Job summary
University Hopsitals Dorset are looking for an Infant Feeding Maternity Support Worker on a 9 month fixed term contract.
You will:
- Understand the barriers to breastfeeding, supporting and empowering women to overcome them.
- Support staff with specialist infant feeding issues, providing up to date evidence-based information beyond their own knowledge and experience.
- Provide a positive role model to colleagues, coaching and teaching staff, women and their families as required.
- Provide specialist breastfeeding support in other clinical areas when required.
- Support and deputise for the Infant Feeding Lead in his/her absence in the running of the Breastfeeding Clinic for complex feeding issues
Base Location: Royal Bournemouth Hospital (Maternity services are moving in April 2025)
Interview Date: TBC
Main duties of the job
- Support the Infant Feeding Lead and wider maternity team in the planning, implementation, evaluation and delivery of the infant feeding agenda in accordance with national and local strategy/guidance and in line with the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) standards.
- Support the planning and conduct BFI patient, staff and documentation audits. In conjunction with the Infant Feeding Midwife, report audit findings to Lead Midwife and make recommendations to meet BFI standards.
- Support the co-ordination and implementation of staff infant feeding training.
About us
Our values define who we are as #TeamUHD. They underpin everything we do now and in the future. They define how we treat our patients, visitors, and each other, our valued teammates and colleagues.
UHD are investing in services across the Trust, with many being transformed and developed following merger and the New Hospital Programme.
This means that some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or long term. Recruiting Managers interviewing for this role will be happy to answer any specific questions that you have about this at interview.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Understand the barriers to breastfeeding, supporting and empowering women to overcome them.
- Support staff with specialist infant feeding issues, providing up to date evidence-based information beyond their own knowledge and experience.
- Provide a positive role model to colleagues, coaching and teaching staff, women and their families as required.
- Provide specialist breastfeeding support in other clinical areas when required.
- Support and deputise for the Infant Feeding Lead in his/her absence in the running of the Breastfeeding Clinic for complex feeding issues
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Understand the barriers to breastfeeding, supporting and empowering women to overcome them.
- Support staff with specialist infant feeding issues, providing up to date evidence-based information beyond their own knowledge and experience.
- Provide a positive role model to colleagues, coaching and teaching staff, women and their families as required.
- Provide specialist breastfeeding support in other clinical areas when required.
- Support and deputise for the Infant Feeding Lead in his/her absence in the running of the Breastfeeding Clinic for complex feeding issues
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Basic Education to GCSE level Maths and English Grade 4-9 or equivalent
- Breastfeeding Qualification: Diploma level (Dip HE Breastfeeding Counselling) or IBCLC
- Completed UNICEF BFI UK Building Relationships Course
- Completed UNICEF BFI UK Audit Tool Training
- Has completed training in observation of maternal vital signs and can complete MEOWS chart and scoring accurately
Experience
Essential
- Experience of implementing and auditing UNICEF BFI standards
- Extensive experience in lactation support and breastfeeding counselling
- Experience facilitating adult learning
- Experience of working in a busy maternity clinical setting
Desirable
- Ability to analyse highly complex problems and to develop practical and workable solutions to address them;
Technical Skills
Essential
- Ability to analyse highly complex problems and to develop practical and workable solutions to address them;
- A commitment to improving patient services through an ability to sustain a clear performance focus on achieving demanding goals;
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including proven listening and communication skills;
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including proven listening and communication skills;
Desirable
- A strong sense of personal and team accountability coupled with a clear understanding of the boundaries around delegated authority, responsibility and accountability;
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Basic Education to GCSE level Maths and English Grade 4-9 or equivalent
- Breastfeeding Qualification: Diploma level (Dip HE Breastfeeding Counselling) or IBCLC
- Completed UNICEF BFI UK Building Relationships Course
- Completed UNICEF BFI UK Audit Tool Training
- Has completed training in observation of maternal vital signs and can complete MEOWS chart and scoring accurately
Experience
Essential
- Experience of implementing and auditing UNICEF BFI standards
- Extensive experience in lactation support and breastfeeding counselling
- Experience facilitating adult learning
- Experience of working in a busy maternity clinical setting
Desirable
- Ability to analyse highly complex problems and to develop practical and workable solutions to address them;
Technical Skills
Essential
- Ability to analyse highly complex problems and to develop practical and workable solutions to address them;
- A commitment to improving patient services through an ability to sustain a clear performance focus on achieving demanding goals;
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including proven listening and communication skills;
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including proven listening and communication skills;
Desirable
- A strong sense of personal and team accountability coupled with a clear understanding of the boundaries around delegated authority, responsibility and accountability;
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
