The Safer Sleep initiative is part of Merseyside Police’s ‘Prevention’ programme - a is a whole-force approach, focusing on the community and driving sustainable and meaningful change.
The number of sudden, unexpected deaths of infants (SUDIs) with risk factors increased from 46.4% in 2019/2020 to 68.2% in 2020/21. Between 2019 and 2022, the overall number of SUDIs doubled in Merseyside alone.
Merseyside Police identified an opportunity to better use time spent at addresses where infants were present and enhance the overall safeguarding service provided to families. The force, working closely with Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, adopted a problem-solving and partnership-oriented approach to prevent SUDIs. This activity resulted in the Safer Sleep initiative. Find out more: www.college.police.uk/support-forces/practices/safer-sleep-merseyside-police