Job summary
- Main area
- Nursing and Midwifery
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 30 hours per week
- Job ref
- 203-FH1040
- Employer
- South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Warwick Hospital
- Town
- Warwick
- Salary
- £37,338 - £44,962 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 13/05/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Infant Feeding Practitioner
Band 6
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.
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.
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 have recently completed the construction of a multi-storey car park at our Warwick Hospital site which has allowed us to reduce waiting times for car parking passes.
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).
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 6 Midwife to join our friendly and innovative Infant Feeding team. We are looking for an experienced, passionate and enthusiastic individual to assist with the maintenance of the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) Stage 3 Accreditation, thereby ensuring the infant feeding services within the SWFT are of the highest standard possible. The post holder will work closely with the Infant Feeding Co-ordinator, midwifery and neonatal teams as well as external agencies.
The role of the Infant Feeding Midwife is multifaceted. It involves providing expert clinical infant feeding support to women and babies who experience challenges in their feeding journey within the Maternity Unit, the Children’s Ward and the Community and triaging referrals to the specialist Feeding and Tongue Tie Clinics.
In addition the role involves supporting the Infant Feeding Co-ordinator in the delivery of multidisciplinary teaching and audit of Infant Feeding services in order to maintain the UNICEF BFI Stage 3 accreditation.
SWFT run a very successful Tongue Tie Service by referral, triaged by the Infant Feeding Team. It would therefore be desirable, but not essential, for any candidate to have a current, appropriate Tongue Tie Qualification
Main duties of the job
The Infant Feeding Midwife will promote the uptake and duration of breastfeeding in accordance with Unicef Baby Friendly (BFI) Initiative Standards by ensuring the multidisciplinary team is appropriately educated and mothers/parents are well informed and have access to skilled feeding support whenever they need it.
The role involves working autonomously to maintain the Standards of the Unicef Baby Friendly Stage 3 Accreditation which were achieved in early 2025 . You will work alongside the Infant Feeding Coordinator to develop a strategy to ensure the BFI standards are sustainable into the future and then to apply for the Unicef BFI Gold Award . The post holder will have in depth knowledge and understanding of the Unicef Baby Friendly Standards for Maternity Services and the Audit process.
You will be an experienced, competent practitioner who will take responsibility for ensuring the multi-professional team provide high quality evidenced based infant feeding support to pregnant women/individuals, mothers/parents and their babies. The post holder will provide visible support to staff and parents in the clinical areas to ensure the successful initiation and continuation of relationship building and breastfeeding.
Under the direction of the Infant Feeding Co-ordinator the post holder will run a regular clinic to assess, plan and implement specialist interventions for families experiencing urgent, complex or challenging infant feeding issues.
Working for our organisation
Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further. In addition our staff survey results have placed us 4th in the country for recommended place to work.
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 county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity.
Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are ‘Trusted to provide safe, inclusive, 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.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Key Result Areas:
CLINICAL RESPONSBILITIES
To:
Monitor and maintain standards of care in accordance with the Trusts policies, Guidelines, Protocols and Professional Regulations
Actively participate in the promotion of breastfeeding and increasing the initiation and maintenance of breast feeding
Provide infant feeding support in line with the BFI Standards and SWFT Infant Feeding Policy
Obtain skills and knowledge to advise and support midwives, neonatal nurses , nursery nurses, clinical support workers and volunteers with infant feeding in line with the BFI Standards
Ensure a high level of clinical visibility in the clinical areas, working alongside staff and supporting women
Ensure all Maternity staff are competent in supporting mothers/parents with positioning and attachment of the baby at the breast and assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of infant feeding
Have the skill to recognise feeding complications and deal with clinical problems in a safe and appropriate manner including making appropriate feeding plans
Provide support to women with complex feeding difficulties in a clinic setting (following appropriate training)
Liaise with and advise members of the multidisciplinary team on the individual needs of mothers in relation to infant feeding and ensure that each mother has access to appropriate services
Make direct referrals to the Infant Feeding Coordinator, consultant obstetrician, paediatrician, clinical psychology department as determined by the health needs of the mother and baby
