professionalism and confidentiality.
• Ability to adapt to service needs.
• Ability to contribute to a positive team environment.

Desirable

• Experience using NHS clinical systems (e.g. RiO, SystmOne).
• Data entry and reporting skills.
• Experience supporting audits or data returns.
• Customer service skills.
• Ability to support service improvement tasks.
• Ability to support service development tasks.
• Ability to support engagement with diverse communities.
• Ability to identify improvements in administrative processes.

Special Requirements

Essential

• Commitment to compassionate and inclusive service delivery.
• Willingness to undertake training.
• Commitment to equality and diversity.
• Willingness to travel across sites if required.
• Flexible approach to working.

Qualifications

Essential

• Good general education including GCSE English and Maths (or equivalent).
• NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration, Health & Social Care or equivalent experience OR willingness to work toward.
• Care Certificate or willingness to complete if required.
• Basic IT qualification or demonstrable experience.

Desirable

• Qualification in administration, customer service or healthcare support.
• Training in mental health awareness or safeguarding.