Achieving Sustainability: Universities

The Achieving Sustainability standards for universities are designed to support longer-term implementation and embedding of the Baby Friendly standards.

The standards will not only support sustainability within midwifery and health visiting programmes, but will also provide a broader approach to support good practice in infant feeding throughout the university. The standards have the long term aim of improving health outcomes for families, whether they are cared for by the students, are the students themselves or are staff working within the university environment. Universities that meet the standards will be ‘Re-accredited as Baby Friendly with Sustainability’ and receive a Gold Award. Find out more in the overview and guidance documents.

To learn if your university is eligible to go for Gold and how the Achieving Sustainability assessment works, download the ‘Should we go for the Gold Award?’ document below.

Revalidation and Annual Report

Universities accredited as Gold Baby Friendly must revalidate after two years and each subsequent three years in order to effectively monitor the maintenance and progress of the standards. Learn more about the process and download the necessary documentation here.

Leadership training pack for Universities

We have developed a teaching pack for lecturers to train the leadership team within their university about the Baby Friendly standards. The pack is intended to support the lead lecturer to ensure all relevant senior staff

• have an awareness of the importance of infant feeding and very early child development on public health and wellbeing
• understand the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative standards
• recognise how to achieve sustainability within their university.

The pack contains slides and videos together with teaching notes and suggestions for teaching methods. If you would like to purchase this pack please download and return the digital resources order form. 

Resources to help you meet the standards (download below)

• Achieving Sustainability guidance and application forms
• Improvements report template
• Achieving sustainability: Should we go for the Gold award?
• Self-assessment tool