Give information on accessing breastfeeding supporters/support groups when appropriate
Maintain accurate and contemporaneous clinical records using computer based clinical information system when appropriate
Identify and report any risk management issues, in accordance with trust procedures
Ensure timely referral of babies to the Tongue Tie clinic where tongue immobility is suspected to be contributing to feeding problems
Support the Tongue Tie Practitioners with the provision of the Frenulotomy service
MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Infant Feeding practitioner will:
Ensure that consistent care is provided throughout the maternity service in line with the BFI standards
Contribute to the creating and updating of evidenced based guidelines to support clinical practice and the BFI Standards
Manage the BFI Audit programme, collate the information obtained and submit it to Unicef
conduct Unicef BFI Audits of staff, mothers/parents, supplementation rates and the environment in all areas of the Maternity Service and ensure findings are discussed with the Infant Feeding Coordinator
Assist the Infant Feeding Co-ordinator in making Action Plans to achieve any BFI Standards which Audits indicate aren’t being met
Take responsibility for ensuring effective communication about relationship building and infant feeding with pregnant women/individuals and parents through approved social media platforms, including live video sessions, the Maternity Electronic Healthcare Record and visual displays in the Maternity Unit
Assist the Infant Feeding Co-ordinator with ordering, distributing and monitoring equipment and resources for infant feeding purposes
Ensure the safe working order of infant feeding equipment and teach and advise staff and families how to use equipment safely and appropriately following local guidelines and infection control policies
Arrange the recruitment and training for the Volunteer Infant Feeding Supporter programme
Liaise with Maternity staff to advise on changes to care plans
Provide regular feedback to staff on an individual basis with regards to compliance with BFI Standards through Practical Skills Reviews
Manage complaints sensitively and in accordance with Trust policy, referring to the Infant Feeding Coordinator and Maternity Service managers when appropriate.
Attend and contribute to BFI project meetings
Establish good communication/working relationships with multi-disciplinary agencies both internal and external to the department with the aim of providing a seamless service for women and their families
EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Infant Feeding practitioner will:
Participate in regular reviews of antenatal classes, ensuring they meet the needs of the women, partners and families attending and are consistent with the Baby Friendly Initiative Standards
Assist the Infant Feeding Co-ordinator with the review of infant feeding information available for staff and parents, ensuring all literature is based on the BFI standards and is available in languages appropriate to the local population
Take responsibility for maintaining and developing clinical skills and practices which enhance the role of the midwife and improve the care to the mother
Develop, deliver and monitor mandatory training programs for all staff involved with infant feeding
Fulfil the role of mentor to colleagues and student midwives by teaching, assessing and evaluating their skills and knowledge in relation to infant feeding
Advise and support clinical support workers in assisting mothers/individuals with their chosen method of feeding their babies, in accordance with the BFI standards
Advise and support the clinical support workers to demonstrate the principles of sterilisation, expressing breastmilk and safe preparation of formula milk
Apply evidence -based knowledge to practice
Update their own knowledge by continuing education and through personal and professional development
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Registered Midwife
- UNICEF BFI Breastfeeding and Relationship Building Course
- UNICEF BFI Train the Trainer Course/Recognised Teaching Qualification
Desirable criteria
- Advanced Clinical Skills in Tongue Tie (Ankyloglossia) Management
- Solihull Approach training
- Counselling certificate/diploma
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant experience of working with parents and babies with feeding difficulties
- Training and presenting with groups and individuals
Desirable criteria
- Audit Experience
Skills
Essential criteria
- Detailed knowledge of the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Standards
- Effective communication skills
- Ability to assess maternal and neonatal wellbeing and infant feeding and implement appropriate feeding management plans
- Teaching/presentation skills
- Leadership and motivation skills
- Computer literacy
- Ability to motivate self and others
- Change management skills
Personal
Essential criteria
- Committed to positively promoting the health and wellbeing of parents and babies
- Positive, professional role model
- Self -motivated and an ability to motivate others.
- Self -awareness and ability to reflect and constructively challenge both own and others’ practices and behaviours
- Assertive and confident
Other
Essential criteria
- Ability to work both on own initiative and within a team
- Flexibility to work days, nights, weekends and bank holidays
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
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
- Julia White
- Job title
- Infant Feeding Coordinator
- Email address
- [email protected]
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