Safer Sleep is Everyone’s Responsibility
We want to support Plymouth’s multi-agency workforce to be aware of the safer sleep message and share in the responsibility to help all Plymouth babies sleep more safely. But why is safer sleep important in our work with neglect and what is the safer sleep message in Plymouth?
Safer Sleep and Neglect
Understanding and promoting safer sleep for babies is a universal message for all families. However, for the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, infants dying suddenly and unexpectedly represents one of the largest
groups of cases notified to the panel. While these account for only a proportion of all SUDI (Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy) they occur in families who are particularly vulnerable and where safeguarding concerns exist for the children.
Almost all of these incidents involve parents co-sleeping in unsafe sleep environments with infants, often when the
parents had consumed alcohol or drugs. In addition, there were wider safeguarding concerns often involving cumulative neglect, domestic violence, parental mental
health concerns and substance misuse, all issues that underpin neglect. You can read the out of routine full report HERE.
Therefore it’s crucial that we are considering how babies are sleeping in our assessments and on-going work with families in responding to neglect and seeking assurance that families are practising safer sleep.
The Lullaby Trust
The Lullaby Trust is the safer sleep message we have adopted in Plymouth. They have a range of excellent resources, including films, for professionals and families so please spend some time getting to know the ABCs of Safer Sleep and how you can help our Plymouth babies sleep more safely. You can find all of the most up to date advice by visiting The Lullaby Trust website HERE.
….and remember…
1. Safer sleep is for every sleep and nap, day and night.
2. It’s not just about checking that a baby has a safer sleep space when they are first placed for their nap/sleep. Babies can wake up somewhere different to where they started sleeping. For example parents/cares waking to comfort or feed a baby and then resting on a sofa, chair or bed. So consider where the baby sleeps but also where they wake up. This will give you a fuller picture of the sleeping practices in the family.
3. The safer sleep message is for all members of a family that help care for the baby e.g. mother, father, partners, grandparents, older siblings.
4. A great way of challenging some of the unsafe sleeping messages portrayed on wider social media is to suggest to families that they follow The Lullaby Trust on their social media platforms. This means families receive accurate and on-going messages direct to their phones.
