Infant Feeding Lead Midwife(UK Visa Sponsorship)

Job Description

Role Overview

An excellent opportunity has arisen for a compassionate and forward-thinking Infant Feeding Lead Midwife to join the Public Health and Maternity team. This position focuses on improving infant feeding outcomes by leading evidence-based practice, supporting families, and strengthening professional standards across maternity services.

The successful candidate will act as a clinical leader for infant feeding, ensuring that mothers, babies and families receive consistent, supportive, and high-quality care from pregnancy through the postnatal period. You will also share responsibility for coordinating and developing the infant feeding team while driving service improvements aligned with national priorities.

Key Purpose of the Role

• Champion best practice in infant feeding across maternity services.
• Promote, protect and support breastfeeding and safe alternative feeding choices.
• Strengthen a culture of Family Integrated Care.
• Lead initiatives that improve breastfeeding rates and maternal–infant outcomes.
• Ensure local policies and national standards are implemented effectively.

Main Responsibilities

Clinical Leadership

• Act as a specialist resource for families and healthcare professionals on infant feeding.
• Provide expert guidance on breastfeeding, responsive parenting, and safe feeding practices.
• Support the assessment and management of feeding challenges, including complex cases.
• Where trained, assess and manage tongue-tie and related feeding concerns.

Service Development & Quality Improvement

• Lead and monitor quality improvement programmes aimed at increasing breastfeeding rates.
• Undertake audits aligned with Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) standards.
• Evaluate outcomes and implement service improvements where needed.
• Contribute to achieving and maintaining UNICEF Baby Friendly accreditation.

Education & Workforce Support

• Deliver structured teaching and practical training across the multidisciplinary team.
• Provide ongoing mentorship and professional development opportunities for staff.
• Promote consistent, evidence-based practice throughout maternity services.

Family Support

• Ensure families receive compassionate emotional support alongside practical feeding advice.
• Encourage positive parent–infant relationships and responsive caregiving.
• Work collaboratively with multi-agency partners to provide holistic care.

Working Environment

You will work across maternity settings, including inpatient wards, community services, and specialist feeding clinics. The role requires flexibility to meet service needs across multiple hospital sites.

About the Organisation

The Humber Health Partnership brings together Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, serving over 1.6 million people. With nearly 20,000 staff and strong links to Hull York Medical School, the partnership is committed to innovation, research, and delivering high-quality patient-centred care across both hospital and community services.

Person Requirements

Essential Qualifications

• Registered Midwife or Nurse with current NMC registration
• Degree in a relevant healthcare field or equivalent experience
• Evidence of post-registration learning in infant feeding

Mentorship qualification

• Completion of recognised UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative training
• Training related to frenotomy (or willingness to undertake)

Experience & Knowledge

• Demonstrable experience supporting infant feeding and breastfeeding
• Experience managing complex feeding difficulties
• Understanding of Baby Friendly Initiative standards and clinical audit
• Experience working across multidisciplinary teams
• Knowledge of safeguarding, equality and diversity, and family-centred care

Skills & Attributes

• Strong communication and teaching skills
• Ability to lead service improvements
• Compassionate, inclusive and non-judgemental approach
• High level of organisation and ability to prioritise workload
• Commitment to continuous professional development

Compliance & Pre-Employment Requirements

• Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be required.
• Applicants must hold valid UK professional registration.
• Overseas applicants may need to provide criminal record certificates covering countries lived in during the last 10 years.
• Skilled Worker visa sponsorship applications will be considered in line with UK immigration rules.

Important Guidance for Applicants

• The Skilled Worker visa allows eligible healthcare professionals to work in the UK with an approved sponsor and a valid Certificate of Sponsorship. Skilled Worker visa overview
• Employers must issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) confirming the job details before a visa application can proceed. Certificates of Sponsorship guidance
• Organisations recruiting internationally must follow Home Office sponsorship requirements. Sponsor a Skilled Worker – employer guidance
• Overseas applicants may be asked to provide police clearance documentation as part of pre-employment checks. Criminal record checks for overseas applicants
• Disclosure checks for roles involving patient contact are conducted under UK safeguarding legislation. Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks guidance

Why Join This Team?

This role offers the chance to shape maternity services at both strategic and clinical levels. You will work within a supportive, research-active teaching hospital environment committed to improving maternal and infant health outcomes while investing in staff development and innovation.