MIDWIVES will help women at risk of becoming homeless.

This month national guidance from the Royal College of Midwives was launched at a Bolton NHS Foundation Trust site.

Midwives will be trained to spot the signs of homelessness or those at risk and help pregnant women with referrals to housing services.

The guidance is part of an effort to prevent homelessness by offering early support for those at risk, as made law in the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.

Val Clare, Head of Midwifery for Bolton NHS Foundation Trust said: "As midwives we have a unique relationship with the women in our care, and I’m proud to be part of the first professional body in the NHS to put guidance in place as to how we support women when they are at their most vulnerable.”

The guidance was launched at Ingleside Birth & Community Centre, based in Oakwood Park in Swinton. It is run by the Bolton hospital trust and is the only freestanding, midwife-led unit in Greater Manchester. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham attended.