Bank Infant Feeding Practitioner
The closing date is 14 June 2026
This is an opportunity to work with the Infant Feeding Practitioners in the Derbyshire area on a flexible working pattern.
You will work across Derbyshire as part of the infant feeding practitioner team. This role is part of the 0-5 Children's Service and will involve close work with health visitors and midwives in the local area.
You will be visiting new families in the immediate post birth period to provide support for breast feeding. Contact will be both face to face and using digital technology.
You will need to be confident to support infant feeding and have knowledge and awareness of skills around breast feeding. Initial training will be given.
Main duties of the job
You will work as part of the health visiting team to offer peer support to women who are establishing breast feeding whilst ensuring that you also engage with partners, wider family members and the community.
You will provide a high standard of information about infant feeding and support to mothers, partners and their babies before and after the birth, in a range of settings, for example home and clinics.
You will utilise a range of assessment skills and tools to identify breast feeding problems and give evidence based information to promote and support responsive feeding in line with national and local guidelines and public health priorities.
You will work proactively using a partnership approach to promote health and contribute to tackling health inequalities within the level of competencies required for the post.
There will be a requirement to travel across Derbyshire for service delivery. Training and service meetings may take place in other parts of Derbyshire.
About DCHS
DCHS is a forward-thinking, supportive Trust, which is a UNICEF Baby-Friendly accredited organisation and achieved Outstanding CQC status in 2022.
Working in a diverse area you will be delivering public health work around infant nutrition within the local community.
Our purpose is to provide community health services to a patient population of over one million people in Derbyshire and Derby, as part of Joined Up Care Derbyshire.
We employ around 4,200 substantive staff, caring for patients in 11 community hospitals and more than 30 health centres, as well as in clinics, GP practices, schools, care homes and, in people's own homes and via virtual consultations.
Person Specification
Education, Qualifications and Training
* English GCSE Grade C or equivalent
* Have personally breastfed own baby for at least 3 months and experience in weaning through to meeting the health and nutritional needs of a child.
Experience and Knowledge Required
* Awareness of adverse effects of not breastfeeding
* Understanding of causes of obesity, unhealthy eating behaviours and dental caries.
* Awareness and understanding of the local community.
* Understanding of infant feeding procedures and practices, some of which are non-routine which require a base level of theoretical knowledge around infant feeding. Or a willingness to gain understanding through further training and on job experience
* Experience of volunteering as a breastfeeding peer supporter
Skills and Attributes
* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
* Ability to influence, support and motivate other mothers and fathers in their own communities to breastfeed and develop healthy behaviours for their children.
* Confident to present and deliver information in group settings.
IT Skills
* IT Skills- accessing Email, the intranet, internet
Aptitude and Personal Qualities
* To be motivated and have the ability to motivate others
* Flexible and a sense of humour. Excellent interpersonal skills including observation, listening and empathy skills.
* Empathetic to local mothers to support the sustainment of breastfeeding.
* Enthusiastic about working with parents to support healthy lifestyle behaviours in infants and toddlers.
Values, Drivers and Motivators
* To have the ability to travel between locations as part of daily workload
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.
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