A specialist team supporting families in Sefton has been awarded the highest level of accreditation from UNICEF, recognising its outstanding support at a time when infant feeding is a growing national priority.

Mersey Care’s Infant Feeding Service, which is part of the Sefton Health Visiting 0-19 Service, has achieved the Baby Friendly Initiative Gold Award, a nationally recognised mark of excellence for services that protect, promote and support breastfeeding and parent infant relationships.

The award follows a rigorous national assessment, which praised the service for its “excellent package of support for local families,” strong leadership, and clear focus on reducing health inequalities.

Anne Tattersall, Mersey Care’s Associate Director of Children and Young People’s Services, said:- “This is a fantastic achievement for our teams and a reflection of their passion, expertise and commitment to supporting families in Sefton. We know breastfeeding support can have a lifelong impact on babies and their parents, and this recognition shows how our teams are making a real difference every day. This award recognises local service driving improvements in breastfeeding rates and support for families.”    

Mersey Care has already highlighted the success of this programme via their website by showing the impact of it on young parents like Beth, (see below) who said:- “The support I received made such a difference – it gave me confidence when I needed it most and helped me continue feeding my baby.”

The Gold Award has been received as new national data shows that breastfeeding rates across England are improving, with more babies receiving breast milk at 6 to 8 weeks than at any time in the past decade. However, significant inequalities remain, with many families stopping breastfeeding earlier than they would like, particularly in more disadvantaged communities. 

Local work in Sefton is helping to address this challenge. The UNICEF assessment highlighted significant improvements in breastfeeding outcomes across the borough, including targeted work in communities where rates have traditionally been lower, such as Bootle.

Colette Palin, Infant Feeding Lead at Mersey Care, said:- “We’re incredibly proud to receive the Gold Award. It reflects years of dedication from our staff and partners to create a culture where families feel supported and confident in feeding their babies.”

Sefton’s service already delivers many of the Best Start in Life ambitions, working closely with partners including Sefton Council, Family Wellbeing Centres, maternity services and community partners to provide joined up support for families. Partnership working has been key to success, including collaboration with community organisations such as Netherton Feelgood Factory.

Carol Miles, from Netherton Feelgood Factory, explained:- “We’re proud to support families alongside the Sefton infant feeding service. This award recognises not just the service, but the whole community approach that helps parents feel supported and empowered.”

Across the UK, experts continue to highlight the importance of creating a supportive culture around breastfeeding, with recent reports calling for more consistent, community based services to help families achieve their feeding goals. In parts of Cheshire and Merseyside, work is ongoing to normalise breastfeeding and ensure families feel confident and supported, both at home and in public settings.

Dr Rory McGill, Sefton’s Director of Public Health, added:- “We’re delighted with this news of Mersey Care’s infant feeding support team achieving Gold accreditation, which recognises the dedication of our partnership and local teams supporting our families across Sefton.”