HENRY Infant Feeding Practitioner (community), Waltham Forest - MATERNITY COVER
Hours: 37.5 hours per week (1.0 FTE). There is a possibility that, for the right candidate, this role could be offered on a part-time basis, either three days per week (0.6 FTE) or four days per week (0.8 FTE). The minimum working pattern would be Monday to Wednesday.
HENRY is a safeguarding organisation and this role requires an enhanced DBS check.
Contract: Fixed-term maternity cover until predicted end date of 30 June 2027.
Salary: Based on a full-time salary of £30,626.46, plus up to 6% matched pension contribution
Location: Hybrid – Waltham Forest and home working
Are you passionate about babies and helping support families with breastfeeding and bottle-feeding journeys?
We are seeking an accredited Infant Feeding Practitioner/breastfeeding counsellor, who has experience of leading group sessions in a community setting. Become part of a friendly team who care about providing a supportive environment to deliver excellent care to families in Waltham Forest.
With an empathic and caring approach, you will support families with both breastfeeding and bottle-feeding through face-to-face support. You will be able to build and maintain good relationships with our health and infant feeding partners to share our offer to help more local families find out about the service.
We are particularly interested in hearing from candidates who are from or represent our local community.
HENRY is a learning organisation with a strong culture rooted in development, self-reflection and partnership working. Our teams have a shared sense of support and community building at the heart of what we do. We respect differences and believe it helps build a stronger service.
Overview of role: Infant Feeding Practitioner
The local service:
We have a successful and established HENRY Infant Feeding service in Waltham Forest, based in the Children and Family Hubs. We provide practical and emotional support for families however they feed their babies through face-to-face drop-in sessions and a local Infant Feeding helpline.
The team form a vital and early link into our Children and Family Hubs, helping families to know what is on offer in health and community settings so they can access support when they need it. You will be involved in community outreach to promote the service and to understand how we can best meet local needs.
Waltham Forest Family Hubs:
HENRY and The Family Hubs team want all families in Waltham Forest to have access to the services and the support they need, within easy reach of their home.
We’re looking for people passionate about reaching underserved families and helping make early feeding support accessible in every neighbourhood.
The team:
You will be joining a team of community Infant Feeding Practitioners, who are led by an Infant Feeding Team Lead. The team is a flexible and friendly group, and there are regular opportunities to learn and reflect together, as well as 1-1 and group supervision.
We also have a Healthy Families team, who support families on the topics of a healthy family lifestyle and dental health.
As part of this team, you will also build and maintain relationships with partners in the local community such as health services, children and family hubs, libraries, early years settings and other community providers.
Work base and travel:
This is a hybrid role based across Waltham Forest: at the Walthamstow Family Hub, various community venues, and optionally at home for some admin and helpline work. Travel within the borough is required each week, with occasional travel across London for training (with notice).
Hours:
We are recruiting for a full-time position of 37.5 hours per week. There is a possibility that, for the right candidate, this role could be offered on a part-time basis, either three days per week (0.6 FTE) or four days per week (0.8 FTE). The minimum working pattern would be Monday to Wednesday.
The service runs Monday to Friday, with face‑to‑face sessions 9:30–3:30 and helpline cover 9–5. While practitioners work part‑time, each has fixed weekly hours.
Contract:
Fixed term maternity cover contract to predicted end date of 30.06.2027.
Contact name: Marjorie Aissani, Infant Feeding Team Lead
Benefits package:
- 30 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays, pro-rated for part-time staff
- Length of service enhanced Charity Sick Pay and other enhanced leave policies
- Access to a pension scheme with a matched employer contribution of up to 6%
- Employee Assistance Programme, giving free and confidential access to a variety of wellbeing support services
- 2 paid days per year to dedicate to learning and development
- Enhanced family friendly policies
Job description and person specification
Key Responsibilities:
1.Reach and engage diverse families
2.Deliver infant feeding support in accordance with best practice
3.Support volunteers and staff in partner agencies to promote breastfeeding
4.Collect data to measure impact of services and drive improvement
1.Reach and engage diverse families
- Participate in local public health events and campaigns to promote messages around infant feeding and babies’ wider health and wellbeing.
