Infant Feeding Support Worker - Neonatal Unit

Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an Infant Feeding Support Worker to assist the infant feeding team in the neonatal unit. You will support mothers with expressing, skin-to-skin care, and family-centred care under the guidance of the infant feeding lead.

You will contribute to maintaining Baby Friendly standards and help achieve full accreditation while adhering to infection control policies and mandatory training requirements.

Qualifications

• Experience of working in a neonatal setting, in a breastfeeding support worker role.
• Excellent and sound knowledge base of infant feeding.
• Knowledge of supporting infant feeding with babies with complex health issues (e.g. prematurity).
• Support in accordance with the BFI neonatal standards.
• Ability to prioritise, plan and deliver care in a timely fashion.
• Able to work in a multi-racial and multi-cultural environment.
• Ability to work under pressure and use own initiative.
• Support mothers on the neonatal unit with expressing and expressing wallets.
• Ensure mothers receive an expressing wallet and are confident with the technique.
• Work with nursing staff to support families per UNICEF Baby Friendly standards.
• Promote skin-to-skin/Kangaroo care and benefits.
• Collaborate with infant feeding lead to audit findings and action plans every 4 months.
• Maintain a safe, clean unit environment per Infection Control and Health & Safety policies.
• Keep up to date with mandatory training.

Responsibilities

• Support the infant feeding lead and team in inpatient areas.
• Assist with clinical supervision and day-to-day support on infant feeding.
• Support Baby Friendly initiatives and accreditation efforts.
• Ensure infection control policies are followed.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Record keeping

Infant feeding knowledge

UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative

Care planning

Working under pressure

Audit and environment checks

Initiative and adaptability

Job description

The post holder will support the unit infant feeding lead and play an integral part in supporting our current team within the inpatient areas. The Infant Feeding Support Worker (IFSW) will be able to demonstrate effective interpersonal skills, robust record keeping and joint planning of care. As part of the infant feeding team, the post holder will be supported to provide clinical supervision by a named, experienced infant feeding lead consisting of day-to-day support for infant feeding. The post-holder will also be expected to support the infant feeding Programme Leads with the implementation of UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative and maintain Baby Friendly Standards at the Homerton Hospital. The post holder will have knowledge of the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative to ensure that the standards are sustained and embedded across Neonatal service. The Infant Feeding Support Worker will assist the Infant Feeding Team to achieve full accreditation of BFI

• Closing date is indicative only and this vacancy may close early without notice when sufficient applications have been received. ***
• Having experience of working in a neonatal setting, in a breastfeeding support worker role.
• To have an excellent and sound knowledge base of infant feeding.
• Has good knowledge around supporting infant feeding with babies who have complex health issues e.g. prematurity.
• To provide this support in accordance with the BFI neonatal standards.
• Ability to priorities, plan and deliver care in a timely fashion.
• Able to work within a multi racial and multi-cultural environment
• Ability to work under pressure
• Adaptable and responsive to changing needs Able to use own initiative.
• Support mothers on the neonatal unit with hand expressing.
• Ensuring all mothers receive an expressing wallet and are comfortable and confident with the technique.
• Work with the nursing staff to support the families on the unit in accordance with the UNICEF baby friendly standards.
• Support staff to ensure families are undertaking skin to skin/ Kangaroo care on a regular basis and to promote the benefits.
• To work with the infant feeding lead to complete parents, staff and environmental audits every 4 months, to evaluate the findings and negotiate action plans if needed.
• Maintain and monitor a safe, clean environment within the unit in accordance with Infection Control policies, Health & Safety and Risk Management policies.
• Always ensure robust infection control in the unit and follow the unit , Trust's policies and guidelines.
• To keep up to date with mandatory training

Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a high performing and flourishing organisation serving the population of Hackney, East London, The City and beyond.

We are extremely proud of the fact that Homerton Hospital has recently attained the highest possible rating of "Outstanding" from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Our integrated Trust provides comprehensive hospital and community health services for its local population and a range of specialist services for a wider group of patients. In addition, the Trust manages services out of St Leonard's Hospital and the Mary Seacole Nursing Home.

Homerton aims to ensure equality and value diversity, and we are committed to inclusion for all of our staff. This is reflected in our policies, procedures and People Plan. All of our staff are expected to embody our Trust values at all times.

We are also committed, through our Fair Recruitment Standards, to ensuring all applicants are treated fairly.

Homerton has a proud tradition of supporting and developing its staff, including its well-regarded and valued nursing community, and all staff are able to take advantage of a great range of benefits.

Homerton is proud to have been included on the HSJ & Nursing Times Best Places to Work list.

For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Rachel Vinu Job Job title: Matron Email address: [e-mail] Telephone number: 0208510731