Infant Feeding Maternity Support Worker

Job overview

12-month Maternity Cover

The Infant Feeding Support Worker is a key member of the multidisciplinary team, supporting the delivery of a high-quality, family-centred infant feeding service based on current evidence and best practice.

The post holder will provide practical, evidence-based infant feeding support and education to women, birthing people and their families across maternity and neonatal services, including postnatal wards, the neonatal unit, transitional care, community settings, and telephone support. They will promote parent-infant bonding, and informed decision-making, empowering families to achieve their individual feeding goals.

Working closely with midwives and the wider multidisciplinary team, the post holder will contribute to the delivery of safe, compassionate, and consistent care, maintaining privacy, dignity, and respect at all times.

The Infant Feeding Support Worker will develop sensitive, non-judgemental relationships with women, birthing people and their families, actively seeking their views to better understand and respond to individual needs. Through effective communication and specialist knowledge, they will help ensure a positive infant feeding experience and improved outcomes for mothers, babies, and families.

Main duties of the job

• Provide evidence-based infant feeding support and education to women and families during the antenatal and postnatal period, enabling them to feed their babies effectively and responsively.
• Promote parent-infant attachment through skin-to-skin contact and responsive parenting in line with UNICEF UK Baby Friendly standards.
• Work collaboratively with the Infant Feeding Team, midwives, neonatal and paediatric staff, and other healthcare professionals to support infant feeding and implement individualised feeding plans.
• Identify and escalate infant feeding concerns, including feeding difficulties, weight loss, jaundice, milk supply concerns and infant wellbeing issues.
• Maintain accurate electronic patient records and communicate effectively with women, families and healthcare professionals regarding care, progress and any concerns.
• Manage workload within agreed role boundaries under the direction of the Infant Feeding Co-ordinator or deputy.
• Support informed feeding choices, including maximising breastmilk, safe supplementation where required, and safe, responsive formula feeding in line with national guidance.
• Work safely in community settings when required and comply with Trust policies, including infection prevention and control.
• Assist in maintaining a clean, safe clinical environment, including equipment, storage areas, beds and cots, and support the safe transfer of women and babies when required.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for a full list of role requirements and main responsibilities.

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.