Six years of ‘Gold’ for council’s infant feeding support

The Nottinghamshire Early Help and Family Hubs service has retained its Gold Standard UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) award for the sixth time.

Families across Nottinghamshire can continue to be assured that the best support is available for them and their babies throughout their infant feeding journey.  The scheme also looks at how families are supported with bonding and attachment, recognising baby cues to ensure responsive feeding and appropriate support for parents/carers with emotional wellbeing.

The Early Help and Family Hubs service joins the Healthy Family team, provided by Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and commissioned by Nottinghamshire County Council, in continuing to be at BFI Gold Standard. Nottinghamshire remains one of the few counties in the UK where both parts of the community support for breastfeeding reach this internationally recognised standard, with all the hospital trusts across the county also working towards this prestigious programme. 

One of the vital services that the Family Hub teams provide is a parent-led group called Baby and Breastfeeding Encouragement and Support (BABES), where parents volunteer to support local families with breastfeeding and infant feeding. Hannah, one of the trained peer support volunteers at Worksop Family Hub, Manton, has held this role for 10 years.

To acknowledge Hannah’s input and that of the other peer supporters, Councillor Rory Green, Nottinghamshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Families, visited the BABES group she hosts and praised the staff and trained breastfeeding volunteers who are central to the help provided.  Hannah’s knowledge is second-to-none, with families coming from across the district to join the group she runs each Tuesday morning, knowing they will receive a warm, compassionate and knowledgeable welcome, supporting them on their breast/chest feeding journey.

He said: “I’m incredibly proud of the professional, compassionate care our staff and trained volunteers provide to families throughout their infant feeding journey. Retaining this Gold Standard for a sixth time is a fantastic achievement and shows their ongoing dedication.

“The BABES group continues to offer valuable feeding advice, information, encouragement, friendship and a welcome community. Alongside our family hubs, it’s very clear that they help give Nottinghamshire’s youngest residents the Best Start in Life”.

Louise Lester, the county council’s Consultant in Public Health and Communities, with responsibility for Best Start for Life, is the Baby Friendly infant feeding guardian, said: “This award demonstrates the ongoing strength of the infant feeding support available to families across Nottinghamshire.

“By working together, we’re ensuring parents receive consistent high- quality, evidence-based support to help them make informed feeding choices and feel confident in the decisions they make for their families, supporting the nutrition of their babies and positive parent and child relationships”.

UNICEF found that “leadership is well established, with embedded strategic commitment, governance, assurance and monitoring arrangements” and said that there was a “supportive, inclusive culture”.

It also praised the BABES groups for the effectiveness of the support provided in relation to both infant feeding and relationship building, commenting on the work of the volunteers, who help run the groups and the new Virtual Family Hub information on the Your Notts Directory website.  

Breastfeeding rates across Nottinghamshire continue to rise year on year, with the largest increase in some of the county’s most deprived areas.

Information on your nearest family hub is available at: https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/care/family-hub-networks/find-your-nearest-family-hub-team

For more information on infant feeding support, visit the Virtual Family Hub at: https://www.yournottsdirectory.org.uk/children-and-families/breastfeeding-and-antenatal-support/breastfeeding

For more information on the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative, visit: https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/

ENDS.