Breastfeeding peer support core principles for volunteering in Scotland: guidance

Core Principles

A Breastfeeding Peer Support Advisory Group was established to develop recommendations of core principles for breastfeeding volunteers throughout Scotland. These core principles provide a minimum standard for those responsible for recruiting and supporting volunteers in Scotland. The group included individuals from Scottish Government, the Breastfeeding Leadership Team, NHS Boards and Third Sector breastfeeding organisations. Membership of the group is provided in Appendix 1.

The group scoped the strands of work required to establish a set of core principles. This led to the formation of short life sub groups, each tasked with a specific topic area. Membership of the subgroups is provided in Appendix 2. The sub group topics were:

• Roles and Responsibilities; including recruitment and induction

• Education and Supervision; including core curricula and mentorship

• Data and Evaluation; core data to be collected by all volunteers

• Digital health; with a specific focus on online support individually or in groups