Infant Feeding Specialist Health Visitor

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 53,000; Part time

Job summary

The NHS is seeking an experienced Health Visiting band 7 Infant Feeding Specialist to support infant feeding in the Lewisham Health Visiting service. This role involves working with families, training staff, and ensuring high standards of care, accredited by UNICEF. The position is part-time for 18 months, covering a senior practitioner role with responsibilities in community health.

Qualifications

• Registered Health Visitor with UNICEF breastfeeding course.
• Evidence of professional development in breastfeeding support.
• Good IT skills including email, Word, and Excel.

Responsibilities

• Support complex infant feeding cases and liaise with healthcare professionals.
• Organize and deliver breastfeeding training and assessments.
• Lead audits to maintain Baby Friendly accreditation.

Skills

Communication

Teamwork

IT Skills

Education

Registered Health Visitor

UNICEF breastfeeding course or equivalent

Job description

Job summary

Health Visiting band 7 Infant Feeding Specialist Health Visitor - this post will consist of supporting Infant feeding in the Lewisham Health Visiting service and holding a caseload as a senior practitioner. This is an 18-month fixed-term secondment cover until end of September 2026.

We are seeking an experienced and innovative Infant Feeding Specialist Health Visitor within the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.

Our last CQC inspection awarded the LGT Children's Community Directorate an "outstanding" rating. The Health Visiting Service is accredited by UNICEF UK as Baby Friendly Level 3. The service has been commended for providing a high standard of care to pregnant women and new mothers.

Other specialist posts in the service include Perinatal and Domestic Violence Specialist Health Visitors. As the infant feeding specialist, you will promote effective working relationships by liaising with colleagues, GPs, other professionals, and agencies, as well as organizing and delivering training to staff.

A clean driving license, access to a car or alternative transport such as a bicycle, is an essential requirement for this role.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will support practitioners working with complex infant feeding cases and promote effective relationships with all health care professionals and agencies.

You will organize and deliver UNICEF Baby Friendly training and assess staff breastfeeding skills in conjunction with management and clinical educators.

You will lead the audit program to ensure continued Baby Friendly Level 3 accreditation and support the development of robust practices aligned with strategic outcomes.

You will support Children's Centre and Family Hub colleagues in working with women and families on feeding choices, planning and organizing your workload around the infant feeding strategy for Lewisham and Greenwich.

As a role model, you will support colleagues, team managers, and lead clinical delivery, implementing new initiatives and motivating teams across Lewisham.

About us

Our staff are our greatest asset. We foster a culture of engagement through Equality, Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, staff networks, and programs aimed at enhancing representation, widening access, and increasing EDI literacy among staff.

Details

• Posted date: 19 May 2025
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 7
• Salary: £46,148 to £52,809 per year pro rata plus HCAS
• Contract: Fixed term
• Duration: 18 months
• Working pattern: Part-time
• Reference number: 197-RF6819
• Location: Community, London, BR1 5EP

Job responsibilities

• Liaising with colleagues, GPs, and agencies to promote effective relationships
• Communicating complex information sensitively within teams
• Supporting child and family health assessments and developing health plans using the Common Assessment Framework
• Training staff in Baby Friendly breastfeeding assessment tools
• Organizing and delivering breastfeeding training and assessments
• Supporting practitioners working with women and families on feeding choices
• Interpreting and implementing effective practices aligned with strategic KPIs
• Leading infant feeding audits and maintaining Baby Friendly accreditation
• Planning workload around the infant feeding strategy
• Leading breastfeeding hubs across the borough
• Contributing to health inequalities agendas through multi-agency collaboration

Person Specification

Qualifications & training (Essential)

• Registered Health Visitor
• UNICEF breastfeeding course or equivalent
• Evidence of professional development and supporting mothers to breastfeed

Qualifications & training (Desirable)

• 997/998 or equivalent
• Certified Lactation Consultant

Knowledge (Essential)

• Understanding of breastfeeding strategies and public health issues
• Good IT skills (email, Word, Excel)

Knowledge (Desirable)

• Knowledge of audit, research, and RIO

Experience (Essential)

• Post-qualification NHS community experience
• Experience of multidisciplinary and multicultural working

Experience (Desirable)

• Community development, project management, training, and supervision experience

Additional requirements

This role is subject to a DBS check and current UK professional registration. Further details are available on the NHS Careers website.