• Good quality training is crucial to ensure that those involved with caring for mothers and babies have the skills and knowledge to ensure best practice around breastfeeding is implemented.

    The Baby Friendly Initiative provides a variety of courses, workshops and teaching packs to support health professionals as they work towards the stages to full accreditation.

    All training products have been developed by our team of experienced Baby Friendly Initiative tutors and assessors, and are specifically designed to help participants achieve the high standard of practice required in Baby Friendly health-care facilities. They are evidence-based and accompanied by comprehensive workbooks and other materials.

    The following courses are currently available:

    Breastfeeding management course

    This three-day course is for midwives, health visitors, neonatal nurses and other health-care staff who have primary responsibility for clinical breastfeeding support. The course provides in depth training on the process of lactation and related topics There is a strong theory to practice link and participants are required to complete a practical element before and after attendance on the course. Available as an in-house or open course.

    Train the Trainer

    Train the Trainer aims to provide participants with information and ideas on how to deliver effective in-house training to their staff group. Participants will gain an understanding of how people learn and what factors need to be taken into account when implementing a programme of training. They will explore basic teaching strategies and consider how these can be applied to the teaching of key topics relevant to Baby Friendly practice. All participants will be required to deliver a short presentation which will be peer evaluated as part of the course. It is available as an open or in-trust course.

    Project management 

    This two-day course aims to provide participants with ideas and tools to help them project manage their way to full Baby Friendly accreditation. The course content includes information on how to get support for your project and manage your time effectively. Developing influencing skills and working with your manager to get the best outcomes will also be covered. Participants will have an opportunity to begin planning one aspect of the project using tried and tested project management tools such as task boarding and Gantt charting.

    Breastfeeding and lactation management for neonatal staff

    This three-day course is designed to provide neonatal staff with the background knowledge and practical skills they need in order to support mothers to initiate and maintain lactation within the neonatal setting. There will be a strong focus on the importance of family-centred care with reference to the NHS Toolkit for High Quality Neonatal Services and the BLISS Baby Charter Standards. It is available as an open course.

    Audit Workshop

    This one-day workshop in auditing practices to support breastfeeding is designed to help key members of staff develop the skills they need to carry out meaningful audits within their workplace. It focuses on the type of audit required to assess care against the Baby Friendly Initiative standards, and how this can be carried out and interpreted. Participants will be given lots of opportunities to practice using the Baby Friendly audit tool.

    E-learning for GPs

    This new online package is designed to equip GPs with knowledge about the importance of breastfeeding, supporting breastfeeding women, common causes of, and treatment for, breastfeeding problems and information on prescribing, along with appropriate references and resources.

    Dates and booking

    You can book a place on an open course by using our open course booking form.

    If you would like us to teach a course to a group of your staff, at a venue provided by you (in-house course), please call 020 7375 6052 or email us.

    Alternatively, you call our Helpdesk on 0844 801 2414 to pay by credit card.

  •