Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Infant Feeding Advisor, Band 4

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Job summary

Infant Feeding Advisor, Band 4 (22.5 hours a week, fixed term for 12 months)

The Infant Feeding Advisor will provide face-to-face breastfeeding and infant feeding support from admission to discharge, with some guidance remotely/ via the outreach nurses into the home. The purpose of this role is to enhance services already in place and to ensure all parents receive support and advice with their chosen method of feeding; acting as specialist support in infant feeding to parents and staff; supporting training across the trust in line with the Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) guidance.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will contribute to maintaining the maternity service's BFI level 3 accreditation and progressing the Neonatal Unit through their specific Unicef accreditation by undertaking regular audits and staff training. They will be actively signposting into the Speech and Language, Dietetic, Health Psychology, family support services/ peer support groups and tongue tie and frenulotomy services with guidance from the band 6/7 feeding leads. The role requires a competent feeding advisor, working flexibly within the neonatal service, providing individualised, holistic care to babies and their families.

The postholder will work under the supervision of the neonatal feeding team/ neonatal shift leader/ Matron and enhance the feeding experience of babies and their families to promote longevity in breast feeding to improve long term health outcomes. They will have a responsibility to maintain compliance with service standards, policies and guidelines so that effective, safe care is provided at all times.

About us

Here at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, our patients are at the heart of everything we do, and pivotal to this are our nurses, midwives and support staff, whose dedication, expertise and kindness ensures that patients receive the very best care throughout their treatment.

This is a rare opportunity for a skilled, experienced infant feeding advisor to join our friendly, supportive and progressive Neonatal team in our purpose built Neonatal Unit. The unit consists of 12 ITU/HDU and 16 Special Care cots and the service provides care to babies from across the county. A recent addition to our service is the provision of Neonatal Nursing support to our maternity ward through the establishment of a 4 cot Transitional Care facility.

Local training will be provided.

Date posted

01 November 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£25,147 to £27,596 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

318-23-W&C-T1227

Job locations

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital

Great Western Road

Gloucester

GL1 3NN

Job description

Job responsibilities

- To ensure all parents/carers receive support and advice with their chosen method of feeding, providing additional support as necessary, alongside the neonatal infant feeding leads

- Support staff who identify infant feeding difficulties and who are requiring additional input.

- To work alongside infant feeding specialist midwives/nurses helping to provide specialist training across the Trust for all staff.

- To progress the Neonatal Unit towards achieving full Neonatal Specific UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative accreditation

- To participate in the maternity services goal to sustain and develop the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative within Maternity Services and support the Infant Feeding Specialist Midwife/Nurse to lead the service towards sustainability.

- To implement and manage UNICEF best practice standards for breastfeeding throughout the Trust.

- To provide expert guidance, training and support for staff by demonstrating a commitment to best practice in breastfeeding, whilst having knowledge of feeding complex babies such as those with HIE, syndromes, gastric tubes, post surgery.

- To work with a degree of autonomy in planning the working day and providing an effective link to the wider networks for breastfeeding support.

- To support with undertaking clinical audit, using specific audit tools to evaluate and develop breastfeeding practice within Maternity and Childrens Services.

- To provide signposting and referral into the Tongue Tie / Frenulotomy Service

- To maintain and continually develop in-depth, specialist knowledge of feeding practices, using latest research to ensure all work is evidence based, particularly in relation to sick and preterm infant feeding practices. This includes both breast, cup and bottle feeding.

- To develop new and imaginative ways of increasing the rates of breastfeeding at start and end of the neonatal unit journey, particularly amongst the most vulnerable and socially excluded groups.

- To work alongside the neonatal infant feeding leads in clinical audit, using specific audit tools to evaluate and develop breastfeeding practice within affiliated services, once BFI audit training completed.

- To enable student nurses/midwives and newly appointed staff to shadow the role and provide additional support as necessary.

- To work closely with the maternity voices partnership (MVP), HOPE, SHED groups to evaluate, monitor and enhance the patient experience

- To act as an advocate for babies, their families and staff in aspects such as equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) to ensure all are able to access and receive the highest standard of care or issues are addressed according to Trust policy

- To identify and trouble shoot risks, reporting as per Trust policy, including aspects pertaining to safer sleep, smoking cessation, developmental care, infection control,

- To act as a role model to staff and families