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Job summary

Main area
Infant Feeding Specialist
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 5
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
Job ref
848-BHC-258-25
Employer
Bromley Healthcare
Employer type
NHS
Site
Brookhill Children’s Centre
Town
Woolwich
Salary
£35,763 - £43,466 Inc HCAS per annum pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
01/10/2025 23:59
Interview date
08/10/2025

Employer heading

Bromley Healthcare logo

Infant Feeding Specialist - Greenwich 0-4 Service

NHS AfC: Band 5

 

Bromley Healthcare, a community interest company, delivers a diverse range of services encompassing community nursing (e.g., district nursing, health visiting, specialist nursing) and therapy services catering to individuals across all age groups. Stemming from the community provider unit of NHS Bromley, we boast extensive experience in serving the Bromley populace over many years.

Working at Bromley Healthcare offers a fulfilling experience. Our distinctive service delivery approach and commitment to hearing every employee's voice ensure a gratifying career journey. As a Social Enterprise, we embrace an innovative approach to healthcare delivery, combining the traditional strengths of the NHS, such as robust training and development opportunities, with the flexibility to reinvest surpluses into community initiatives.

Employees of Bromley Healthcare whose role maybe at risk will receive priority consideration.

Applicants for roles involving driving responsibilities will be required to provide proof of business insurance.

Job overview

Infant Feeding Specialist - Greenwich 0-4 Service

Band 5  £35,763 - £43,466 Inc HCAS per annum pro rata

37.5 hrs per week

This advert is for an Infant Feeding Specialist based in Greenwich. The postholder will form part of the Health Visiting Team in the borough of Greenwich.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a committed, self-driven, motivated practitioner who has the enthusiasm and passion to drive forward the infant feeding service and support staff to achieve UNICEF BFI accreditation.

The post holder will work in partnership with the Infant Feeding Lead on the planning, implementation, maintenance and accreditation of UNICEF BFI standards across the service. Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, you will ensure that a coordinated approach to infant feeding support and management is adopted.

Proposed interview date 8th October 2025

Main duties of the job

The post holder will plan, implement and maintain the UNIFEF BFI standards across the health visiting service, working in partnership with midwives, the Local Authority and other relevant parties to ensure a coordinated approach to breastfeeding support and management is adopted locally.

To work in partnership with local services and providers to increase breastfeeding rates as part of improving health outcomes for all mothers and children, particularly those from less advantaged groups.

The post holder will be responsible for ensuring staff training and clinical practice, audit and data collection, roll out of best practice standards within all front-line staff and the promotion and support for breastfeeding across the wider community of Greenwich.  This will include the engagement of GPs and GP practice staff in the breastfeeding agenda.

The post holder must be able to work flexibly and independently as part of a multi-disciplinary team

Working for our organisation

Bromley Healthcare, as a community interest company, offers an extensive array of services ranging from community nursing, including district nursing and health visiting, to specialised nursing care, along with therapy services catering to individuals across various age groups.

Compensation is contingent upon NHS experience and current banding/pay point.

We provide an outstanding benefits package, which includes pension schemes, discounted gym memberships, a cycle-to-work scheme,  access to home furnishings and electronics, access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP), discounts at various high street retailers, eligibility for the Blue Light Card, the opportunity to apply for low-interest personal loans, and an excellent lease car scheme. Additionally, we are continuously striving to enhance our employee benefits offerings.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Planning and Organising

·        Working with Locality Lead and Infant Feeding Lead, ensure the ongoing maintenance of the UNICEF BFI standards in community settings.

·        Work with Locality Lead and Infant Feeding Lead to develop and promote standardised evidence-based professional practice in relation to infant feeding across the Greenwich 0-4 Children’s Public Health Service

·        Chair the Greenwich 0-4 Infant feeding working group, planning meetings including preparation of agendas, taking notes and ensuring timely completion of relevant actions.

·        To organise available resources to meet local/national targets and UNICEF BFI criteria, re-prioritising as necessary in response to evolving need.

·        Effectively manage own time and prioritise workload in order to achieve agreed objectives and targets.

·        In conjunction with Locality Lead and Infant Feeding Lead, regularly review progress towards agreed work objectives, providing written and verbal reports as required

 

Clinical

·        Maintain own clinical skills and practice by keeping up to date with current evidence-base and providing specialist advice and support to women who are experiencing feeding problems e.g. tongue tie; mastitis, poor weight gain.

