Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, dedicated and driven Band 6 Midwife to join the Baby Friendly Team as the Baby Friendly Specialist Midwife on 22.5 hours per week.
The post holder will work in close partnership with the Baby Friendly Lead to ensure the maintenance of the Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) standards within maternity and neonatal services and also across the wider trust. The post holder will be required to confidently train staff in delivering Baby Friendly care to antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal women as well as providing clinical support to mothers in their feeding choices. The post holder will be required to work independently and organise their own workload. An advanced knowledge in lactation support skills and knowledge is required and this will be utilised on a regular basis to plan ongoing support for families.
We also welcome applications from all colleagues across the various departments within the Trust, who maintain an active Midwifery Registration with the NMC, as part of their current role'
Please note that car driver is essential for this post.
Main duties of the job
*
o Support the work of the Baby Friendly Lead maintaining full BFI GOLD accreditation in ELHT
o Attending/chairing BFI champions meetings and supporting/engaging with champions in maternity services
o Maintain and deliver on ELHT BFI action plans and QI projects
o Ensure new guidelines, policies, SOP's and parent resources are communicated, implemented and monitored
o Involve service users in planning positive change to implement the standards
o Coordinate and mentor ELHT BFI volunteers
o Raise awareness, protection and promotion of breastfeeding across the Trust
o Attending local, regional and national infant feeding meetings with/on behalf of the Baby Friendly Lead
o Facilitate training sessions to a variety of staff alongside the Baby Friendly Lead/wider team
o Responsible for frequent audit of the BFI Standards and creating action plans based on the findings
o The post holder will be knowledgeable and experienced in supporting both formula feeding mothers, breastfeeding mothers, combination feeding mothers and also mothers who are expressing their milk
o Ensuring all areas in ELHT are breastfeeding friendly and adhering to the WHO code
o Work as a team, acting on behalf of the Baby Friendly Lead when necessary
Working for our organisation
* Established in 2003 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) is a large integrated health care organisation providing high quality acute secondary healthcare for the people of East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen.
Our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 700,000 patients a year from the most serious of emergencies to planned operations and procedures. We employ over 8,000 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work and achievements.
Our organisation is driven by our strategic objectives and organisation values and we look for people who are strongly aligned with them.
Within East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, we are a forward thinking maternity service managing over 6 000 births per year with four different birth locations and the provision of services across the East Lancashire footprint.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The post holder will provide knowledge and guidance to all who come into contact with pregnant and postnatal mothers with regards to the skills and knowledge needed to promote, protect and support breastfeeding, or other chosen feeding methods. They will provide clinical support when necessary following specialist referral pathways, working independently and as part of the wider team/s. The post holder will support the BFI project in maternity and neonatal services as well as in the wider trust, ultimately improving breastfeeding initiation and continuation rates. They will communicate all aspects of infant feeding with the multidisciplinary team and service users. They will be partly responsible for monitoring data, ensuring accuracy, and acting on this accordingly. They will have a responsibility to audit best practice standards for BFI to ensure high quality of care.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
* Hold a health professional qualification in Midwifery
* Evidence of recent infant feeding management / BFI training
Desirable criteria
* Specialist lactation training/ qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
* Relevant experience in working towards the BFI Standards
* Experience in similar role
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
* The post holder will have specialist skills and knowledge in relation to midwifery underpinned by research evidence. These skills and knowledge will be used within
* Knowledge of Research and development
* In depth knowledge and skills in relation to infant feeding support / challenges and the Baby Friendly Initiative standards
* Evidence of ongoing professional development
* Relevant professional experience at least Band 6 and experience of working in multi disciplinary teams and multi agency working
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
* Evidence of leading others
* Hardworking, Innovative and enthusiastic
* Able and willing to work flexibly – may include some evening and weekend work
* Excellent communication skills, and assertive
* Ability to work under pressure, to work independently and plan own workload
* Evidence to show presentation skills
* Ability to engage with, inspire and motivate others
* Evidence of ability to build effective working relationships, and to inspire and motivate others
* A high interest and passion around infant feeding
* Committed to family centered services
Other
Essential criteria
* Ability to travel over a large geographical area - car driver