Job summary
Health Visiting band 7 Infant Feeding Specialist Health Visitor - this post will consist of supporting Infant feeding in the Lewisham Health Visiting service and holding a case load as a senior practitioner. This is an 18-month fixed term secondment cover until end of September 2026
We are looking for an experienced and innovative Infant Feeding Specialist Health Visitor within the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.
In our last CQC inspection LGT Children's Community Directorate were awarded an "outstanding" rating. The Health Visiting Service is accredited by UNICEF UK as Baby Friendly Level 3. The service was commended for providing a high standard of care to pregnant women and new mothers.
We have other specialist posts in the service, Perinatal Specialist Health Visitor, and a Domestic Violence Specialist Health Visitor. As the infant feeding specialist, you will be responsible for promoting effective working relationships by liaising with colleagues, GP's, other professionals, and statutory and voluntary agencies, organising, and delivering training to all grades of clinical and non-clinical staff.
A clean driving license, access to a car or alternative transport i.e., bicycle is an essential requirement of this post.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will be a resource for practitioners and support them when they are working with complex Infant Feeding cases. You will be an excellent communicator who can promote effective working relationships with all health care professionals and agencies.
You will organise and deliver UNICEF Baby Friendly training and assessment of Health Visiting staff breastfeeding skill in conjunction with the management team and clinical specialist educator.
You will be responsible for leading the audit programme for the Health Visiting service to ensure Baby Friendly accreditation Level 3 is maintained. You will ensure that the Health Visiting service has in place robust working practices that will deliver on the strategic level outcomes.
You will support Children's centre and family hub colleagues who are working with women and families to support their feeding choices. You will be required to plan and organise your own workload around the infant feeding strategy in Lewisham and Greenwich.
You will be a role model who is supportive to fellow colleagues, team managers, the neighbourhood health visitor Leads and support regular clinical delivery You will be an enthusiastic individual, possessing good organisational and communication skills and have the ability as an infant feeding specialist to implement new initiatives and to motivate members of the health visiting teams across Lewisham.
About us
Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:
- Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
- Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
- Improving the experience of staff with disability
- Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
- Making equalities mainstream
Job description
Job responsibilities
To promote effective working relationships by liaising with colleagues, GPs, other professionals, and statutory and voluntary agencies
To communicate highly sensitive and complex information to appropriate parties by promoting effective working relationships within their integrated teams
To support staff to undertake child and family health assessments in partnership with the family and, where needed, use the Common Assessment Framework to develop specific family health plans to meet long term health and parenting needs
To train staff in the use of Baby Friendly UNICEF/ Trust breastfeeding assessment tool.
To organise and deliver (working closely with public health & Clinical Practice Educator) level 3 breast feeding training and assessment of staff
To act as a resource and support to other practitioners working with women and families to support their feeding choices
To interpret, evaluate and implement the effective working practices that deliver on the outcomes agreed at a strategic level (KPI)
To take the lead in audits relating to infant feeding as required by the trust and as part of the continued BFI assessment
To plan and organise own workload around the infant feeding Lewisham and Greenwich
To lead in the on-going delivery of breast-feeding hubs across the borough
To contribute to the local health inequalities agenda liaising with colleagues and wider multi agency partners
Job description
Job responsibilities
To promote effective working relationships by liaising with colleagues, GPs, other professionals, and statutory and voluntary agencies
To communicate highly sensitive and complex information to appropriate parties by promoting effective working relationships within their integrated teams
To support staff to undertake child and family health assessments in partnership with the family and, where needed, use the Common Assessment Framework to develop specific family health plans to meet long term health and parenting needs
To train staff in the use of Baby Friendly UNICEF/ Trust breastfeeding assessment tool.
To organise and deliver (working closely with public health & Clinical Practice Educator) level 3 breast feeding training and assessment of staff
To act as a resource and support to other practitioners working with women and families to support their feeding choices
To interpret, evaluate and implement the effective working practices that deliver on the outcomes agreed at a strategic level (KPI)
To take the lead in audits relating to infant feeding as required by the trust and as part of the continued BFI assessment
To plan and organise own workload around the infant feeding Lewisham and Greenwich
To lead in the on-going delivery of breast-feeding hubs across the borough
To contribute to the local health inequalities agenda liaising with colleagues and wider multi agency partners
Person Specification
Qualifications & training
Essential
- Registered Health Visitor
- UNICEF breastfeeding course or equivalent
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Evidence of supporting and enabling mothers to breastfeed
- Evidence of specialist skills underpinned by theory
- Experience of breastfeeding promotion
Desirable
- 997/998 or equivalent
- Certified Lactation Consultant
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of local, national, and international strategies relevant to breastfeeding
- Understanding of the health benefits of breastfeeding and the issues of public health and health inequalities associated with breastfeeding
- Good IT skills including email, Word and excel
Desirable
- Knowledge of audit and research
- Knowledge of RIO
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience of post qualification experience of working within the NHS in a community setting
- Experience of multi-disciplinary working and working in a culturally sensitive way within a multicultural setting
Desirable
- Experience of community development and project management
- Experience of delivering training and supervision
Person Specification
Qualifications & training
Essential
- Registered Health Visitor
- UNICEF breastfeeding course or equivalent
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Evidence of supporting and enabling mothers to breastfeed
- Evidence of specialist skills underpinned by theory
- Experience of breastfeeding promotion
Desirable
- 997/998 or equivalent
- Certified Lactation Consultant
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of local, national, and international strategies relevant to breastfeeding
- Understanding of the health benefits of breastfeeding and the issues of public health and health inequalities associated with breastfeeding
- Good IT skills including email, Word and excel
Desirable
- Knowledge of audit and research
- Knowledge of RIO
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience of post qualification experience of working within the NHS in a community setting
- Experience of multi-disciplinary working and working in a culturally sensitive way within a multicultural setting
Desirable
- Experience of community development and project management
- Experience of delivering training and supervision
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
