Job summary
We are looking for an enthusiastic health professional with excellent communication skills and the ability to motivate and empower others. You will find this role an exciting opportunity to focus on the promotion, support and maintenance of breastfeeding.
The post holder will combine the education and training of clinical and support staff with expert direct clinical care. They will provide professional leadership and expert knowledge and advice regarding infant feeding. They will have the ability to facilitate learning with multi-disciplinary groups. Audit experience is essential and will be required to monitor and measure implementation of best practice standards for pregnant mothers, breastfeeding women and their infants.
This post takes a lead in practice development in relation to infant feeding at MWL (Whiston Site) and the post holder will have the ability to develop and lead on infant feeding initiatives/guidelines in response to local, regional and national guidance.
The successful candidate will have excellent organisational skills and the ability to work autonomously and as part of the wider multi-disciplinary team are essential.
An Enhanced DBS with barred lists for both Adults & Children is required for the post.
Main duties of the job
- To develop and maintain a framework in which all professionals are using evidence-based practice in respect of infant feeding.
- To provide expert advice and act as a resource for all professionals, parents, and outside agencies in respect of issues relating to all aspects of infant feeding.
- To provide infant feeding training and updating for all grades of staff and to act as a link with relevant outside agencies e.g., UK Baby Friendly, National Childbirth Trust, La Leche League and representatives of suppliers of breast milk substitutes.
- To give complex skilled care to the mother, the baby, and the family, ensuring excellent communication at all times between parents and health professionals, as well as showing empathy and sensitivity, and reassuring parents at upsetting and difficult times.
- To be responsible for his / her own competence by developing a high level of requisite knowledge, skills, and attitude necessary for the role of Infant Feeding Team Co-ordinator, and to maintain the specialist infant feeding qualification and to continue to study in this field
- To act as lead professional within the Trust in respect of maintenance of the Baby Friendly Accreditation, and to work closely with UNICEF and ICB's as part of this process. To develop an action plan with realistic goals and be responsible for training and completing clinical supervision of all staff in MWL who have contact with women and their babies.
About us
The Secretary of State has approved the partnership between St Helens & Knowsley and Southport & Ormskirk Hospitals.
From 1stJuly we have come together as a single organisation under the name Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
The Trust delivers acute hospital care, intermediate care, community, and primary care services to a population of over 600,000 people with a combined workforce of around 9000 dedicated and skilled staff from 17 locations including Whiston, Southport & Formby, St Helens, Ormskirk and Newton hospitals.
The Trust provides regional services for burns, plastic surgery and spinal injuries to more than 4 million people across Mersey and West Lancashire, Cheshire, the Isle of Man and North Wales.
Our Vision is to deliver 5 Star Patient Care:
- CAREthat is evidence based, high quality and compassionate
- SAFETY that is of the highest standards
- COMMUNICATION that is open, inclusive and respectful
- SYSTEMS that are efficient, patient centred and reliable
- PATHWAYS that are best practice and embedded, but also respect the individual needs of patients
Our achievements include:
- Trust rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
- Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
- Awarded National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for our Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
- To develop and maintain a framework in which all professionals are using evidence-based practice in respect of infant feeding.
- To provide expert advice and act as a resource for all professionals, parents, and outside agencies in respect of issues relating to all aspects of infant feeding.
- To provide infant feeding training and updating for all grades of staff and to act as a link with relevant outside agencies e.g., UK Baby Friendly, National Childbirth Trust, La Leche League and representatives of suppliers of breast milk substitutes.
- To give complex skilled care to the mother, the baby, and the family, ensuring excellent communication at all times between parents and health professionals, as well as showing empathy and sensitivity, and reassuring parents at upsetting and difficult times.
- To be responsible for his / her own competence by developing a high level of requisite knowledge, skills, and attitude necessary for the role of Infant Feeding Team Co-ordinator, and to maintain the specialist infant feeding qualification and to continue to study in this field.
- To work in collaboration with local Integrated Care Boards (ICB).
- To act as lead professional within the Trust in respect of maintenance of the Baby Friendly Accreditation, and to work closely with UNICEF and ICBs as part of this process. To develop an action plan with realistic goals and be responsible for training and completing clinical supervision of all staff in MWL who have contact with women and their babies.
- To act as a resource for parents and thereby improve health outcomes by providing advice, counselling, support, and training in respect of infant feeding for babies with additional needs, both acute and chronic.
