Infant Feeding Advisor

Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust; Northampton; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare institution in Northamptonshire is seeking a skilled Infant Feeding Advisor to join their maternity team. The role involves supporting new mothers, conducting training sessions for staff, and managing clinical practices related to infant feeding. Candidates should be registered midwives with expertise in infant feeding and excellent communication skills. This is an opportunity to work in a collaborative environment focused on delivering excellent maternity care.

Qualifications

• Registered midwife with extensive knowledge in infant feeding.
• Experience in clinical audits and training sessions delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to support and develop staff.

Responsibilities

• Manage clinical practices related to infant feeding.
• Support midwives and staff in clinical areas.
• Conduct training sessions for maternity staff on infant feeding essentials.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Clinical audit experience

Infant feeding expertise

Education

Midwifery qualification

Job description

Overview

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.

Our Maternity services include a modern 3 bed Birth Centre with birthing pools, assessment room and 8 postnatal beds; a 6 bedded Transitional Care Ward to minimise separation of mothers and babies; a 17 bedded ward for inpatient antenatal and postnatal mothers and babies; a 9 bed consultant-led Labour Ward with a birthing pool; 2 dedicated Obstetric theatres with recovery; 13 bed Maternity Higher Observation Ward; a dedicated triage based on labour ward; a Bereavement Suite with garden; a Maternity Day Unit, an Outpatient Clinic and Midwifery-led Sonography services. Projects include wellbeing initiatives for staff and recognising colleagues through the Maternity Stars, Rose award and Daisy award schemes. With a current delivery rate of 4,300 births and ambitious plans across the Local Maternity System for transforming maternity services to be aligned with the Better Births recommendations, this is an exciting time to join the team and contribute to its ongoing transformation.

Organisational and Management Responsibilities

• Effectively manage own time to ensure a balance between audit, clinical and administrative duties
• Promote and maintain a departmental culture which promotes 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 nonverbal communication styles
• Influence and nurture positive attitudes and behaviours within the teams and 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 by supporting midwives, assistant practitioners and maternity support workers in the clinical area
• Provide support and act as a resource to staff who are 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

Infant Feeding Advisor

• 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 to the multi-disciplinary 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 with complex clinical cases
• Carry out regular audits to monitor our compliance with BFI standards of care and report the findings
• Use audit results and current evidence to help 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

Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have 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 to unleash everyone's full potential. The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, and we understand the need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds in an inclusive and collaborative environment. We recognise the contribution of the Armed Forces community and have signed the Armed Forces Covenant with the Silver Award under the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme. We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds to ensure everyone feels supported and belongs while working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.

Apply today and join the largest family in Northamptonshire. A rare and exciting opportunity has arisen for a skilled, self-motivated individual to work as a member of the maternity team as an Infant Feeding Advisor.