Are you looking to work in an award winning, well-supported, friendly, dynamic, culturally astute and inclusive environment that puts women / birthing people at the centre of a high standard of care? If so, come and join us.

Our latest CQC report that has just been published rates us again as good, maintaining our good rating since 2017 and has now awarded us outstanding for leadership.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced, driven midwife interested in infant feeding to manage and lead our Infant Feeding Team based at University Hospital Lewisham, covering Lewisham borough, the hospital boasts an above 80% breastfeeding initiation rate, and caters for a birth rate of 3,000 - 3,500 births per year.

Through regular auditing of the service, you will ensure that all mothers/birthing people and babies receive the best, evidence-based information about feeding, and building relationships with their babies. You will address areas that fall below the expected standard, and work with colleagues across the service to improve care.

You will be focussed, organised, flexible, dedicated and able to work to targets and problem shoot, making decisions on your own initiative, while at the same time working as part of the wider multi-disciplinary team, leading your colleagues through changes in practice and improvements in care. You will be passionate in supporting clients to successfully help all women/birthing people and their babies however they choose to feed

Main duties of the job

You will lead on the strategic planning, implementation and achievement of UNICEF BFI standards across the maternity services at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.

You will be responsible for delivering infant feeding training to staff on a regular basis. The writing and implementation of policies and guidelines around infant feeding, the day to day running of the infant feeding support service based on the postnatal ward, and the specialist infant feeding service including the tongue tie service will all be part of your responsibilities.

You will be involved in audit and data collection to roll out best practice standards across the maternity unit.

You will be the designated lead for the development of guidelines and policy on infant feeding and will be able to provide expert knowledge and advice whilst being a role model in ensuring that women/birthing people are fully supported in their feeding method choices.

You may be asked to be clinical if service needs require it.

You will be accountable to the Head of Midwifery.

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

The post holder will lead on the strategic planning, implementation and maintenance of UNICEF BFI standards across the maternity services at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. The post holder will be responsible for staff training and clinical practice, audit and data collection and roll out best practice standards across the maternity unit.

The post holder will be the designated lead for the development of guidelines and policy on infant feeding, will be able to provide expert knowledge and advice and be a role model in ensuring that women/birthing people are fully supported in their feeding method choices.

The post holder may be required to work clinically to cover the service needs.

The post holder is accountable to the Head of Midwifery.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Registered Midwife
• BSc or willing to undertake degree level studies
• Practice assessor

Desirable

• Infant feeding Qualification

Experience

Essential

• Experience & Knowledge
• Good working knowledge of midwifery practice and skills
• Excellent knowledge of breastfeeding anatomy and physiology
• Experience of delivering staff training
• Excellent knowledge of cultural, social and epidemiological issues relating to infant feeding

Desirable

• Previous experience of working within an infant feeding role
• Leadership or change management experience

Employer details

Employer name

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust

Address

University Lewisham Hospital

London

SE13 6LH

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

197-RF4998