Lead Midwife for Infant Feeding

Stockport; Hazel Grove; Remote; GBP 45,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Between 27-33 days annual leave

Lease car salary sacrifice

Cycle to work scheme

Salary finance support

Stockport Credit Union

Job summary

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced Midwife to lead the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative accreditation within our maternity services. You will drive breastfeeding initiation and continuation, support frenulotomy reviews, and develop infant feeding policies across the Trust.

The role includes delivering infant feeding training to maternity and neonatal teams and ensuring policy compliance with safeguarding and clinical governance standards.

Qualifications

• Registered Midwife with current UK NMC registration.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development and leadership training.
• Specialist lactation qualification or willingness to undertake.
• Experience or willingness in Frenulotomy/Tongue Tie management.
• IBCLC certification or intent to pursue.

Responsibilities

• Lead UNICEF BFI accreditation within maternity services to raise breastfeeding initiation and continuation rates.
• Review and implement infant feeding policies and train maternity/neonatal staff with the Infant Feeding Co-ordinator.

Skills

Care assessment

Decision making

Interprofessional teamwork

Professional conduct

Teaching skills

Clinical governance

Team development

Education

Registered Midwife (NMC)

Professional development

Leadership training

Lactation qualification/training

Tongue Tie/Frenulotomy skills

Frenulotomy trained

IBCLC

Job description

From the exceptional opportunities we offer, to the remarkable care we provide for our patients, we think there is something special about working here.

There are lots of good reasons to choose to come and work at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust. A dynamic integrated Trust with integrity and vision. Exactly the same qualities you’ll see in yourself. Stockport NHS Foundation Trust aims to be the organisation of choice for patients and an employer of choice for staff. In order to continually improve all aspects of our patient experience, we rely upon having a highly skilled, motivated, diverse, productive and patient focused workforce.

Stockport Foundation Trust is one of four ‘specialist’ hospital sites in Greater Manchester. Being a ‘specialist’ hospital will enhance our general surgery, anaesthetics, critical care and emergency medicine for the benefit of people in Stockport, High Peak, Cheshire and across Greater Manchester.

In your application for this post, please describe how your experience and skills align with 'Our values-based behaviours' ( see additional documentation) and provide examples.

Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

As well as recognising previous NHS service, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust is a member of the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. If you are currently employed by Greater Manchester Local Authority, Combined Authority, GMFRS, TfGM as well as other public service organisations, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust will recognise your previous service for sickness and maternity/paternity/adoption entitlement and also for annual leave purposes (providing there has been no break in service). If you currently work for one of the above organisations and successfully apply for a post with Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, please ensure the Recruitment team are aware so that this service is reflected in your contract of employment.

Job overview

* Job Description and banding subject to Agenda for Change review*

To lead the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) accreditation process within maternity services, increasing breastfeeding initiation and continuation rates across Stockport.
Support with the frenulotomy service (undertaking training as necessary) to be able to review for restricted lingual frenulum in a clinical setting. Perform frenulotomy divisions appropriately and ensure that all documentation is completed in line with Trust Guidelines.
To lead the review, development and implementation of infant feeding policies, ensuring effective communication and compliance across all staff groups
To develop and deliver infant feeding training to all maternity and neonatal staff groups, working closely with the Infant Feeding Co-ordinator.

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and promote safeguarding by implementing the Trust’s policies and procedures, acting promptly on concerns, communicating effectively and sharing information appropriately.

Main duties of the job

• To lead the UNICEF BFI accreditation process within maternity services, increasing breastfeeding initiation and continuation rates across Stepping Hill and Stockport.

• To update infant feeding policy and communicate effectively with all staff groups To develop and deliver infant feeding training to all maternity and neonatal staff groups, workingclosely with Infant Feeding Co-ordinator (Startwell Stockport) and Neonatal infant feeding Links

Working for our organisation

We hold a unique position in the Stockport community as the provider of healthcare and we are one of its largest employers.