- Consult with local services, community groups and families to identify diverse needs within the local population.
- Build and maintain collaborative relationships with local partners, creatively overcoming barriers to engage vulnerable and marginalised groups.
- Contribute to the development of resources, flyers and posters to promote key messages and HENRY support.
- Support and/or deliver outreach activities.
2.Deliver infant feeding support in accordance with best practice
- Contribute to the delivery of the HENRY infant feeding service in accordance with planned milestones and targets and the needs of families, commissioners and stakeholders.
- Provide high-quality person-centred support, promoting the benefits of breastfeeding whilst respecting a mother’s choice not to breastfeed.
- Set up, run and publicise workshops, drop-in sessions and other activities to support parents in feeding and caring for their baby.
- Follow safeguarding, lone working and health and safety policies to protect your own safety and the safety and wellbeing of children and families.
- Refer and/or signpost families to other local services, including specialist services, in response to identified needs and/or complex feeding issues.
3.Support volunteers and staff in partner agencies to promote breastfeeding
- Contribute to the development of training materials and resources.
- Support and mentor staff in other organisations to deliver UNICEF Baby-Friendly services.
- Provide support and supervision for breastfeeding peer supporters.
- Disseminate evidence-based guidelines and resources for use by partner agencies.
4.Collect data to measure impact of services and drive improvement
- Ensure feedback, evaluation and monitoring information is gathered and recorded for all services.
- Accurately collect and enter relevant data.
- Contribute to the preparation of reports.
- Participate in service reviews to establish the effectiveness of support provided and identify areas for improvement
5.Attitudes, behaviour & values
- Build respectful relationships, understanding the impact of your behaviour on others and being willing to adapt it when necessary
- Work effectively as a member of the team by consulting and sharing information with colleagues, managing your time to meet deadlines and preparing for meetings
- Maintain clear and accurate records
- Communicate effectively with partners.
- Comply with all organisational policies and procedures
- Model HENRY values
- Support own development through on-going reading, research and supervision
Essentials
Qualifications
- Breastfeeding training, at least Peer Supporter level from a recognised organisation egBfN, ABM, NCT7
Experience
- Minimum of 1 year’s experience of effective and person-centred provision of infant feeding support
- Promotion of breastfeeding
- Working in a health or community setting with individuals and groups
- Working with diverse ethnic and social groups
- Partnership working
Knowledge
- Best practice in infant feeding support based on Baby Friendly guidance
- Healthy development in the first year
- Relevant health and early years services
- Data protection and confidentiality
- Safeguarding policies and procedures
- Microsoft 365 proficiency
Skills and attitudes
- High motivation to contribute to HENRY’s work and commitment to organisational values
- Working effectively as part of a team
- Empathic and non-judgemental, skilled at providing information and support using a partnership approach
- Excellent interpersonal skills – able to build respectful and sensitive relationships with mothers, families and multi-agency partners
- Willingness to work flexibly, including evenings and weekends as required, to reach families
- Committed to diversity, equality and inclusion
- Able to manage and prioritise workload
Ability
- Able and willing to travel and work across the service area
Desirable
Qualifications
- Breastfeeding Counsellor
- Lactation Consultant
- UNICEF Baby Friendly Training
- NNEB / NVQ 2 or 3 in childcare
Experience
- Working with vulnerable clients
- Capturing data in relation to key indicators
- Mentoring and supporting peer breastfeeding volunteers
Knowledge
- Understanding the needs of volunteers
- Fluent in one or more community language(s)
HENRY is a safeguarding organisation and this role requires an enhanced DBS check.
Closing date for completed applications: 9am, Monday 27th July 2026
Interviews: Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th August 2026 in Waltham Forest
Please go to www.henry.org.uk/jobs for more information and to apply.
Pay: From £30,626.46 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Company pension
- Sick pay
Work Location: Hybrid remote in London E17 5PX