- To facilitate the Infant Feeding Drop-in Clinic that women can access with infant feeding issues, and to use highly developed specialised hand to eye co-ordination, and skills to observe for tongue ties.
- To support and train Peer Counsellors who can then support breastfeeding women in the hospital and in their local communities.
- To observe changes to data and act appropriately by implementing an action plan.
- To possess analytical and judgmental skills to assess complex feeding problems and refer as appropriate.
- To work autonomously as a lead practitioner in the field of infant feeding.
- To demonstrate the ability to plan and organise own workload to ensure any deadlines are met, and to organise meetings and plan strategies with ICB.
- To establish and maintain effective channels of communication with health care professionals, parents and outside agencies.
- To identify service needs and priorities in relation to infant feeding and contribute to the development and implementation of the directorates objectives / business plans.
- To demonstrate knowledge of risk management issues within the obstetric and paediatric directorates.
- To develop policies / guidelines and to ensure dissemination to appropriate professionals through communication networks.
- To work flexibly to the needs of the role and the service.
- To attend mandatory annual updating and maintain competence in respect of health and safety, fire and resuscitation procedures and infection control etc.
- To participate in undertaking PALS / complaint responses as required.
CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Maintain Professional Registration
- At all times work in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct. Ensure the midwifery care is to the required professional standard.
- Exercise a high degree of personal and professional autonomy and critical judgement.
- To develop and implement an Infant Feeding Strategy / Policies for Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and to improve care by changing feeding practices and ideals.
- Develop and deliver specialised programmes of care including specialist and highly complex advice for babies and mothers in hospital and in the community, and to record personally generated clinical observations.
- To abide by the legal requirements and statutory rules relating to practice, and to be familiar with all NMC publications that may affect his / her role, responsibilities, and accountability.
- To provide highly developed physical and emotional skills to support mothers and babies that are in poor health or experiencing feeding difficulties.
ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
- To be responsible for documentation and record keeping of patients, and to collect and record breastfeeding data and submit this data to the appropriate dashboards and local ICBs
- Ensure that accurate and comprehensive health records are maintained using appropriate documentation, adhering to the NMC Code of Conduct and Trust policy, pertaining to patient confidentiality and data protection.
LEADERSHIP
- To develop and manage the Infant Feeding Team, and key workers in the hospital including community, neonatal, obstetrics and volunteers.
- To demonstrate excellent management / leadership skills to ensure a quality service, as well as professional development of the team, and relevant participation of volunteers.
- To attend midwifery management meetings and other directive meetings as part of the midwifery management team.
- Motivate colleagues and self to deliver high standards of care in line with the unit / ward philosophy and Trust strategic objectives. Advise staff and students on care strategies and provide rationale and teaching of evidence-based care to other team members.
- To participate in the senior midwifery bleep rota, Monday to Friday, between the hours of 0700 hours and 1930 hours (early or late shift, including the occasional weekend or Bank Holiday as required), and to undertake the completion of the relevant bleepholder documentation when doing so.
TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES
- To provide infant feeding training and updating for all grades of staff and to act as a link with relevant outside agencies e.g., UK Baby Friendly, National Childbirth Trust, La Leche League and representatives of suppliers of breast milk substitutes.
- To take the lead in designing and delivering education and training to all professionals and students, thereby enabling evidence-based practice, and improving the quality and consistency of advice given to parents by all health care professionals.
- Participate in appraisals for staff and assist in objective setting. To counsel staff in relation to their personal and professional needs.
- Ensure adherence to mandatory training requirements within department. Promote compliance and manage non-compliance. Develop and implement action plans to address deficits.
RESEARCH & AUDIT
- To possess an in-depth knowledge of research methodology and to lead / participate in research projects relevant to infant nutrition and feeding issues.
- To plan and design appropriate audit tools whereby trends in infant nutrition and feeding can be monitored against both local and national standards.
- To be actively involved in research / clinical audit projects including equipment and resource trials.
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
- To develop and maintain a framework in which all professionals are using evidence-based practice in respect of infant feeding.
- To provide expert advice and act as a resource for all professionals, parents, and outside agencies in respect of issues relating to all aspects of infant feeding.
- To provide infant feeding training and updating for all grades of staff and to act as a link with relevant outside agencies e.g., UK Baby Friendly, National Childbirth Trust, La Leche League and representatives of suppliers of breast milk substitutes.
