Lead Midwife for Infant FeedinginNottinghaminNottinghamPUBLISHED THU 2 JAN 2025

KEY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The lead midwife for infant feeding will have a key organisational role in developing and maintaining high standards of infant feeding. They will be an innovative practitioner and an effective change agent promoting evidence based practice and achieving Baby Friendly status for the Trust.

Main responsibilities include taking the lead for planning, setting, maintaining and evaluating agreed standards for infant feeding that includes:

• Achieving UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative status
• Developing innovative education programmes for midwives and support staff
• Leading best practice in infant feeding care.
• Management of the Infant Feeding Team

The post holder will be providing support for women and advice for colleagues on complex issues involving infant feeding and act as an expert clinical practitioner providing an excellent quality of care to patients and service users and as a managerial role model within the directorate and across the wider organisation.

The post holder will act as a role model in promoting best practice in relation to infant feeding, providing direction and effective and inspirational leadership to the midwifery and multi-disciplinary team.

Main Duties

1. Leadership

2. Planning, Development and Delivery

3. Communication

4. Patient Safety

5. Infection Control

6. Safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults

7. Information Governance

8. Health and Safety

9. Governance

10. General Policies Procedures and Practice

JOB REVISION

This job description should be regarded as a guide to the duties required and is not definitive or restrictive in any way. The duties of the post may be varied from time to time in response to changing circumstances. This job description does not form part of the contract of employment. This job description will be reviewed biannually with the post holder to ensure it fits the role in light of changes within Corporate structures.

About us

Please refer to the job description and person specification attached to the advert for the full details.

Main Duties

1. Leadership

1.1 Be a visible, accessible, credible and assertive leader to whom women, relatives and staff can turn for assistance, advice and support.

1.2 Lead the staff and build successful links between midwifery and other professions to support and promote effective multi-disciplinary team working.

1.3 Lead and support staff through the process of change, demonstrating tenacity, drive, professional integrity, balance and perspective.

1.4 Develop the role of other staff members, supporting them in gaining the appropriate competencies to achieve the required standard of care.

1.5 Motivate all staff members and lead innovation and expertise in clinical practice by example.

1.6 Take responsibility for ensuring that all Learners in their area are appropriately supported and competently assessed in line with new NMC guidelines and other professional bodies.

1.7 Through effective communication, disseminate information across the health care teams and directorates.

1.8 Communicate and share clinical experiences and good practice within and across directorates.

1.9 Resolve conflict as speedily as circumstances allow and ensure feedback and planning for the future.

2. Planning, Development and Delivery

2.1. Take the lead for planning, setting, maintaining and evaluating standards for infant feeding that includes:

• Compliance and sustaining the UNICEF Baby Friendly awards and accreditations
• Active participation in infant feeding committees, implementing recommendations and policies at local and national levels
• Undertaking gap analysis and benchmarking and formulating action plans, where required to support service development and excellence.

2.2. Plan, deliver and evaluate care which is responsive to the needs of women and allows for informed choice.

2.3. Provide a specialist support clinic for infant feeding advice.

2.4. Communicate effectively and in a timely fashion with members of the multi-disciplinary team and liaise with other agencies related to the provision of maternity care particularly in relation to infant feeding.

2.5. Promote reflective practice in clinical care, and ensure that clinical governance requirements are met.

2.6. Practise within a legal and ethical framework that ensures the primacy of patient interest. Ensure that appropriate measures are taken to safeguard patients rights and confidentiality.

2.7. Demonstrate clinical expertise in infant feeding, provide supervision and give support and advice to maternity and medical staff as required.

2.8. Demonstrate appropriate expert practice and specialist advice in the assessment, planning, implementation of evaluation of patient care. This will necessitate high levels of autonomy and advocacy.

2.9. Prioritise workload effectively according to the needs of the service.

2.10 To use Baby Friendly Initiative audit tools to assess and audit efficacy of service provision and quality standard, including undertaking of audits of compliance against BFI standards.

2.11. Liaise with data analysts to collect relevant statistical information.

2.12. Act at all times in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct/Midwives rules and code of practice

3. Communication

3.1. Maintain accurate records that reflect planning, communication and management of care.

3.2. Maintain accurate contemporaneous records.

3.3. Communicate effectively and timeously with members of the multi-disciplinary team and liaise with other agencies related to the provision of maternity care particularly in relation to infant feeding.

4. Patient Safety

4.1 Proactively seek feedback on patient and public experience in order to address concerns in a timely manner and build on success.

4.2 Manage any accidents/incidents in conjunction with senior midwives and the Clinical Governance Team, ensuring adherence to the Directorates Risk Management Strategy.

4.3 Maintain professional and patient advocacy at all times