Supporting families in Scotland

For 40 years, the Scottish Cot Death Trust has been a lifeline for families. We’re ensuring that lifeline continues with The Lullaby Trust, and grows for generations to come.

Bereavement support for families in Scotland Baby safety advice for families in Scotland

A mum with red, curly hair and fair skin is holding her baby who is looking directly at us. The baby is also fair skinned and has a stripy baby grow on.

A shot of Scottish landscape. A stone bridge over a stream is surrounded by rolling, vivid green hills and moorlands.

What is happening in Scotland?

For 40 years, the Scottish Cot Death Trust (SCDT) has stood beside families through the darkest moments of their lives. The charity has empowered thousands of new and expectant parents with safer sleep advice. But in recent years, financial pressures have threatened the SCDT’s ability to continue this work. The need, however, for bereavement support and safer sleep advice for Scottish families, remains.

In May 2025, The Lullaby Trust began discussions with the SCDT to explore how we can ensure that support for families in Scotland continues.

After much consideration, our charities have agreed a path that protects what matters most: the families we exist to support. As a result, The Scottish Cot Death Trust’s has been transferred to The Lullaby Trust, which will now work across the UK in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. This ensures that life-saving information and vital bereavement support will continue for families in Scotland. After all, we have always shared the same unwavering mission – to save babies’ lives and support bereaved families.

Grandmother sitting on a sofa with a baby on her lap wearing a baby grow.

Will families in Scotland still be able to access support?

Our first priority is continuity, ensuring we’re keeping babies safe and grieving families supported in Scotland. Families can continue to access The Lullaby Trust’s specialist bereavement support services, as well as our evidence-based baby safety information and advice.

As we bring across the SCDT’s vital work to The Lullaby Trust, we’re committed to ensuring that the SCDT community moves with us.

The Lullaby Trust has worked within Scotland and with the Scottish Government since 2020. Even though we haven’t previously operated as a charity in Scotland, we are now taking the steps required to do that. As we continue discussions with Scottish families and organisations, we will continue to listen, learn and adapt.

Find bereavement support Baby safety and safer sleep advice

A fair baby's hand wraps around their parent's index finger, they are on white bedding

What is next for families in Scotland?

Families in Scotland will begin to see the next phase of our work, strengthening the support available across the country. We’re deepening our long-standing relationship with the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland.

We will expand our influence in Scotland, by joining the Scottish Baby Loss Collaborative at Holyrood, Scottish Parliament, an event we joined in March – strengthening connections with Members of Scottish Parliament, and collaborating with other charities.

For families in Scotland who experience the death of a baby or young child, our new ‘When a baby dies in Scotland’ resource will provide guidance on what needs to happen after a child’s death and discuss the complex thoughts and feelings of grief and loss.

These are the first steps towards supporting every baby and every family across Scotland.

Frequently asked questions

What are The Lullaby Trust already working on in Scotland?

Our long-standing relationship with the Scottish Government:

We have worked with the Scottish Government for 5 years. Our relationship began when the Scottish Government wished to develop a Scotland version of our ‘safer sleep guide for parents’, and distribute this guide to every family welcoming a baby in Scotland. We have worked together ever since. In recent months, we developed new baby safety and alcohol resources with the Scottish Government.

A man's legs and shoes walk through a field with long and short grass. It looks dry and the sun seems to be setting in the background.

Enhancing bereavement support in Scotland:

We hear from our bereaved families in England and Wales that our extensive information booklet, ‘When a baby dies’, is very helpful. It guides newly bereaved families through what they might experience now, in the future, and practicalities about what will, and what needs to happen after a child’s death.

In preparation for supporting families in Scotland, we began conversations with organisations involved with the child death review process in Scotland. We have now published a new, Scotland-specific resource for families, ‘When a baby dies in Scotland’. We hope that this guide can provide meaningful, practical advice for those experiencing one of the most devastating things that can happen to a family.

Our bereavement helpline and online support will be available through The Lullaby Trust throughout Scotland for anyone who needs it.

Bereavement support

Expanding our influence in Scotland:

In March 2026, we joined the Scottish Baby Loss Collaborative for an evening reception at Holyrood. This was the perfect opportunity to further collaborate with charities supporting bereaved families in Scotland, continuing the SCDT’s work. We will continue developing relationships with Members of Scottish Parliament to help push policies that improve bereavement support for Scottish families.