- To give complex skilled care to the mother, the baby, and the family, ensuring excellent communication at all times between parents and health professionals, as well as showing empathy and sensitivity, and reassuring parents at upsetting and difficult times.
- To be responsible for his / her own competence by developing a high level of requisite knowledge, skills, and attitude necessary for the role of Infant Feeding Team Co-ordinator, and to maintain the specialist infant feeding qualification and to continue to study in this field.
- To work in collaboration with local Integrated Care Boards (ICB).
- To act as lead professional within the Trust in respect of maintenance of the Baby Friendly Accreditation, and to work closely with UNICEF and ICBs as part of this process. To develop an action plan with realistic goals and be responsible for training and completing clinical supervision of all staff in MWL who have contact with women and their babies.
- To act as a resource for parents and thereby improve health outcomes by providing advice, counselling, support, and training in respect of infant feeding for babies with additional needs, both acute and chronic.
- To facilitate the Infant Feeding Drop-in Clinic that women can access with infant feeding issues, and to use highly developed specialised hand to eye co-ordination, and skills to observe for tongue ties.
- To support and train Peer Counsellors who can then support breastfeeding women in the hospital and in their local communities.
- To observe changes to data and act appropriately by implementing an action plan.
- To possess analytical and judgmental skills to assess complex feeding problems and refer as appropriate.
- To work autonomously as a lead practitioner in the field of infant feeding.
- To demonstrate the ability to plan and organise own workload to ensure any deadlines are met, and to organise meetings and plan strategies with ICB.
- To establish and maintain effective channels of communication with health care professionals, parents and outside agencies.
- To identify service needs and priorities in relation to infant feeding and contribute to the development and implementation of the directorates objectives / business plans.
- To demonstrate knowledge of risk management issues within the obstetric and paediatric directorates.
- To develop policies / guidelines and to ensure dissemination to appropriate professionals through communication networks.
- To work flexibly to the needs of the role and the service.
- To attend mandatory annual updating and maintain competence in respect of health and safety, fire and resuscitation procedures and infection control etc.
- To participate in undertaking PALS / complaint responses as required.
CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Maintain Professional Registration
- At all times work in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct. Ensure the midwifery care is to the required professional standard.
- Exercise a high degree of personal and professional autonomy and critical judgement.
- To develop and implement an Infant Feeding Strategy / Policies for Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and to improve care by changing feeding practices and ideals.
- Develop and deliver specialised programmes of care including specialist and highly complex advice for babies and mothers in hospital and in the community, and to record personally generated clinical observations.
- To abide by the legal requirements and statutory rules relating to practice, and to be familiar with all NMC publications that may affect his / her role, responsibilities, and accountability.
- To provide highly developed physical and emotional skills to support mothers and babies that are in poor health or experiencing feeding difficulties.
ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES
- To be responsible for documentation and record keeping of patients, and to collect and record breastfeeding data and submit this data to the appropriate dashboards and local ICBs
- Ensure that accurate and comprehensive health records are maintained using appropriate documentation, adhering to the NMC Code of Conduct and Trust policy, pertaining to patient confidentiality and data protection.
LEADERSHIP
- To develop and manage the Infant Feeding Team, and key workers in the hospital including community, neonatal, obstetrics and volunteers.
- To demonstrate excellent management / leadership skills to ensure a quality service, as well as professional development of the team, and relevant participation of volunteers.
- To attend midwifery management meetings and other directive meetings as part of the midwifery management team.
- Motivate colleagues and self to deliver high standards of care in line with the unit / ward philosophy and Trust strategic objectives. Advise staff and students on care strategies and provide rationale and teaching of evidence-based care to other team members.
- To participate in the senior midwifery bleep rota, Monday to Friday, between the hours of 0700 hours and 1930 hours (early or late shift, including the occasional weekend or Bank Holiday as required), and to undertake the completion of the relevant bleepholder documentation when doing so.
TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES
- To provide infant feeding training and updating for all grades of staff and to act as a link with relevant outside agencies e.g., UK Baby Friendly, National Childbirth Trust, La Leche League and representatives of suppliers of breast milk substitutes.
- To take the lead in designing and delivering education and training to all professionals and students, thereby enabling evidence-based practice, and improving the quality and consistency of advice given to parents by all health care professionals.
- Participate in appraisals for staff and assist in objective setting. To counsel staff in relation to their personal and professional needs.
