Background knowledge and practical skills
Effective staff training is essential for Baby Friendly accreditation but many health-care facilities report difficulties in developing appropriate curricula. The Baby Friendly Initiative's three-day course in breastfeeding management is designed to provide health professionals with the background knowledge and practical skills they need in order to implement best practice standards successfully. Suitable for PREP, this course is ideal for maternity and community services working towards Baby Friendly accreditation.
Click here to see the aims and objectives of the course.
Who is this course for?
The course is for midwives, health visitors, and other health-care staff who have primary responsibility for clinical breastfeeding support. Peer supporters and others with a non-health professional/breastfeeding background may also benefit from attending the course. However, the Baby Friendly Initiative strongly recommends that they are further supported and supervised in practice to ensure consistency and quality of service for breastfeeding mothers.
Practical skills reviews
The course incorporates three compulsory practical skills elements (PSRs), the first of which should normally be carried out before the course begins. The other two PSRs are completed as soon as possible after the course, to consolidate the learning gained.
The course is taught in two ways: as an in-house course, where a trust hosts the course for up to 20 of its staff, and as an open course, where individuals attend a course hosted by the Baby Friendly Initiative.
In-house courses
This is the most economical way of accessing this course. Training is provided on the trust's own premises for up to 20 staff. The 2011 price is £5,600 (the equivalent of £280 per person).
The course may be used in different ways. Some trusts send all their staff on the course, while others choose to hold the course jointly with another facility: for example, community and acute trusts sharing a course. Some host the course (sometimes more than once) and then use some or all of the staff who have attended it to run in-house training for their colleagues. To discuss holding the course for your staff, please call the Baby Friendly Initiative on 020 7375 6052 or e-mail us at bfi@unicef.org.uk.
Open courses
These are open to anyone and are held at central locations (see the booking form for the latest details). An individual place costs £390 for an individual place, or £355 if five or more people attend from the same organisation. For enquiries, please call our Helpdesk on 0844 801 2414.
Please note that our services are usually booked up several months in advance and your first preferred date may not always be available.
For both types of course, the clinical practices are completed in participants' own time.
Comments from participant evaluation forms
- “All areas covered were very useful and totally relevant.”
- “I had heard how useful the course was from many people and they were all right.”
- “Having done this course, I now feel more confident and able to give constructive advice to help new mums.”
- "After completing the UNICEF breastfeeding management course I felt empowered to make a difference in the community in which I work.”