A mum is looking down at her baby in her knee. A health visitor is next to them, talking to the mother. A cot is in the background.

Training professionals in Scotland:

We work with the Scottish Government to provide safer sleep training that strengthens knowledge and confidence among health professionals supporting families in Scotland. In 2025, we delivered training sessions in Edinburgh and Glasgow. In early 2026, we delivered further training in Aberdeen and Dundee.

We have also worked with the Scottish Government to develop and produce online training for health professionals in Scotland on SIDS and safer sleep.

Each professional reached in Scotland is each able to share life-saving advice with hundreds of families, empowering them with trusted advice on keeping their baby safe.

Our training

Has the Scottish Cot Death Trust closed?

How do I keep up to date with any progress?

If you receive emails from the Scottish Cot Death Trust, you will receive an email from The Lullaby Trust. Here, we will give you the choice to subscribe to updates from The Lullaby Trust, including our work in Scotland. If you don’t receive this email and are not subscribed to emails from the Scottish Cot Death Trust, you can sign up to email updates here.

Do you have any resources for Scottish families?

Much of our baby safety advice and bereavement support advice is very useful, and regularly accessed, by families and professionals in Scotland. There are instances in which it is beneficial for Scottish families that we produce Scottish-specific information.

Our Scotland resources:

Baby safety advice for families

Bereavement support for families

Has the decision already been made?

Yes. The transfer of the SCDT’s work to The Lullaby Trust has gone ahead.

Our greatest priority is ensuring that families’ voices are at the heart of the transition:

Chloe outdoors wearing sunglasses on a sunny day, smiling at the camera.

“I live in the North East of Scotland and, before becoming a mum, I worked as a paediatric nurse. Around eight years ago I was part of a resus case where a baby sadly died, and that stayed with me. When I had my own baby, those memories resurfaced and I felt really anxious about sleep. The Lullaby Trust’s advice became my go-to for setting up her sleep space and choosing safe products. I didn’t realise they also support professionals affected by a baby’s death, but that support is so important.”

Chloe’s story

Marjorie and Ian, standing beside each other smiling at the camera

“Our son, Craig, died from cot death when he was seven and a half weeks old. A health visitor came to see me and mentioned The Lullaby Trust (or the Foundation of Sudden Infant Death, FSID, as it was called then). I got in touch with them straight away, because I had so many unanswered questions. They helped me so much, and were so informative and supportive. I found it very therapeutic speaking to them. They told me that if there’s anything I’d like to speak about, to never be afraid to contact them. They were great.”

Marjorie’s story

Sue and her husband wearing green FSID t-shirts

“Caelyn died in 2007 but even though I thought I’d dealt with my grief, in hindsight I think I haven’t dealt with it properly. I was always busy making sure everyone else was ok, and before I knew it I was years down the line. I’m waiting on counselling myself, and I’m aware The Lullaby Trust is there too, with no time limit on their support.”

Sue’s story

What does this mean for families right now?

Scotland families can access The Lullaby Trust’s specialist bereavement support services, and trusted information and advice on safer sleep, infection prevention and baby safety, whenever they need it.

The Lullaby Trust’s Care of Next Infant (CONI) programme is not currently available in Scotland. This programme supports bereaved families when they have another baby. Whilst we work to make CONI available for families everywhere, health professionals will continue to offer support to bereaved families.

How can I input and support?

A Black dad is stood holding his baby on his chest, the baby is sleeping. The dad is looking down at the baby and appears to be settling them.

First and foremost, we want to ensure the Scottish voice remains visible and strong.

If you wish to share your story with us and our community please fill out this form, and Jodie or Jen of our Engagement team will be in touch with you.

Join our panels:

If you are a bereaved family member, please consider joining our bereaved families panel. Our bereaved families’ panel helps to shape our bereavement services, so that we are supporting families in a meaningful way.

If you are a new or expectant family member, please consider joining our new and expectant families’ panel. The aim of this panel is to make our baby safety advice and messaging accessible and useful for all families in Scotland.

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For every baby. For every family. Forever.

For decades, families in Scotland have been held by the SCDT. That commitment continues with The Lullaby Trust. We’re here for you, every step of the way.

Our baby safety advice Our bereavement support

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SCDT's 40-year legacy of supporting families in Scotland

For 40 years, the Scottish Cot Death Trust has supported families through the death of a baby, and empowered parents with trusted safer sleep advice. This timeline honours their legacy.

40 years of care: The Scottish Cot Death Trust timeline

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