Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dynamic and enthusiastic person to join the infant feeding team at CDDFT as a maternity support worker.

Our team works across County Durham and Darlington to provide specialist support to women and families experiencing feeding problems in the first weeks after birth. Infant feeding is at the forefront of public health and as part of the team you will be contributing to improved health outcomes across the region.

This a great opportunity for those interested in maternity care, infant feeding and public health to gain experience in this important area of maternity services.

We are a busy team and no two days are the same. We provide face to face and remote care to women in hospital and in community with their baby including in our specialist infant feeding clinic and for division of tongue tie. You would be involved in providing skilled support to get their feeding journey off to the best start.

As a team we also lead for UNICEF Baby Friendly accreditation for meternity services for the Trust and you will have the opportunity to be involved in service improvement and audit as we work to implement UNICEF standards for our families.

Main duties of the job
The post holder will privide care to women and families who need additional support with infant feeding. They will provide health promotion in pregnancy to advise on the values of breastfeeding and skilled support following birth with positioning and attachment.

Your duties will include:

• Providing skilled support to women who are experiencing feeding problems in the first weeks after birth, gently supporting them to reach their feeding goals.
• Supporting the specialist midwife in the infant feeding clinic during frenulotomy procedures.
• Providing support in acute settings to both antenatal and postnatal inpatients to support informed decision making and getting feeding off to a good start.
• Maintaining accurate records.
• Undertaking audit of UNICEF standards.
• Providing administrative support by maintaining clinic lists and clinic outcome records.

About us
If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager.

You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks.

We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented.

Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents.

Over reliance on AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of success.

For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.

Details
Date posted: 25 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 3
Salary: £25,760 to £27,476 a year pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: C9439-2627-N374
Job locations: Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust, Hollyhurst Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 6HX, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
This post is a permanent, part time post working across sites within the Trust. You will be expected to work at University Hospital North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital. You may also be able to spend one day a week at a community site.

This role is an integral part of the infant feeding team and following training you will be providing infant feeding support independently and undertaking triage of referrals to the team. You will have the opportunity to undertake additional training to support UNICEF standards including UNICEF audit training and attendance at conferences. This is an interesting and varied role ideally suited to someone with a passion for public health and infant feeding. The postholder will undertake appropriate training to meet the needs of the service ensuring competency is achieved, maintained and updated yearly.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• GCSE or equivalent in Maths and English
• Relevent NVQ level 3

Desirable

• Care certificate
• Knowledge of infant feeding agenda

Special Requirements
Essential

• Full UK driving licence and access to transport
• Willing to work across CDDFT sites

Experience
Essential

• Previous experience working in an NHS role

Desirable

• Previous experience as a maternity support worker or equivalent role desirable.
• Previous knowledge of infant feeding and UNICEF standards.
• Ability to carry out clinical observations, recognising and reporting dfeviations from the norm.

Special Skills & Knowledge
Essential

• Excellent communication skills.
• Proven ability to work independantly and within a team.
• Approachable and able to build relationships with a wide variety of colleagues.
• Ability to show initiative and take on own responsibility and accountability.
• Ability to prioritise workload and manage own time.

Desirable

• An understanding of the key public health messages around smoking, health lifestyle in pregnancy and infant feeding knowledge would be desirable
• Previous experience supporting infant feeding would be advantageous

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.

Employer details
Employer name: County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust, Hollyhurst Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 6HX, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.cddft.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Specialist Midwife for Infant Feeding, Fiona Robertson, fiona.roberts11@nhs.net, 07803150595

Supporting links
Library knowledge and learning centre services, CDDFT, Credit union, Cycle to Work Link, Pension Scheme

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