Job overview

We are looking for a driven and hard working individual to lead our infant feeding team and help the department meet the standards required for BFI. You will work closely with the matrons and ward staff across both Basingstoke and Winchester sites along with other key members of the department. 

They will lead and support on the strategic planning, implementation, and maintenance of UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) Accreditation, ensuring that the infant feeding services within the HHFT are to the highest standard possible.

The successful candidate will work closely with the Southampton, Hampshire, Isle of Wight & Portsmouth Local Maternity System (SHIP LMS) Infant Feeding Lead to ensure that the national deliverables for infant feeding (drawn from NHS Better Births Report (2016), the SHIP LMS Implementation Plan, the NHS Long Term Plan and the Maternity response) are applied in HHFT, in a manner that is sympathetic to our local community needs.

Main duties of the job

• Lead on the achievement of the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative accreditation and the maintenance of this when acquired
• To work closely with each clinical area within the maternity service, engaging with the Matrons and PN Lead Midwives and assist with implementation of standards and policies.  To actively participate in influencing any policy/guideline developments and attend the Maternity guidelines meeting.  Ensuring that the highest quality of care is offered to our women and babies
• To evaluate standards and policies to ensure they are cost effective, support service improvement, provide the best clinical outcomes and provide a good experience for women and their families working collaboratively with the Quality Assurance Matron
• Lead on audit, data collections and formulate reports, gaining support from the Audit Midwife.  The post holder will be responsible for identifying gaps in areas of service provision and developing creative strategies to address areas of deficit
• The post holder will support the Associate Director of Midwifery/Deputy Heads of Midwifery/Clinical Matrons/Senior Midwifery Managers to deliver all aspects of the service.  They must have an oversite on how resources are used to deliver affordable healthcare
• Working in partnership with stakeholders to ensure a co-coordinated approach to infant feeding support.  Developing effective partnerships with primary health care colleagues, health visitor, local maternity system, statutory and voluntary agencies

Working for our organisation

Our vision is to provide outstanding care for every patient. Patient care is at the heart of what we do at our three sites: Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester and Andover War Memorial Hospital. Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides medical and surgical services to a population of approximately 600,000 people across Hampshire and parts of West Berkshire.

Our cultural ambition is to have a culture that places people at the heart of all we do, where we all belong, and where learning, improvement and excellence thrive.

We provide specialist services to people across the UK and internationally. We are one of only two centres in the UK treating pseudomyxoma peritonei (a rare form of abdominal cancer) and we are leaders in the field of tertiary liver cancer and colorectal cancer.

The trust employs more than 9,000 staff and has a turnover of over £500 million a year. As a Foundation Trust, we are directly accountable to our members through the governors. The Council of Governors represent the interests of their constituencies and influence the future plans of the Foundation Trust.