Job summary
- Main area
- Health Visiting
- Grade
- Band 3
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 29.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 203-FH1145
- Employer
- South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Cranmore Park
- Town
- Shirley
- Salary
- £24,937 - £26,598 pa pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 16/03/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 26/03/2026
Employer heading
Infant Feeding Support Worker
Band 3
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is one of the top performing organisations within the NHS. Our staff think this is a great place to work and we hope you will agree. We have recently been rated as 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following our most recent inspection.
We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the whole county. This includes our Community Teams in North Warwickshire.
We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity. Over 6000 people work for the Trust and many of them have been here a long time. People find they don’t need to go elsewhere to find a fulfilling career in healthcare.
The first thing you will notice about us is how we take our values seriously. We believe that our values underpin everything we do. If you are interested in a role with us you need to make sure our values match your own.
Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are ‘Trusted to provide inclusive, safe, effective and compassionate care’. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn’t matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks
Many of the roles we advertise have a requirement for a DBS check to be carried out. If you are successful for a role and it requires a DBS check the Trust will carry out the initial check and subscription to the DBS Update Service, however successful candidates will be expected to cover the associated costs . Details of this will be sent to successful candidates in their offer letter.
Probationary Period
All new staff to the Trust will be subject to a standard 6 month probationary period, the details of which will duly follow in your contract of employment.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is committed to creating and sustaining a positive and inclusive working environment for all our employees. Our aim is to ensure that employees are equally valued and respected and that our organisation is representative of all members of society. We define diversity as valuing everyone as an individual – we value our employees, job applicants, students, patients and visitors as people. This is reflected within our values of being Inclusive, Safe, Effective, Compassionate and Trusted.
As part of our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion we encourage all applicants to complete a short survey. This can be accessed via the link below:
https://forms.office.com/e/ahWY3eAGM2
We appreciate you completing the survey.
Agile and Flexible Working
All our staff will have a work base. However the Trust operates as an Agile Working Team therefore staff may be working from home on a regular basis as required by the service. However, occasionally travel around Warwickshire and into your base will be required so access to your own transport would be helpful.
The Trust also welcome staff to work flexibly and we would welcome the conversation at interview regarding flexible working.
Staff Benefits
The Trust offer a wide range of additional benefits to staff. Anyone who joins us on a substantive basis can assess things such as the Lease Car Scheme, Electronics Scheme, Discounted Leisure and Travel, Cycle to work scheme amongst many others available.
Car Parking
The Trust currently have limited availability of car parking spaces, as such are operating a waiting list for new starters joining the organisation.
To keep up to date on our latest recruitment activity follow us on twitter @swftrecruit or look us up on Facebook (Recruitment - South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust).
Visa Sponsorship
The Trust will only consider sponsoring staff for certain roles, however this will be considered on a case by case basis in line with current legislation. As an employer we are unable to offer sponsorship to all roles in particular we cannot offer sponsorship for roles below Band 5.
Job overview
Band 3 Infant Feeding Support Worker – part time.
The Breastfeeding/SSIP Support Worker will provide breastfeeding support to women and their families during pregnancy and the early postnatal period, offering maximum support within the postnatal period (as per Solihull service specification) when mothers are more likely to cease breastfeeding. They will also provide very brief advice (VBA) on smoking cessation, making every contact count (MECC). Support is offered across Solihull, with a focussed intensive offer to the North of Solihull. The Infant Feeding Support Worker will hold a caseload but also work as part of the team in a collaborative approach. We offer support across a platform of approaches including home visits, support groups, working in the multi-disciplinary team and virtual offer. We work closely with the 0-19 service and form part of the wider multi-disciplinary team.
Are you enthusiastic, passionate, skilled and knowledgeable in infant/breast feeding support? If so, we would like to hear from you. We require someone who has completed the 2 day breastfeeding management training, Peer Support Training Course, or NVQ Level 3 or equivalent experience and who has at least 1 years’ experience supporting breastfeeding parents and their families.
Full driving licence essential.
For further discussion please contact Carla Lovell-Roberts 07919 618818
Main duties of the job
The Breastfeeding/SSIP Support Worker will provide breastfeeding support to women and their families during pregnancy and the early postnatal period, offering maximum support within the postnatal period (as per Solihull service specification) when mothers are more likely to cease breastfeeding. They will also provide very brief advice (VBA) on smoking cessation, making every contact count (MECC) post.
Working for our organisation
South Warwickshire has been rated outstanding by the CQC and holds it trusts objectives and strategy pivotal in service development and is emended in the service delivery to families. Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are ‘Trusted to provide safe, effective and compassionate care’. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn’t matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.
Solihull is a gold accredited service with the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative, which demonstrates embedded standards and holding Infant Feeding at the forefront of the agenda.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Key Result Areas:
The main tasks of the role are to:
Adhere to the South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust Infant Feeding Policy
Provide breastfeeding support to clients on an individual and group basis, giving information, guidance and support, within the home and community whilst also providing very brief advice (VBA) on smoking cessation, in line with Making Every Contact Count (MECC)
Promote, protect and support breastfeeding, considering safe formula feeding practices inline with UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative.