·        Promote and support best practice standards across all local initiatives and challenge ineffective practice as necessary with the support of the team leaders.

·        To act as a key resource for providing clinical support to all relevant staff on infant feeding issues locally

 

Education and Training

·         With support from Locality Lead, Infant Feeding Lead and Professional Development Lead, design and deliver training in infant feeding and evaluate the effectiveness of training delivered.

·        To work in conjunction with Professional Development Lead, Infant Feeding Lead and Locality Leads to deliver breastfeeding management training to all relevant staff members.

·        Develop a training curriculum that incorporates best practice guidelines and promotes motivational approaches such as use of ‘ante-natal’ and ‘post-natal’ conversations

·        To work with the Professional Development Lead and Locality Leads to develop mechanisms for implementing, monitoring and managing clinical supervised practice amongst all relevant staff members including clinical supervision for staff supporting breastfeeding drop-in groups.

·        To provide ongoing regular training updates for staff as necessary, to include practical skills updates.

 

Service Development

·        To support the development and sustainability of local initiatives that encourage initiation and continuation of breastfeeding in the community with special emphasis on areas where breastfeeding rates are currently low.

·        Participate in the development of local pathways e.g. tongue tie

·        Participate in reviewing and updating the Greenwich 0-4 Breast Feeding Policy and Infant feeding  resources

·        Participate in work to embed Baby Friendly principles within wider service delivery e.g. antenatal pathway.

 

Research and Audit/Clinical Governance

·        To ensure implementation of regular audit to determine baseline and assess progress toward/maintenance of BFI Standards.

·        Evaluate client satisfaction at the breast feeding drop in clinics.

·        To establish and implement effective methods of postnatal infant feeding data collection to inform national/local targets and future practice.

·        Work with Locality Leads and Infant Feeding Lead to interpret key documents and research papers on infant nutrition into local action, ensuring good communications to all relevant staff.

·        To act as a key resource for providing support to all relevant staff on infant feeding issues locally.

·        To participate in research as necessary.

·        To work in accordance with Professional Code of Conduct and Bromley Healthcare Policy documents.

·        To access Clinical Supervision.

 

Partnership working

·        To demonstrate partnership working across organisational and professional boundaries to promote a seamless care pathway through pregnancy, postnatal period and early years.

·        Represent BHC on the Midwifery Services Liaison Committee with line manager

·        Membership of the London Infant Feeding Network

·        To work closely with key partners to promote a positive attitude to breastfeeding across the borough, this includes local baby cafes and children and family centres.

To work closely with all neighbouring Maternity Services to ensure a co-ordinated approach to UNIFEF BFI is adopted.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Educated to degree level or equivalent knowledge, skills and experience.
Desirable criteria
  • NMC registered Nurse
  • IBCLC/Breastfeeding Counsellor
  • UNICEF BFI Practitioner Qualification
  • Mentoring/teaching qualification

Training

Essential criteria
  • Evidence of further training in Infant feeding
Desirable criteria
  • UNICEF BFI Close and Loving Relationships
  • UNICEF BFI Train the Trainer
  • UNICEF BFI Audit training

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Ability to communicate effectively
  • Experience of delivering training/groups
  • Ability to use information technology systems and programmes effectively
  • Problem solving skills
  • Able to organise and prioritise workload
  • Demonstrates ability to work as part of a team
  • Demonstrates leadership skills and experience
Desirable criteria
  • Ability to analyse and interpret audit, information and research
  • Awareness of research and further study

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge of the public health role of contemporary health visiting and working in community setting Evidence based practice
  • Knowledge of UNICEF BFI and the principles
  • Knowledge of wider feeding issues

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of Health Visiting Services
  • Experience of multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working
  • Experience of planning and organising services to meet local needs
  • Knowledge and experience of working with families with safeguarding concerns, in line with local and national protocols and guidance
  • Recent experience of working in a community based setting
  • extensive clinical experience of supporting women to breastfeed
  • extensive clinical experience in Infant feeding
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of co-ordinating and analysing clinical data
  • Experience of quality improvement

personal qualities

Essential criteria
  • Flexible approach to meeting service & client needs
  • Motivated to provide a high standard of care

Information Technology

Essential criteria
  • IT skills required to support undertaking audit/ collate findings and prepare reports and teaching resources

Other

Essential criteria
  • Full UK driving licence and a car for work purposes

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoDisability confident employer

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Anita Szczesniak
Job title
Infant Feeding Specialist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07511414288
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