Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust’s East Riding Infant Feeding team, which includes the East Riding Family Hubs, have achieved the highest possible UNICEF Baby Friendly accreditation for the seventh year in a row. This fantastic achievement has been consistently maintained through improving rates of breastfeeding and diverse support being offered to families in East Riding.
The UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) Gold Award, also known as the “Achieving Sustainability” award, is the highest level of accreditation granted. It recognises long-term excellence in supporting infant feeding and building strong parent-infant relationships. To earn the Gold Award, a service must already be fully BFI accredited and consistently meet core standards. The assessment focuses on embedding practices permanently by evaluating four key areas: Leadership, Culture, Monitoring and Progression.
Louise Shafei, East Riding Infant Feeding Lead at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust said, “We are incredibly proud to have achieved Baby Friendly Initiative Gold Accreditation for the seventh consecutive year. This sustained recognition is a true testament to the unwavering commitment, passion and professionalism of our staff across Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust and East Riding Family Hubs. For families, this recognition means they can trust they are receiving the very best support with infant feeding and early relationships, helping give every baby the strongest possible start in life.”
Michele Moran, Breastfeeding Guardian and Chief Executive at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust said, “As a health visitor myself, I am delighted to see the impact our teams are having on our local families and the important role they play in ensuring babies are getting the best possible start in life. This accreditation is further recognition of the vital work our Infant Feeding teams do to support families and future generations.”
The Infant Feeding Service is a partnership between East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust. They provide parents with information and support on feeding and caring for their baby throughout pregnancy, birth and throughout a child’s first formative years. To find out more about Infant Feeding support in East Riding you can visit Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust’s Connect website here.