Job Summary
Closing date for application - 28th August 2026
East Belfast Sure Start are looking for a midwife to support the work of our antenatal and postnatal team in an educational role and support role. Permanent 16/25 hour role - hours and days flexible but will involve occasional evening and weekend work.
This fantastic role is primarily around the education and nurture of expectant mums and their partners and new parents as we welcome them into their parenthood journey with East Belfast Sure Start. It includes includes group work and home visits so the candidate should have experience in facilitation and also have a community development approach.
The Sure Start Midwife will be an essential part of the Perinatal Team in EBSS which aims to provide an educational outreach service which will be complimentary to existing services in EBSS and which support statutory services and other health professionals in the local area to meet the needs of the families and babies using Sure Start. Specifically, they will support mothers to be, new mothers and their partners to prepare for pregnancy, childbirth and beyond, promoting good maternal and infant well being through responsive parenting. They will lead and support East Belfast Sure Start to maintain UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Standards.
KEY TASKS
All of these tasks includes working in a way that values parents, encouraging participation and empowerment and ensures the voices of parents and babies are heard and reported to the management committee and policy arena.
Professional:
- Participates in planning and setting Antenatal and Postnatal team objectives and targets. Provides information to inform strategic plans, in particular around promoting maternal and infant health and responsive feeding.
- Works within the perinatal team to support and promote good maternal and infant well-being including responsive feeding by providing information and support around the first 1001 days of a child’s life, improving knowledge and understanding of child development and health related issues for parents and the wider community using culturally sensitive and community development approaches when implementing new ways of working.
- Provide support along with the rest of the perinatal team using home visits and 1:1’s and phone calls. The midwife’s role will focus primarily and specifically on providing Breastfeeding Support and supporting antenatal mums with complex needs through pregnancy and upto the first few months of postnatal support. Make referrals both internally and to community, voluntary organisations and statutory agencies ensuring appropriate course of action is taken. Provides a signposting service to specialist services.
- Leads and facilitates the delivery of Antenatal and Postnatal education.
- Lead on Baby Friendly Initiative Standards in East Belfast Sure Start
- Evaluates the effectiveness of programmes to ensure quality, maximum uptake, inclusion and improved outcomes for families with young children.
- Works on developing new support packages that meet the needs of families.
- Participates in training and development opportunities offered by East Belfast Sure Start and others and accepts responsibility for personal and professional development of self.
- Helps to build and maintain good working relationships and partnerships within the staff team and with multi- agency professionals including local maternity hospitals and community midwifery.
EAST BELFAST SURE START
PERSONAL SPECIFICATION
Midwife
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:
- Midwifery Qualification.
- Two post registration recent experience preferably using a community development approach.
- Have knowledge of antenatal and postnatal education and the promotion of responsive feeding including experience of supporting breastfeeding.
- Ability to facilitate programmes and workshops for parents.
- Able to use IT including familiarity with Microsoft without support for filing, writing reports, managing emails.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- A high level of innovation and creativity.
- Experience of working to, and understanding of, a child protection policy.
9. Full driving licence and access to a car
The ability to get to different geographical locations within reasonable time scale is essential for completion of the requirements of this post. The ability to drive and have access to a car would normally be considered essential. However, under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 we will offer the post to non-drivers who have a disability and can demonstrate the effectiveness of an alternative method of transport the same financial help as essential car users.
DESIRABLE CRITERIA:
- Knowledge of Sure Start ethos and principles.
- Experience of working in a disadvantaged area
- Togetherness Training
- Knowledge of Hypnobirthing
- Knowledge of Antenatal Yoga and Baby Massage
- Knowledge of communicating messages through social media and whatsapp.
Pay: From £21.00 per hour
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
