The high level of care and support provided to new mums in Bath and North East Somerset means Sirona care and health has retained its prestigious UNICEF Baby Friendly status.
Sirona’s Health Visiting service passed the reassessment with flying colours, after first earning the accreditation in 2012.
The Baby Friendly Initiative UK is part of a global programme set up by the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation in a drive to improve services for mothers and babies around the world.
Assessors interviewed staff at Sirona and asked 40 mums to discuss the care they received, resulting in a report full of positive comments.
“There is solid embedded care, highly valued by mothers,” the assessors added, and: “Mothers feel listened to and value the responsiveness of the service.”
There was special praise for the baby feeding hubs set up by Sirona across the district to offer families information and social support for infant feeding and early parenting, with the assessors describing them as “innovative and transformational”.
Feedback from mothers who had attended the hubs was “extremely positive”.
Jo Webb, UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative co-ordinator at Sirona, said: “We are delighted that the UNICEF Baby Friendly assessors have recognised the quality of care and mother-centred approach provided by our dedicated teams.
“A huge thank you also goes to the mums who shared their experiences with the assessors – their feedback is invaluable when it comes to shaping the services and support we offer to new parents and their babies.”
