Clinical Lead Health Visitor: Infant Feeding @ Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

Job summary

This exciting new post involves taking the lead in supporting the wider Health Visiting teams to deliver on one of the key objectives identified and agreed for the health visiting service in Barnet. The time dedicated to this role will vary but will include certain number of day(s) per week. This role supports the Infant Feeding Coordinator in the delivery of infant feeding services in Barnet, working towards increasing rates of initiation and continuation of breast feeding. This includes supporting audit and training in relation to maintaining and developing Barnet's Baby Friendly certificate of commitment with the aim of progressing to Level 1.

The post holder will support developing and providing clinical expertise to staff, parents and health partners alongside the infant feeding coordinator. It also includes supporting and enhancing the delivery of the Barnet Healthy Child programme as part of an integrated service. The role is also responsible for the delivery of Universal Health Services to designated areas within Barnet. Reporting to the Team Leader/Locality Manager, they will support the development of the service and work with colleagues to ensure the delivery of a safe and effective universal health provision. The role is a fantastic development opportunity which will enable you to get involved to shape and deliver on the local strategy.We are interested in your aspirations and supporting your career development so come and find out more

Main duties of the job

• 1. To demonstrate a commitment to best practice in Infant Feeding and all aspects of child development and work with the Early Years Teams and other partners to embed best practice in Barnet, and Whittington Health as a whole.2.
• To demonstrate and develop evidence-based knowledge, attitudes, and skills to be able to be an expert resource for the integrated teams, particularly in the area of Infant Feeding.3.
• To assess local need and to plan, coordinate and deliver training programmes and workshops to health visiting staff, and others as appropriate, to promote best practice standards in all aspects of Infant Feeding.4.
• To work with other specialist colleagues such as Early Years to develop integrated protocols which support the Infant Feeding Strategy.5.
• To provide Infant Feeding expertise and support to Community Nursery Nurses, Health Visitors and other partners working with families.6.
• To take a lead role in working with colleagues and partners to deliver on our Infant feeding Strategy.7.
• To participate in planning, carrying out and evaluating audits, research projects and/or innovations following agreed policy and protocol, in particular those relating to the Baby Friendly Initiative.8.
• To initiate and to take part in Quality Improvement projects using recognised methodology.

About us

Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trustbelieves that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For more information regarding the main responsibilities of the role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

Person Specification

• Education / Qualifications
• Essential
• Health Visiting/Midwife/Registered Nurse Professional Qualification, with entry onto the 3rd part of the NMC Register
• Educated to degree level or equivalent
• UNICEF breastfeeding and relationship building training.

Desirable

• Excellent performance in UNICEF Audits
• Leadership modules (L6/7)
• UNICEF Train The Trainer facilitator and/ or additional training in infant feeding
• IBCLC qualification

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Willingness to lead and support management of change.
• Excellent communication skills: IT written and oral.
• High levels of clinical skills, with the ability to identify, respond to and evaluate health needs, including the delivery of public health programmes.
• Evidence of application of high levels of knowledge and skills relating to emotional and physical wellbeing during the antenatal period.
• Evidence of application of high levels of knowledge and skills relating to the issues and concerns experienced during the Transition to Parenthood.
• Evidence of high level of knowledges and skills in infant feeding specific such as baby brain development, infant feeding support, relationship building.

Desirable

• Experience in Breastfeeding Audit

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Knowledge of UNICEF baby Friendly accreditation process, legislation, national and local guidance relating to infant feeding.
• Knowledge of how to structure and deliver a training programme at all staff levels.
• Knowledge of current legislation and national guidance relating to all aspects of the Healthy Child Programme.
• Knowledge on how to apply audit and Quality Improvement methodology.
• Knowledge and skills in managing change at an operational level.
• Knowledge and skills of co-production.
• Understanding of the safeguarding process and child protection procedures, clinical governance arrangements and the ability to make decisions in these areas.
• Ability to manage other members of staff and delegate work appropriately and safely.

PERSONAL QUALITIES

Essential

• Ability to work as part of an integrated team working across organisational and professional boundaries.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Commitment to the development of excellent services, which focus on improved outcomes for children.
• Awareness of Equal Opportunities and valuing diversity.
• Ability to set personal and team objectives and manage time, priorities and stressful situations.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

Address

Whittington Health NHS Trust

1st floor Northgate House, Edgware community hospital

Edgware

HA8 0AD

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.whittington.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)