Infant feeding Midwife Band 6

Overview

The post holder is a qualified midwife practicing autonomously across antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal periods, serving as a primary care provider for mothers and families. Working within hospital and community settings, the midwife will adhere to the NMC Midwives Rules and Standards and the Luton & Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust guidelines. The primary focus of this role is to support the Infant Feeding Advisor in promoting, implementing and maintaining high standards of infant feeding practice across the maternity division, including contributing to policy development, clinical support, staff training and strategic initiatives such as UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) accreditation.

Collaborate with the Band 7 Infant Feeding Advisor to review neonatal feeding-related readmissions and develop relevant guidelines. Support and participate in local and regional infant feeding networks, MDT meetings, and maternity governance activities (e.g., audits, PSIRF). Act as a clinical resource, offering expert breastfeeding support and guidance to staff and service users; escalate concerns appropriately. Assist in the planning, delivery, and record-keeping of BFI training for maternity staff, and conduct practical skills assessments.

Provide guidance to peer support workers and engage with external partners (e.g., Health Visiting, BFN, MNVP, Family Hubs) to promote consistent, community-wide infant feeding practices. Contribute to antenatal education, support local awareness campaigns, and help design promotional and educational materials. Participate in community-based tongue tie clinics, including assessments and, if qualified, performing divisions. Disseminate up-to-date research and national guiding on infant feeding;

produce staff newsletters and attend ward/safety briefings. Support audits covering a range of feeding experiences (breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, NNU) to ensure high-quality care delivery. Work closely with the Neonatal Unit Lead to progress and uphold BFI standards across the maternity service. Involvement in quality improvement projects involving or impacting Infant feeding across the trust.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a population of around 700,000 across two hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Services include A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. The Trust emphasizes staff development and aims to deliver the best patient care using current clinical knowledge and technology.