Families are benefiting from first class care in health visiting, family hubs and children’s centres after experts running services have been awarded the UNICEF UK BFI Stage 3 Accreditation Award.
The Baby Friendly Initiative, set up by UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, is a global programme which provides a practical and effective way for health services to improve and maintain the best standards of care for all mothers and babies. In the UK, the initiative works with public services to protect, promote and support breastfeeding, safe bottle feeding and to strengthen mother-baby and family relationships.
This is the highest level of Baby Friendly accreditation and recognises that evidence-based standards supporting parent–baby relationships and infant feeding have been successfully embedded into everyday practice.
Sarah Harris, Infant Feed Lead at West London NHS Trust, said: “Achieving this accreditation is a reflection of the dedication and expertise of our teams in delivering high-quality care every day. Meeting national standards is important, but what matters most is the positive difference we make to children, young people and their families. This recognition highlights the strength of our partnership working, the quality of education and support we provide, and our shared commitment to continually improving services to achieve the best possible outcomes for those in our care.”
Councillor Lily Bath, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care, London Borough of Hounslow Council, said: “We are delighted that Hounslow’s health visiting, family hubs and children’s centres have been recognised for their outstanding level of care for mothers and babies. Our Public Health team works closely with our NHS partners to provide services that meet parents’ and children's needs.
“Supporting feeding mothers is a key public health priority for the Council. Through initiatives like our infant feeding support services and Baby Feeding Friendly network of venues, rates of breastfeeding in Hounslow have increased from 43% to 61% in the past three years. This is testament to the dedication shown by our colleagues and partners to help families to give their children the best start in life.”
