Action plan and planning day

In order to plan effectively for the implementation of the Baby Friendly standards, it is important to develop a logically ordered, achievable action plan.

Action plan templates are available to support you with this – please use the download links on this page.

The Baby Friendly Initiative also provides the option of a planning meeting so that a Baby Friendly assessor can work with staff to develop an action plan that is suitable for local needs (please note that planning meetings are not offered to universities).

During this meeting, a Baby Friendly assessor will make an introductory presentation for the Head of Service and other key staff and will then facilitate an action planning meeting with key workers (lasting approximately three hours) which will enable the development of a structured action plan.

After the meeting, the assessor is available to provide extra support and guidance via phone and email as the action plan is implemented. There is a charge for a planning meeting.

A joint planning meeting can be arranged for services planning to work towards Baby Friendly accreditation together. We can also arrange a planning meeting covering a full local authority area.

Organising a planning meeting

Contact the Baby Friendly Initiative office if you wish to explore available dates

Please note: Before your visit, we recommend that you:

• Write an infant feeding policy or, if you already have a policy, check that it meets the Baby Friendly criteria. You can get help with this by downloading the relevant sample policy and checklist.
• Begin to draw up a draft action plan using the appropriate action plan templates (download above).
• (If possible) carry out a baseline audit of care received by pregnant women and new mothers.
• Neonatal units working towards Baby Friendly can consult our comprehensive guidance for working towards accreditation.

Action plan templates