Council’s public health nursing service wins top award for excellence in infant care
Somerset Council is celebrating the success of its public health nursing service team, who have been awarded a Baby Friendly Gold Award by the leading children’s charity UNICEF. The award is the highest level of accreditation under the charity’s scheme, presented only where there is excellent and continued practice in the support of infant feeding and parent-infant relationships.

Members of Somerset Council’s public health nursing service, photo courtesy of Somerset Council
The Baby Friendly accreditation scheme was first introduced in the UK in 1994. Today, a range of government and policy documents in all four UK nations recommend taking part, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.
Under the scheme, accreditation is based on a set of interlinking, evidence-based standards covering maternity, health visiting, community and hospital-based children’s services. The aim is to provide parents with the best possible care, to help them build close and loving relationships with their baby, and to feed their baby in ways which will support optimum health and development.
Each of these stages is externally assessed by UNICEF UK as part of the accreditation process.
The gold award is just the latest accolade for the service. Last April, a survey was conducted of some 40 families of babies born between December 2023 and March 2024 about their experience of Somerset Council’s public health nursing service. The results were excellent.
- 100% of respondents said they felt treated with ‘kindness and consideration’
- 97% of breastfeeding mothers felt supported by through one-to-one provision, groups and specialist services
- 93% of mothers said they had an antenatal discussion that was appropriate to their need and was ‘comforting and caring’
Of the UNICEF accreditation, Cllr Graham Oakes, Lead Member for Public Health, Climate Change and Environment at Somerset Council, says: ‘This prestigious award is a testament to the team’s unwavering commitment to excellence in supporting breastfeeding and nurturing parent-infant relationships. Health visitors play an important role in supporting families, especially first-time parents and vulnerable family members. They can identify needs of a baby (and the wider family) and are often the first point of contact for parents who need early advice and support. Huge congratulations to the team and all involved.’
Sophie Jones, Deputy Head of Service, adds: ‘Our journey to gold status has been one of dedication, passion and a collective effort to exceed the high standards set by the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative. We have not only implemented best practices but have also sustained and built upon them, ensuring that every family we support receives the highest quality of care. This gold accreditation is more than just a badge of honour; it is a beacon of our service’s dedication to continuous improvement and our resolve to provide the best start in life for every child. I am incredibly proud of our service’s hard work and the positive impact we have made on the lives of countless families. Together, we celebrate this remarkable achievement and look forward to advancing our service to even greater heights.’
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