Provide information and support to help families initiate and maintain breastfeeding.
Sign post to other services/organisations locally.
Proactively engage pregnant women to access the SSIP service using the ‘Very Brief Advice’ approach and refer directly
Provide one-to-one or group support to pregnant women, new mothers and their families in community settings or in the home.
Act as a key worker providing breastfeeding support to new mothers allocated to the caseload as per service specification in the antenatal and postnatal period.
Provide ongoing support to help mothers/parents overcome barriers and offer appropriate advice.
Take referrals and manage appropriately, referrals from Health Visitors and other Health Professionals.
Provide support to volunteers as appropriate.
Attend meetings as required.
Ability to work unsupervised and manage own workload feeding back any concerns to the Infant feeding coordinator, Health Visiting Service and SSIP team where appropriate.
Ability to answer queries from mothers/parents, families and staff regarding all aspects of feeding and problem solve accordingly, either on the telephone or in person.
Assist in identifying local needs and areas of priority to be established through utilising various methods including consultation with service users and local community groups.
Provide information and support around feeding to all mothers as required.
Administrative duties as required. This may include daily admin rota tasks and admin project work, such as breast pump loan scheme.
To work in an agile manner where possible, including working from base, home or other sites as felt beneficial to the service and individual, whilst recognising the need for continued team working and communication
Communication Skills and Working Relationships:
Work with existing groups and networks to identify and engage with individuals to support breastfeeding within the community.
Develop links with key health professionals, community workers and volunteers delivering breastfeeding peer support.
Under the supervision of the infant Feeding Lead, provide a link between midwifery, peer support groups, and mainstream health services and other organisations to support good, joint working in order to provide seamless and excellent quality support service.
Analytical and Judgement Skills:
Assist in collecting and recording data on caseload and activities as required and under the supervision of the Infant Feeding Co-ordinator.
Planning and Organisational Skills:
Ensure effective running of feeding groups and provide support as required, utilising promotional materials as necessary.
Reporting regularly to manager on workload planning and feedback, as agreed.
Assist in the development of, and facilitate the delivery of, antenatal education to pregnant mothers/parents and their families to promote the benefits of breastfeeding in group settings or one-to-one in the home.
Freedom to Act:
Ensuring the security and confidentiality of records is in accordance with trust policies and procedures for record keeping and data protection.
Responsibility for Patient Care:
Provide support to peer support groups and breastfeeding promotional activities.
Responsibility for Policy/Service Development:
Suggest ideas on the overall development of the service in conjunction with the Infant Feeding Co-ordinator.
Responsibility for Research and Development:
Participate in appraisal and learning activities and participate in evaluation including UNICEF audits.
Physical Skills/Physical Effort:
To undertake travel between various community/acute settings, meeting with pregnant women, new mothers and their families.
Ability to carry and transport equipment in accordance with SWFT Manual Handling Procedures.
Emotional Effort:
Adhere to the safeguarding policies and protocols ensuring they are implemented and adhered to under the supervision of the Infant Feeding Co-ordinator.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- 2 day breastfeeding management training or Peer Support Training Course
- NVQ Level 3 or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of Microsoft Computer packages inc. Word, Excel
- Have worked with babies, young children and families in the last year
- Previous work, minimum of 1 year offering breastfeeding support to babies, mothers and families.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Completed a 2 day breastfeeding management training course or Peer Support Training Course
- Knowledge and understanding of the importance of UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative standards
- Confident to provide breastfeeding support to mothers and families on an individual and group basis, giving information guidance and support
- Ability to identify and sustain appropriate relationships, partnerships and networks to influence and improve breastfeeding rates, and health outcomes
- Commitment to self-development and willing to share experience with others to influence practice
- Must be willing, to undertake further training as required
- Must be able to demonstrate the importance of maintaining confidentiality of client information.
- Ability to work unsupervised and manage own workload and must feedback any concerns to family midwife/ health visitor
- Good interpersonal skills and be able to communicate effectively, including an excellent telephone manner and message taking skills.
- Ability to answer queries about all aspects of feeding and problem solve accordingly, either on the telephone or in person.
- Experience of partnership working
- Ability to engage with and encourage other professional groups to promote breastfeeding.
- Must be able to demonstrate an understanding of equal opportunities and anti- discriminatory practice in the workplace.
- Must be able to work as a member of a team, supporting other members.
- Must be aware of Child Protection principles
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
- Empathy
- Passion and enthusiasm for supporting mothers, babies and families
Other Job Requirements
Essential criteria
- Must be able to meet the travel requirements of the role.
- Must be willing to work flexibly within working hours of 9am-5pm Monday to Friday including occasional week end working
- Must be willing to undertake agile working
- Must be willing to undertake Criminal records Bureau Disclosure to Enhanced / Standard level
- Must be able to demonstrate an understanding of equal opportunities
- Must be legally entitled to work in this country
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Carla Lovell-Roberts
- Job title
- Infant Feeding Co-ordinator
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07919618818
- Additional information
Please contact Carla Lovell-Roberts for discussion over hours and days worked. 07919618818
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