North West Infant Feeding Network Meeting Notes
Monday 23rdSeptember 2013 at 12.30 – 16.30hrs
County Hall, Preston
Present:
Sue Henry (Chair)
SH
Julia Kemp
JK
Monica Clarkson
Avril Smith
AS
Infant Feeding Coordinator-Sefton community organisations / Liverpool Community
Health
Infant Feeding Coordinator - Bridgewater Warrington community
Janet Beech
JB
Infant Feeding Coordinator - Countess of Chester
Clare Whitehead
CW
Infant Feeding Lead - Wirral community Trust
Sue Saunders
SS
Infant Feeding Coordinator - Liverpool Womens
Maria Brooking
MB
Infant Feeding Specialist - East Lancashire community
Shel Banks
SB
Baby Friendly Coordinator –Blackpool Hospital
Dawn Burrows
DB
Parentcraft & Infant Feeding Coordinator – Blackpool Hospital
Lesley Fawcett
LF
Infant Feeding Coordinator –Ormskirk Hospital
Janet Edwards
JE
Carole Brazier
CB
Infant Feeding and Public Health Specialist Midwife – Lancashire Teaching Hospitals
(Preston)
Infant Feeding Coordinator – Halton and St Helens
Val Finigan
VF
Consultant Midwife_Infant Feeding Coordinator –Oldham Hospital
Sarah McKie
MC
Infant Feeding Coordinator - East Lancashire Hospitals Trust / Blackburn with Darwen
community
Performance and Quality Lead Infant Feeding -Knowsley Community
SmK
Infant Feeding Coordinator – Stockport Foundation Trust
Kath Eaton
KE
Infant Feeding Coordinator, Newborn Intensive Care – St Marys Hospital
Chris Jordan
CJ
Specilaist Health Visitor, Infant Feeding – Bolton community
Sara Blakeway
SaB
Infant Feeding Co-ordinator – Bolton hospital
Natalie Jones
NJ
Infant Feeding Coordinator, Maternity – central Manchester Foundation Trust
Kathryn Ashton
KA
Infant Feeding Lead (maternity services) – Royal Albert Edward Informary
Sharon Brown
ShB
Infant Feeding Lead (HV services) - Bridgewater(Ashton, Leigh and Wigan Division)
Alison Healey
AH
Breastfeeding strategic lead – Wigan Council
Joanne Mayall
JM
Infant Feeding Specialist - Oldham commuinty health services, Pennine Care
Justine Baines
JB
Oldham community health services, Pennine Care - central Manchester Foundation
Trust
Central Manchester University
Carole McGlone
CmG
Apologies:
Sarah McCormack, Nicki Jones, Fiona Fenna, Donna Butler, Mary Whitmore, Magda Sachs, Fiona Munro-Muotune,
Kthryn Henshall, Helen Howard, Caroline Kenyon, Pauline Mulhall, Carolyn Pugh, Anna Byrom, Fiona Lee
Attached:ToR
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NOTES:
WELCOME:
SH welcomed all members and noted apologies
SH thanked the group for voting her in as chair and promised to do her best for this group
BACKGROUND TO REGIONAL MEETINGS:
SH gave a verbal presentation (following IT failure!) – re the background to the regional groups
 9 regions – SH shared leads names
 No national infant feeding lead
 Regional group have potential to influence / offer effective support
 NW has population of 7,052,177 – 3rd largest region
 Over 40% birth in NW are in BFI units
 Rational for network groupso Effective implementation of strategic plans is required to deliver increases in breastfeeding rates
o Local infant feeding leads are responsible for implementing these plans
o This group of people – us – should be supported in the key role we play
o Risk of not doing this – some network support in England will cease to exist
 Grant –
o Network leads will be reimbursed for meeting time / travel
o BFI will deduct admin fee for maintenance of website and database
o BFI will keep accurate financial records
o Surplus monies – leadership group will decide on how the funds can be applied for
 Accountability-

