Role Description: Infant Feeding Support Volunteer

Role: Infant Feeding Support Volunteer

Purpose:

We have been fully accredited by UNICEF as a Baby Friendly hospital since 2012. As a volunteer you will support a busy postnatal department at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. You will also receive UNICEF-accredited training in infant feeding.

Duties (what you will be doing):

• Talk to new mothers about infant feeding

• Complement the work of postnatal ward staff by helping mothers to breastfeed. This might involve offering reassurance and hands-off support to resolve problems

• Work under the supervision of the clinical team; this involves reporting to the senior staff member when you begin your shift, maintaining a record of your interactions with parents in the newborn notes, and reporting any issues back to the midwife

• Give information to new mothers around sources of help and support

Boundaries (what you won’t be doing):

• No clinical care of patients

• No parenting

• Do not give advice to mothers with premature or otherwise unwell babies unless you have checked with midwife in charge.

• No personal care such as washing or toileting

• Should not be involved in any discussions with clients re medicines/drugs and breastfeeding

• No lifting or helping lift women/patients

• No picking up a baby without mother’s permission

• Should not walk around the ward carrying a baby. Babies must always be kept next to the mother’s bed.

• Should never touch a mother’s breasts without her permission.

• Should not deal with body products or fluids except for expressed breast milk.

Time commitment:

• Weekdays, evenings and weekends

• Volunteers must commit to at least one half-day shift per week for a minimum of six months from the date of your qualification in infant feeding

Location:

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Rd, London SW10 9NH

Requirements of the role:

Age: You must be 18 years or older to volunteer in this role

Accessibility: This role is accessible for wheelchair users or people with other mobility issues

Sex: This role is open to males and females. But please bear in mind that women on the ward may not be fully dressed and we therefore demand the highest levels of respect and sensitivity from our volunteers.

As a volunteer you will embody the Trust’s values:

• Putting patients first

• Responsive to, and supportive of, patients and staff

• Open, welcoming and honest

• Unfailingly kind, treating everyone with respect, compassion and dignity

• Determined to develop our skills and continuously improve the quality of care

Skills and other requirements:

• You must be self-motivated; with an ability to think on your feet and work independently

• You must be punctual and dependable

• You must have a professional and friendly demeanour

• If you speak an additional language other than English please let us know so that we might pair you with any mother who speaks that language also

• Open to male and female volunteers

• Ideally suited to mothers who have had experience of breastfeeding, but if you have a particular interest in supporting breastfeeding you are welcome to apply.

Pre-placement checks and training:

• This role requires an enhanced criminal record (DBS) check and a pre-placement induction

• This role requires that you have certain immunisations – we will discuss this with you when you apply

• You will receive a core volunteering induction

• You will also receive a local induction in the department. This will include training on child safeguarding as well as on communication, signposting and escalating certain issues

• You will have access to patient records and you will therefore need to take a short 45 minute online module on Information Governance. You can complete this at home

• Volunteers will also participate in an infant feeding course. This is a 2 day course accredited by UNICEF’s Baby Friendly Initiative. You will receive a certificate on completion of this course. Note: participation in this course is a requirement for all volunteers. The training is on two consecutive days during the week

• You may be able to undertake general volunteering on the maternity unit if you have completed all of your other pre-placement checks but you are waiting for the infant feeding training. This training is offered every 2 to 6 months.

Supervisor:

Gillian Meldrum, Infant Feeding Coordinator (Gillian will be your first point of contact for shift scheduling and support. However she does not work every day and you will receive on-shift support from the senior midwife on duty and their team).

Personal development:

This role will provide with an insight into a busy department in the hospital. You will also develop communication skills and a high level of empathy and understanding. You will receive accredited training and also comprehensive pre-placement training.