Publish date: 20 May 2026
The Infant Feeding Service - part of Mersey Care’s Sefton Health Visiting 0-19 Service - has been awarded the highest level of accreditation from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), recognising its outstanding support to local families at a time when infant feeding is a growing national priority.
The service has achieved the Baby Friendly Initiative Gold Award, a nationally recognised mark of excellence for services that protect, promote and support breastfeeding and parent infant relationships.
The award follows a rigorous national assessment, which praised the service for its “excellent package of support for local families,” strong leadership, and clear focus on reducing health inequalities.
Anne Tattersall, Mersey Care’s Associate Director of Children and Young People’s Services, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for our teams and a reflection of their passion, expertise and commitment to supporting families in Sefton.
“We know breastfeeding support can have a lifelong impact on babies and their parents, and this recognition shows how our teams are making a real difference every day. This award recognises local service driving improvements in breastfeeding rates and support for families.”
Colette Palin, Infant Feeding Lead at Mersey Care, said: “We’re incredibly proud to receive the Gold Award. It reflects years of dedication from our staff and partners to create a culture where families feel supported and confident in feeding their babies.”
Read more about the success of the programme and how it has helped parents like Beth in the recent issue of MC Magazine.
