Infant Feeding Midwife

Do you aspire to deliver the Best Possible Maternity Care every time? That is the approach to Maternity Services at Northampton General Hospital. We have been a fully accredited Baby Friendly Hospital since 2016. Skilled, self‑motivated, experienced band 6 midwife invited to join the maternity team as an Infant Feeding Midwife. We are looking for someone with drive and a passion for infant feeding to work within a small, friendly team. As the Infant Feeding Advisor you will promote Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) care standards by teaching, supporting and mentoring staff to give the best possible care to babies and their parents, and support the work of the Infant Feeding Lead to ensure BFI standards continue to be implemented and to prepare for future accreditation visits and achieving BFI Gold. Main duties of the job Support new staff and midwifery students to develop their clinical skills in infant feeding using an evidence‑based approach in line with BFI care standards Run training sessions for a range of maternity staff and the multidisciplinary team Carry out practical skills reviews in infant feeding Work with staff individually and in groups to build their skills to provide a high level of care in infant feeding Participate in the provision of breastfeeding workshops for expectant parents Support staff to develop care plans for complex clinical cases Carry out regular audits to monitor compliance with BFI standards and report the findings Use audit results and current evidence to shape training for staff and resources for parents Assist in the writing and implementation of guidelines and initiatives relevant to infant feeding Support parents in the infant feeding clinic with more complex situations Deputise in meetings at local and regional level as required About us **Please submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close any adverts before the closing date once we have received sufficient applications** Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust is one of the largest employers in the area. All our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire. Our Excellence Values Compassion Accountability Respect Integrity Courage We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help everyone reach their full potential. The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, is committed to an inclusive environment, and recognises the valuable contribution of the Armed Forces community. We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds, ensuring a sense of belonging within Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals. Job responsibilities Effectively manage own time to ensure a balance between audit, clinical and administrative duties Promote and maintain a departmental culture that supports an open and honest approach to professional decision making and problem solving Promote and maintain organisational and professional standards Actively participate in infant feeding meetings within the maternity services Demonstrate and promote excellent interpersonal skills, written, verbal and non‑verbal communication styles Influence and nurture positive attitudes and behaviours within the team and the wider multidisciplinary team Clinical role Undertake relevant clinical practices in accordance with the Scope of Professional Practice Act as a source of expert clinical and professional advice on infant feeding Undertake clinical audit within area of speciality Work with the Infant Feeding Lead to implement initiatives to improve breastfeeding initiation and maintenance rates, supporting midwives, assistants and maternity support workers Provide support and act as a resource to staff assisting new mothers on the postnatal wards with infant feeding, ensuring compliance with the DoH and Baby Friendly Initiative Participate in the development of relevant care pathways and guidelines within the maternity service Take all possible action to minimise clinical risk to women and their babies, utilising all available resources Educations, Training and Qualifications Registered Midwife Evidence of continuing professional development Teaching and/or assessing in clinical practice Infant feeding qualification or equivalent experience Baby Friendly Initiative training Certified Lactation Consultant at postgraduate level (IBCLC registered) Knowledge and Experience Range of midwifery experience or equivalent if IBCLC registered Experience of participation in audit activities Knowledge of Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) accreditation process Working towards BFI accreditation Undertaking audit interviews Teaching groups within clinical areas Skills IT skills – Microsoft Word and Excel Effective interpersonal skills – able to support colleagues and challenge appropriately Planning and organisational skills Able to support women with infant feeding problems Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a submission to the Disclosure and Barring Service will be required to check for any previous convictions. £38,682 to £46,580 a year (pro rata) #J-18808-Ljbffr