We believe that the best organisations are those that reflect the communities they serve. We are therefore seeking to improve the diversity of our workforce to make it truly representative of our local population.

We actively encourage applications irrespective of race, age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage & civil partnership, or pregnancy or maternity. Recognising those communities that are underrepresented within our workforce, we would particularly welcome applications from you.

We recognise that flexible working is important. We take requests for flexible working seriously, consider any request we receive and try to work with you, so we can explore if your request may fit with the needs of the service.

Benefits we offer to you:

• Between 27-33 days of annual leave plus bank holidays
• Salary sacrifice schemes for lease cars, home electronics and more, to make your salary go further
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salary finance – for loans, savings, budget planning and tips on managing debt
• Stockport Credit Union– for local financial advice

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The job description gives an overview of the main tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specifications focuses on the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. These documents are attached on the page and can be downloaded.

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.

Person specification

Education and Qualification

• Registered Midwife on UK NMC register
• Evidence of professional/academic development
• Leadership course evident or working towards
• Specialist lactation qualification/training or willingness to undertake
• Specialist clinical skills in Tongue Tie (Frenulotomy) or willingness to undertake
• Frenulotomy trained
• IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant)

Work related circumstances

• Able to work in clinical environment supporting infant feeding
• Able to cover a 5 day a week service

Experience

• Significant post-registration experience of NHS midwifery
• Evidence of multidisciplinary/multi agency working.
• Experience and competency in all areas of midwifery practice.
• Involvement in midwifery practice in relation to infant feeding.
• Experience of clinical audit
• Involvement in the implementation of service improvements.
• Experience of UNICEF BFI project lead/IFT

skills and abilities

• Demonstrate ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care
• Ability to make calm rational decisions in the face of adversity
• Proven ability to work inter-professionally with all members of the multi-disciplinary team and external agencies.
• Exemplary personal standards of conduct and behaviour
• Evidence of teaching and assessing skills/ability
• Awareness of Clinical Governance process
• Enthusiastic about contributing to developing the team further to improve the service

Applicants are encouraged to read the documents attached to this vacancy before applying, including the job description and person specification and the information for applicants which includes useful information to assist you in completing your application.

Please note that all correspondence will be via your NHS Jobs account. Unfortunately we are not able to acknowledge each application. If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, please consider that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion. Please also note that Stockport NHS Foundation Trust are unable to refund Interview expenses or re-location costs.

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust is committed to promoting and championing a culture of diversity, fairness and equality for all applicants and employees. Applications are welcomed from all backgrounds and we strive to reflect the community we serve in our diverse workforce. Our "two tick" kite mark guarantees a candidate with a disability, who fulfills the essential criteria, an interview at the Trust. We can make reasonable adjustments, and offer support and advice in a variety of ways on request.

At the Trust we always adhere to the UK Visas and Immigration rules pertaining to right to work; candidates who do not hold UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) citizenship are required to obtain a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to be eligible to apply for either a Health and Care visa or Skilled Worker visa which allows them to work in the UK, unless they have eligibility to work in the UK via another route.

To avoid disappointment, candidates wishing to apply for a role at the Trust who do not hold UK or Republic of Ireland citizenship and who would require a CoS from an employer, should carry out a self-assessment process to identify the likelihood of obtaining CoS by visiting Work in the UK.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
If you choose to use AI when writing a job application, it is essential to personalise the content, particularly the supporting statement. AI cannot fully understand the specific context or requirements of a role and may generate inaccurate or misleading information. Over ‑ reliance on AI can reduce an applicant’s chances of success, as it cannot effectively demonstrate how individual knowledge, experience, and skills meet the job criteria. Applicants should ensure their statements reflect a personal voice and avoid a generic or robotic tone.
Please note that we monitor the use of AI in applications. Applicants who use AI are required to declare this as part of the application process.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.