Worth your while? –Meetings have to be worth your while- you thoughts and ideas matter –keep in touch with
SH! –If we work together we can really make this group work for all of us.
TERMS OF REFERENCE:
Shared with group – all group members happy – see attached.
Regional group members and leadership group have separate ToR
GROUP GROUND RULES: - agreed –
Confidentiality is of utmost importance / ideas for support are shared / respect for each other in group time / listening /
keep to time / value peoples contributions /allow all group members to speak
NW PHILOSOPHY:
Group agreed it would be good to have a philosophy – further development needed
STANDING AGENDA
1) UPDATE FROM REGIONAL LEAD:
BFI Conference – Glasgow – 27th / 28th November
BFI review / revised standards: discussed
 In NICE quality standards
 DH approved
 Bookings and enquires up
 Answer to BFI fatigue
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New materials to support revised Baby Friendly standards:
http://www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/Health-Professionals/New-Baby-Friendly-Standards/
This page is updated as more resources become available.
Currently there are:
 standards guidance / evidence document
 train the trainer pack for those who have accessed this course
 sample infant feeding policies
 curriculum
 details of how to order new audit tools or maternity and health visiting
 conversations tools
 NICU expressing logs sample
 new courses – NICU (now oldest course!) / maternity / C.Centres / H.Visiting
Coming soon:
 Transitional period guidance
 New Breastfeeding and Relationship Building course workbook – A5 – few weeks away (to buy)
 Guidance relating to antenatal and postnatal conversations
 Audit tool for neonatal services
 New course to train infant feeding coordinators how to implement the standards (not a specialist feeding support
course as originally thought) - decision inspired by IFCs voices
 Replacement sample of what could replace the checklist in the notes – to include a space for plans for individual
mothers
 E version of paed training package
Children’s centres documentation / materials are currently being developed and we’ll have more updates on this later
in the year.
Evidence document – rationale for the revised standards will be launched 12th September and the pdf book will be
available online. Check website/mailings for more information.
CCs and NICUs – will need to do a stage 1 again - and staff will be interviewed again
Assessment guidance – there will be more details of how assessments in 2014 will be transitioning to the revised
standards, and an email letter with more guidance will be sent shortly.
Database of members – BFI may mail out direct if time is critical – keep Sue Henry and BFI up to date with any
changes of details please – stating you are a NW network member.
University review: taking place now including new materials
Website space for regional networks to be developed
BFI web pages – being reviewed – front page will change – and it will simplify further
Latest news:
NICE new postnatal care quality standard recommending BFI and a number of the revised standards including
relationship building (these standards enhances the PN care NICE guidelines – it does not replace them)
http://www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/News-and-Research/News/UNICEF-UK-welcomes-new-NICE-postnatal-carestandards/
Department of Health infant feeding profiles show correlation between higher breastfeeding rates and lower hospital
admissions.
http://www.unicef.org.uk/BabyFriendly/News-and-Research/News/New-data-shows-correlation-between-higherbreastfeeding-rates-and-lower-hospital-admissions/
Group discussed same – SH encouraged group to look at this in local areas and reveal how the profiles can influence
local need / commissioning.
SH shared hard copy for group to see.
2) Feedback from local areas – challenges facing infant feeding coordinators was discussed
3) Supporting BFI implementation:
Revised BFI standards discussed – group agreed much easier and exciting – good that this group can support
with this transition / development of the standards locally
4) Specialist infant feeding issues:
o Strep B information discussed – info circulated to group prior to meeting
o Hind milk feeding information discussed – agreed to see local policies
o LIFIB (Lancashire Infant Feeding Information Board) discussed – highlighted the work going on in this group
o First steps nutrition trust – group agreed these were good resources
o Small Wonders project – project highlighted
o Best Beginnings app. – highlighted
o National Parenting magazine – group has collated a NW response re this magazine
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FUTURE MEETINGS:

Pre meeting questionnaire responses:
o What can the group do to help / support you? – most answers – network support (peer / moral /
networking), service development (ideas / innovation / best practise / care quality / expertise), general
information ( sharing / news / updates / BFI standards updates)
o What are your local infant feeding issues? – peer support / breastfeeding rates / formula
supplementation
o Your areas of expertise? – BFI hospital and community / IBCLCs / teaching / leadership / infant feeding
support / quality / growth charts / organisation / communication / donor milk / LIFIB / frenulotomy / safer
sleep /incentive scheme / parent education +lots of others . . . .
o Are you willing to present your interest at the meetings? – most responses - yes

Group suggestions re specialist infant feeding issues / challenges that can be supported at future
meetings:
o Tongue tie / Frenulotomy services in the NW / Lip ties
o Safer sleeping issues
o Transition to breastfeeding for neonatal babies
o BFI team member to attend a meeting
o Engaging children’s wards
o Leadership issues / support

Group suggestions re possible speakers:
o Group to consider and inform SH
NETWORKING TIME:
Some time spent networking part way through meeting and also time left at the end of the meeting.
Suggestions received to keep this time to the middle part of the meeting.
AoB:
MEETING EVALUATIONS:
SH designed a ‘meeting evaluation’ as this was the first newly formed NW group and wanted to hear everyone’s voice re
how they felt it went and what we can do better. Evaluation comments and suggestions shared with the group following
the meeting. Evaluation questions asked:
 Did the meeting meet your needs / was it worth your while / comments?
 Meeting highs?
 Meeting lows?
 Other suggestions / comments?
NEXT MEETING DATE: FRIDAY 6TH DECEMBER 2013 – 12.30 – 4.30PM
COUNTY HALL PRESTON (COMMITTEE ROOM C), PRESTON, LANCS, PR1 OLD
ACTION TABLE
ALL
SH
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Suggestions to SH re possible guest speakers / volunteers to present topics of interest
Agenda items ahead of next meeting to SH please
Consider who will take meeting notes at next meeting
Try to engage with Cumbria again
Prepare for next meeting – agreed ground rules for NW to start each meeting
Develop further NW group philosophy and share with group for comments
Invite MW to speak about safer sleeping at the next meeting re local work
Clarify if public can access network contact details / meeting notes etc. via website?
Find out if staff who attend the ‘in house education’ BFI course can buy the train the trainer
CDRoM
To clarify if pending new conversation page (that replaces checklist) will be incorporated in
national hand held notes
Plan group info query re infant feeding team staffing / birth rate / BFI status / community or
hospital, hours spent training etc.
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