After Sheffield City Council became the first standalone local authority to receive the award in 2019, that standard has been kept up for six consecutive years.
Last month (July), the Council discovered the award had been kept for the work carried out city-wide during 2024.
UNICEF Baby Friendly UK works to promote and implement the best infant feeding practices. In Sheffield, support is offered to all families from the antenatal period through to the postnatal stage to help parents with feeding and caring for their babies. This also includes promoting and protecting breastfeeding.
Data shows that 58% of babies in Sheffield receive some form of breast milk at six weeks old – which is above the national average.
Since first achieving the Gold Award in 2019, overall rates have seen a gradual increase. Now, 5.8% more children receive breast milk at the new birth visit, and this has also risen by 3.7% at the six-to-eight week visit.
Our Family Hubs have a dedicated Infant Feeding Peer Support Team who work closely with midwives and health visitors to provide information and support during pregnancy, as well as after your baby is born.
The team offer one-to-one support, both face to face and via telephone, for as long as it is required for all Sheffield mums.
The service also offers weekly breastfeeding support drop-ins at various venues across the city. These offer a chance for ongoing breastfeeding support and encouragement, as well as a chance to make new friends with other mums and babies on a similar journey.
This means that all staff are trained, according to their role, to support families and help improve services. It also reflects the strong partnership between Sheffield City Council, health professionals and other partners across the city, working together to provide the best possible care for families.
We are delighted to once again receive the UNICEF Baby Friendly Gold Award.
It’s really pleasing to see that, for the sixth consecutive year, we continue to meet these high standards. We remain committed to supporting all expectant parents and parents with brand new family members in Sheffield.
Cllr Dawn Dale, Chair of Sheffield City Council’s Education, Children’s and Families Committee
The NHS has spoken for a long time about the health benefits breastfeeding can bring for infants when parents are able to support this method of feeding.
For those who wish to, we are pleased to provide the level of support that we do across Sheffield. But there is always more that can be done. More businesses and public spaces can sign up as breastfeeding friendly. We are using this awareness week to highlight how they can join those that already have to increase provision for parents in Sheffield.
Sheffield City Council Director of Public Health Greg Fell
For more information on how Sheffield City Council’s Family Hubs teams can support you on your breastfeeding journey, head to the Council website.
More information on UNICEF Baby Friendly UK can be found at their website.
