Hackney Infant Feeding Volunteer Co-Ordinator

Job Title:Hackney Infant Feeding Volunteer Co-ordinator

Salary:£26,000

Working Hours:35 hours per week

Location:Hackney Borough based with some home working

Fixed term contract until 30th September 2025

About us at the NCT

A lot of people know NCT for our antenatal classes, and we want to continue to support as many parents and families as we can to access evidence-based information. But we are also much more than this. We are a charity that campaigns on the issues that matter to parents. We run breastfeeding and Infant Feeding support, provided by specialist counsellors. We run thousands of free community activities and events across the UK, led by our fantastic volunteers and peers. And we support women and families facing specific challenges, such as social isolation, feeding difficulties or poor mental health.

Our Hackney Parent Support project is commissioned by Hackney Council, to offer Infant Feeding support across the region in both community and hospital settings and parenting courses for families throughout the Hackney region. The support is delivered by staff and volunteer peer supporters.

The Hackney Infant Feeding Volunteer Co-ordinator's role is to manage, coordinate and support our trained Breastfeeding Peer Supporters at community venues throughout Hackney Borough. This role is home-based but will include travel across the Hackney region (expenses will be reimbursed).

About the role

You will be responsible for leading the Infant Feeding support with Hackney in the community, working closely with the Hospital support lead. Some of the key responsibilities of the role include:

• Leading on Infant Feeding peer support in the community across the region.
• Managing the peer support staff and volunteers that work in the community.
• Working with and supporting Peer Supporters to carry out their role.
• Having a good working knowledge and understanding of the local demographics in the Hackney area and ensuring all support groups are accessible and inclusive.
• Providing peer support to parents and families and attending groups where required.
• Ensure that data collection and feedback is collected in a timely manner in an inclusive way.
• Co-ordinate the Equipment Hire Service
Co-ordinate and maintain the active social media and Infant Feeding Services Site.

You must have good communication skills and be able to build relationships and create a rapport with a wide range of people easily. This is a large project and covers multiple locations so you must be able to confidently prioritise your own work, be highly organised and able to work independently.

Being able to make decisions and respond appropriately to our staff, peer supporters and parents and other external stakeholders is essential, alongside good IT skills– including Outlook, Word and Excel – and you must have good attention to detail.
It is essential for this post that you undertake the training to become an NCT Breastfeeding Peer Supporter. This requires breastfeeding experience of at least 3 months. The training can be undertaken within your working hours. There will also be training on the EPEC (Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities course) provided by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

The role is 35 hours per week which will be predominantly Monday to Friday within the working day, however, will include occasional evening and weekends. This is a home-based role, however travel across Hackney will be required.

About you

• Are you willing to undertake our Peer Supporter training? (Requires minimum 3 months Breastfeeding Experience)
• Can you work at pace and juggle a number of different priorities?
• Are you passionate about supporting families to reach their parenting goals and contribute to their positive wellbeing?
• Do you want to join an amazing Charity that supports parents across the UK?
• Would you like to be part of an amazing team of passionate staff?

If so, please read the job description to find out more on the link here: https://www.nct.org.uk/sites/default/files/job_descriptions/Hackney-Peer-Support-Community-Lead-JD-1.pdf
What we offer

We are taking positive action to increase diversity throughout our organisation, at all levels, and to nurture a culture of inclusion for all our people and the parents and families that we support. More details about our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion action can be found here.

We are committed to zero discrimination both internally and externally regardless of visible or invisible difference such as sex, sexual orientation, age, race, ethnicity, disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition, religion or belief, gender identity, economic class, marital/civil partnership, family status including single parents, socio-economic background and pregnancy and maternity. We provide reasonable adjustments and are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process.

We welcome and actively encourage applications from all candidates including those from under-represented groups within NCT such as individuals from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQI+ people and people with a disability.

The welfare and safety of individuals is at the heart of everything that we do. NCT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.

Closing date: 23:59 on Sunday 28th January 2024

Interviews will take place during the week beginning 29th January 2024

Interview format: Virtual video call – flexible around your working day. The interviews will be a mixture of open and competency-based questions, you do not need to prepare anything in advance.

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process, and you will be asked whether you require any during your application. If there are additional options you’d like to request, please email Jobsatnct.org.uk