Community Infant Feeding Support Worker

The post sits within Croydon Health Visiting Service, Croydon University Hospital (CUH). The post-holder will assist the Croydon Infant Feeding Support Team in an integrated way in the provision of early and continued support to parents to enable them to make informed choices about how to feed their baby and to promote the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding. The post-holder will contribute to the provision of a comprehensive breastfeeding service including delivery of breastfeeding support groups and a peer support programme, which may include home visiting; telephone support and group work at children’s centres/clinics and Front Door Servcie. The post-holder will also be expected to support the Breastfeeding Programme Lead with the implementation of UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative, and maintain baby friendly standards across CHS. Community Infant Feeding Support worker - Band 4 (Full/Part time ) We are preparing for the community Stage 3 Baby Friendly initiative accreditation. We have an ethnically diverse population in Croydon and you will be expected to offer culturally respectful and compassionate services equitably. **What you can expect**: You will be coming into an established infant feeding team. You will be well supported to develop in your role. The feeding team are keen to explore new ways of working, to promote, protect and support breastfeeding across the Croydon community. You will be supporting your mixed skill colleagues within the localities to promote healthy weight and nutrition under 1 year, and guidance to support breastfeeding for 2 years and beyond. You will be active with promoting Healthy Start. You will also support and help retain volunteers in the Croydon breastfeeding peer support program. **What we’d like from you**: You must be a team player and willing to share evidence based experience, knowledge and skills as an integrated member of the wider health visiting service. You will be involved in auditing and delivering training to community staff. We expect you to provide seamless and timely sensitive care when supporting a mother to achieve her breastfeeding goals. You will be expected to use evidence based knowledge at all times. You will be enthusiastic, dedicated, adaptable and constantly resourceful. **Interviews will be held on**: TBC Croydon Health Services NHS Trust provide hospital and community services from a number of community and specialist clinics throughout Croydon. **These include**: - Croydon University Hospital - Purley Hospital - The Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Centre in Thornton Heath - Community bases at Purley, Sanderstead, New Addington, Broad Green, Woodside - A minor injuries unit in New Addington The Trust was formed on 1st August 2010 through the integration of Croydon Community Health Services and Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust. Around 3,500 staff provide services for a population of over 360,000 people who are relatively young with a high level of ethnic diversity. **Our Vision**: “Excellent integrated care for you and your family, when and where you need it” Our 5 key ‘Here for you’ promises to the people of Croydon are: - You feel cared for by helpful and welcoming staff - You feel in safe hands with highly professional staff - You feel confident in your treatment from skilled teams of compassionate clinicians - You feel we value your time with convenient appointments, mínimal waiting and care closer to home - You feel it’s getting better all the time as we continue to improve our services We are one of 17 Trusts in the country who have been accepted as national pioneers on staff engagement and empowerment, through the adoption of "Listening into Action" as a new way of working. The approach we are taking to “Listening into Action” is new and different. Please see the attached supporting Job description and person specification documents which contain more information about the role