OP136 Eyes on the Baby: implementation and evaluation of multiagency SUDI prevention

Background

Sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUDI) predominantly cluster in vulnerable families living in impoverished communities. The 2020 National Safeguarding Practice Review found that families experiencing infant deaths in 2018 were already known to multiple services including safeguarding, drug and alcohol, probation, care leavers, and mental health. The review recommended implementation of multi-agency working (MAW) to enhance targeted SUDI prevention.

Methods

’Eyes on the Baby’ was co-produced by an academic, local authority, and health service partnership to implement multi-agency SUDI prevention in County Durham. Using Normalisation Process Theory as an implementation framework we offered training and follow-up support to the County Durham council and allied services workforce to be alert to the circumstances in which SUDI occurs, to explore infant sleep practices with families, and to offer information and signpost to support.

Results

836 staff signed up for training between Oct-22 and Feb-23, including those working in Family Health, Health and Home Visiting (n=275), Maternity Care (n=73), Children’s Services and Family Support (n=148), Early Years, Nursery & Childminding (n=134), Social Work (n=27), Housing (n=44), Domestic Abuse Support (n=36), and Blue Light Services (n=21). Despite multiple attempts we were unable to engage Police, Probation & Youth Offending, Phamacy, or Voluntary & Community Sector Staff, and had limited engagement from Drug & Alcohol Support. 193 staff completed the training evaluation survey; all respondents (100%) felt that the training meant they were confident explaining what SUDI was, agreed it was important to reduce unexpected infant deaths, felt able to use the training, and that the programme would make a difference in County Durham. Almost all respondents (99%) agreed they understood how to implement SUDI prevention in their role, felt the content of the training, and the resource pack, was good or excellent, with 65–83% indicating they would use particular resources. Overall 80% of respondents indicated they would encourage their colleagues to take part in this programme.

Discussion

Staff members of the multi-agency workforce in contact with vulnerable families responded very positively to SUDI prevention training and felt the programme would help families. We maintain regular contact with staff via newsletters, forums and a network of Eyes on the Baby champions embedded within teams. While evaluation of the training was very positive, evaluation of both implementation and outcomes reported by staff is ongoing (completion Jun-23). Comprehensive evaluation allows us to better understand multiagency approaches to SUDI prevention, and to determine whether this approach warrants broader roll-out to other areas.