Family Hubs: here to help Wirral families with safer sleep
As Safer Sleep Week gets underway, Wirral’s Family Hubs are reminding parents they’re here to offer practical, trusted support with all aspects of caring for a baby – including creating a safe sleep environment. By working hand in hand with the 0–19 Health and Wellbeing Service, the hubs make it easier for families to access clear, consistent guidance so every child has the safest possible start.
Family Hubs bring together a range of council services along with key partners to support families. To mark this year’s Safer Sleep Week (10–16 March) Clare Whitehead, Infant Feeding Lead at Wirral Community Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, is offering simple advice on this year’s theme of ‘baby necessities’.
Clare explains:
A safe sleep space has just the essentials – a firm flat mattress, a well fitted sheet and nothing else… always place your baby on their back and keep them in the same room as you for the first six months.
With so many products on the market, choosing what your baby actually needs can feel overwhelming. The truth is reassuringly simple: the safest cot is a clear cot.
Clare works alongside Family Hubs on key initiatives and helps ensure that safer sleep guidance is delivered clearly. Safer Sleep Week is The Lullaby Trust’s annual campaign highlighting how simple, consistent actions can reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Sadly, around four babies a week in the UK still die from SIDS, but raising awareness of safer sleep really can save lives.
Simple steps for safer sleep
- Keep the cot clear – just a firm, flat mattress and light bedding. No pillows, duvets, toys or bumpers.
- Always place babies on their backs to sleep.
- Avoid overheating by keeping the room between 16–20°C and using lightweight bedding or a properly fitted sleeping bag.
- Never sleep with a baby on a sofa or chair, as this greatly increases risk.
- The safest place for a baby to sleep is in their own clear, flat, firm sleep space, such as a cot or Moses basket, in the same room as parents for at least six months.
Clare adds that
Sleep spaces may change, but the necessities don’t.
She encourages families to seek advice if they’re unsure about bedsharing or setting up a safe sleep space.
Where to get help
If you’d like guidance or reassurance about your baby’s sleep, you can speak to:
- your health visitor
- your local 0–19 team
- your nearest Family Hub, where support from hub staff and health professionals is available
Further safer sleep information is also available from The Lullaby Trust, including tips on coping with tiredness and keeping babies safe during every sleep.
