Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for three consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.
Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video
Job overview
An exciting opportunity for an experienced practitioner in Infant feeding with lactation experience, is being offered in Barking and Dagenham to support Breast Feeding.
The Specialist Infant Feeding Practitioner (SIFP) will be providing leadership in infant feeding and specialist evidence-based support to families with more complex needs. They will lead delivery of the infant feeding remit and will be responsible for a service providing high quality infant feeding support to parents and carers, and regular training and advice to professionals.
In line with the Barking and Dagenham “Best Chance” Strategy, and the Start for Life and Family Hubs’ model, this post is crucial to establishing a supportive culture towards infant feeding; this support enables parents/carers in Barking and Dagenham to make an informed choice about feeding their baby in a way that optimises nutrition and develops a close, and loving parent-child relationship. The SIFP post holder must provide safe, competent and evidence-based care whilst demonstrating specialised knowledge and clinical expertise in breastfeeding and human lactation. Ideally, the post-holder is a qualified and registered Health Visitor and Lactation Consultant with clinical credibility and influence to speak as an advocate for Baby Friendly
It is expected that the successful applicant does not hold a certificate from the IBLC, they will undertake the training within the 6 months of starting the role
Main duties of the job
1. Be responsible for developing and delivering family-centred patient care by providing coordination and management of care for parents; this would involve assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating lactation plans for the breastfeeding parent.
2. Provide specialist one to one support to families who have complex breastfeeding or post-partum issues
3. Work with the Breastfeeding Peer Support service to provide clinical supervision to volunteers and staff,
4. Develop and deliver breastfeeding training for the wider workforce, in accordance with UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI)
5. Work with the Local Authority Public Health team, Infant Feeding operational leads and other infant feeding partners to contribute to an Infant Feeding Strategy for the borough.
6. Perform consultations, oversee rental of lactation equipment and supplies, support telephone triage, and deliver prenatal education as appropriate Educate parents and carers on the benefits of breastfeeding for mother and infant;
7. Line management responsibility for the Infant Feeding & Beyond Health Practitioner role, providing clinical oversight and development to the post-holders
8. Attend and co-chair the Infant Feeding Operational Leads’ group and Infant Feeding Strategy group meetings.
9. Lead by example and display a leadership style that empowers staff through development.
10. Lead on designated infant feeding projects to ensure effective communication and standardisation of practice
Working for our organisation
Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focusing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).
High Cost Area Supplement - London
This post attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,551 and a maximum payment of £5,735 per annum pro rata).
Certificates of Sponsorship
Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points based system.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Taking the leadership with infant feeding and supporting infants, children and their families on early nutrition
Direct line management of Infant feeding health practitioner
Providing evidenced based practice and training to health team who are working with family
Work in partnershipwith other agencies, including statutory and voluntary groups, making referrals and consulting (as necessary) with the consent of clients and within the policies of the Trust.
· Contribute to any ongoing BFI standards’ audits, clinical audits and other governance programmes in relation to the post holder’s own activity
Develop and monitor the use of patient experience within the service and use these to inform service transformation.
Use of AI
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
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Person specification
essential
Essential criteria
11. Registered Midwife or Health visitor Degree
12. Regsitered with IBLC or comitment to register within forst 6 months of appointment
13. Minimum of 5 years working as Health Visitor/ Midwife
14. Demonstrates skills to assist the lactating mother with feeding position, correct latch, supplementation, use of handheld and electric breast pump, hand expression, and cup, spoon and syringe feeding. Experience
15. Experience of providing breastfeeding support to families with complex needs
16. Experience of providing training and/or supervision in area of practice
17. Knowledge of the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative accreditation, including its aims, approach and the requirements of accreditation
18. Knowledge of current evidence-based approach and research related to breastfeeding
19. Experience developing and delivering training of infant feeding to multi disciplinary services from health, family hubs, third sector and voluntary services
20. Project management skills including the development of project plans
Desirable criteria
21. Unicef BFI or La Leche League Train the trainer, Nursing or Midwifery qualification, Holistic Sleep qualification, Nutrition qualification
22. Masters in Infant feeding / Nutrition
23. Minimum of 3 years' experience of providing specialist infant feeding and lactation support
24. Ability to prioritise specialist breastfeeding delivery in a professional manner, taking into account Trust and Council policies and procedures
essential;
Essential criteria
25. Degree in Nursing/ Specialist
Desirable criteria
26. Masters qualification in public health or nutrition
Essential
Essential criteria
27. Experience of leading/ delivering breast feeding
Desirable criteria
28. leading services with experience of co delivery with non nhs providers
essential
Essential criteria
29. Providing hands on support to diverse families and providing personalised care
Desirable criteria
30. experience of QI and coproduction
Benefits
We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:
31. A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
32. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity.
33. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
34. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.