Infant Feeding Team Support Worker

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Oxford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS teaching trust in Oxford is seeking an Infant Feeding Support Worker to assist new parents with feeding and collaborate with registered midwives and nurses. The role involves delivering daily information sessions and providing practical support in a clinical environment. Candidates should possess a good command of English and ideally have experience in maternity care. Flexibility is essential as shifts will include evenings and weekends.

Qualifications

• Desirable: experience working in maternity/supporting new parents with feeding.
• Desirable: experience of working in NHS.
• Able to work shift patterns as described.

Responsibilities

• Deliver a daily Early Days Information Session to parents.
• Provide evidence-based infant feeding support.
• Referring complex situations to Infant Feeding midwives.

Skills

Good command of spoken and written English

Excellent communication skills

Ability to cope under pressure

Education

5 GCSEs or equivalent

Job description

Overview

As a member of the Infant Feeding Team within maternity you will support and work closely with registered midwives and nurses to deliver a high standard of care to families in a caring and safe environment. You will work as part of a wider team in developing and maintaining services provided to parents and contribute to the safe, efficient and smooth running of the clinical area. You will maintain the dignity and privacy of all parents and respect their right to confidentiality.

We are looking for a caring, conscientious and motivated person to work as an Infant Feeding Support Worker based in the Women\'s Centre and on occasions in the community. Flexibility with shift patterns is essential as this post includes early and late shifts, weekends and bank holidays. We request that candidates only apply if you can fully commit to the advertised working hours. In-house training will be provided. Successful candidates will be expected to work towards the Care Certificate. Support and study time will be given in order to achieve this.

Responsibilities

• Deliver a daily Early Days Information Session (EDIS) to all women on the postnatal wards in groups and individually where appropriate. The EDIS ensures that parents have the knowledge and skills to be able to feed their babies once home and prevent postnatal readmission. Identify parents that need additional support with feeding when providing the EDIS.
• Provide evidence-based infant feeding support within the scope of your knowledge with regards to: positioning and attachment; hand expressing; using a breast pump when appropriate; safe formula milk preparation; responsive feeding; and putting a feeding plan in place if necessary.
• Refer to the Infant Feeding midwives for more complex situations.
• Work in collaboration with the wider Infant Feeding Team ensuring parents receive appropriate support. Collaborate with ward and community staff (midwives/nurses/maternity support workers) to maintain standards and support parents with feeding up to 6 weeks of age.
• Attend daily safety huddles on the postnatal ward to maintain Infant Feeding presence and provide updated information and advice to staff. Answer telephone calls from staff and parents about feeding issues. Support staff to put appropriate plans in place for managing excessive weight loss/faltering growth with the support of the Infant Feeding Midwives.
• Provide infant feeding support over the phone and via online video conferencing portals. Provide infant feeding support to parents inpatients in the main hospital and to parents whose babies have been admitted to the Children\'s ward.
• Carry out practical skills reviews on staff as part of staff mandatory study days to maintain standards. Support the infant feeding midwives with the annual UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative audit and monthly supplementation audit. Answer buzzers on the postnatal ward to assist ward staff and handle parents\' requests appropriately. Inform ward staff if concerned regarding a parent\'s or baby\'s condition. Seek support from a registered practitioner when indicated.

Qualifications and desirable criteria

• 5 GCSEs or equivalent
• Good command of spoken and written English
• Desirable: experience working in maternity/supporting new parents with feeding; experience of working in NHS; excellent communication skills; able to work shift patterns as described; understanding of role and maternity care - good insight; able to cope under pressure.

About the Trust

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury. Our values define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.