- Ensure adherence to mandatory training requirements within department. Promote compliance and manage non-compliance. Develop and implement action plans to address deficits.
RESEARCH & AUDIT
- To possess an in-depth knowledge of research methodology and to lead / participate in research projects relevant to infant nutrition and feeding issues.
- To plan and design appropriate audit tools whereby trends in infant nutrition and feeding can be monitored against both local and national standards.
- To be actively involved in research / clinical audit projects including equipment and resource trials.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Midwife currently on the NMC register
- Evidence of Degree level study or willingness to work towards
Desirable
- Evidence of continuous and recent professional development.
- Leadership Qualification
- Post registration qualification or evidence of further study. i.e. International Board of Lactation Consultant Certified (IBLCC)
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Relevant recent experience encompassing a wide range of midwifery experience.
- Ability to act as a lead resource with expert knowledge of this speciality
- Ability to design and develop support programmes and engagement plans, evaluation and monitoring of plans
- Ability to motivate and lead staff
- Previous experience of innovative practice
- Experience in development and delivery of training programmes
- Experience of the audit process and utilisation of research findings
- Ability to develop, update and evaluate relevant guidelines
- Excellent organisational skills and ability to co-ordinate own workload
- Experience of reviewing clinical incidents and complaints
- Able to demonstrate an understanding of the National vision for Maternity services and the wider health service
- Evidence of excellent report writing skills
- Evidence of change management
Skills
Essential
- Knowledge of National / International strategies and targets specific to infant feeding / parent education.
- Knowledge of baby friendly initiative
- Ability to act as a lead resource with expert knowledge of this speciality
- Understanding of resource management, health and safety, clinical risk and quality issues
- Able to demonstrate knowledge and experience of multiagency/ multidisciplinary working
- Ability to promote a positive and inclusive culture within teams
- Ability to work well under pressure with experience of meeting deadlines
- Requirement to manage own workload, work flexibly and prioritise
- Work as a team member
- Excellent communication and presentation skills including written, verbal and IT skills.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication and listening skills
Other
Essential
- Ability to travel between sites
- People management skills
- Excellent role model in both clinical and professional capacity
- Ability to lead by example and motivate
- Possess enthusiasm, drive and self-motivation
- Reliable and flexible approach to work
- Commitment to equality and diversity principles and practice
- Commitment to develop and improve services for midwifery care
- Must be able to participate in the bleepholder rota
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Midwife currently on the NMC register
- Evidence of Degree level study or willingness to work towards
Desirable
- Evidence of continuous and recent professional development.
- Leadership Qualification
- Post registration qualification or evidence of further study. i.e. International Board of Lactation Consultant Certified (IBLCC)
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Relevant recent experience encompassing a wide range of midwifery experience.
- Ability to act as a lead resource with expert knowledge of this speciality
- Ability to design and develop support programmes and engagement plans, evaluation and monitoring of plans
- Ability to motivate and lead staff
- Previous experience of innovative practice
- Experience in development and delivery of training programmes
- Experience of the audit process and utilisation of research findings
- Ability to develop, update and evaluate relevant guidelines
- Excellent organisational skills and ability to co-ordinate own workload
- Experience of reviewing clinical incidents and complaints
- Able to demonstrate an understanding of the National vision for Maternity services and the wider health service
- Evidence of excellent report writing skills
- Evidence of change management
Skills
Essential
- Knowledge of National / International strategies and targets specific to infant feeding / parent education.
- Knowledge of baby friendly initiative
- Ability to act as a lead resource with expert knowledge of this speciality
- Understanding of resource management, health and safety, clinical risk and quality issues
- Able to demonstrate knowledge and experience of multiagency/ multidisciplinary working
- Ability to promote a positive and inclusive culture within teams
- Ability to work well under pressure with experience of meeting deadlines
- Requirement to manage own workload, work flexibly and prioritise
- Work as a team member
- Excellent communication and presentation skills including written, verbal and IT skills.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication and listening skills
Other
Essential
- Ability to travel between sites
- People management skills
- Excellent role model in both clinical and professional capacity
- Ability to lead by example and motivate
- Possess enthusiasm, drive and self-motivation
- Reliable and flexible approach to work
- Commitment to equality and diversity principles and practice
- Commitment to develop and improve services for midwifery care
- Must be able to participate in the bleepholder rota
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
