Decision details

Proposed decision

That the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health approve the adoption and implementation of the Infant Feeding Strategy

Reason

The requirement from the Department of Education (DfE) is to co-create and embed an infant feeding strategy which ensures services are tailored to the local communities and there is a coherent and joined-up approach between staff and organisations.

Background

The requirement to develop a co-created Infant feeding strategy has provided opportunity to bring stakeholders together from across the system, to raise awareness of infant feeding and identify where there are gaps in support.  The strategy has been made available for a period of eight weeks for public consultation during February – April 2024.

How the proposed decision supports the Council’s Strategy 2022-26

This service contributes to ‘Priority 1: Levelling up Kent’ of the Framing Kent’s Future Our Council Strategy 2022-2026 as providing parents/mums the support in giving their babies the best start in life to improve the population’s health and narrowing health inequalities. 

Securing Kent’s Future

The proposed decision aligns with Objective 3 of securing Kent’s Future: Policy choices and scope of Council’s ambitions

As Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, I agree to:

a)    APPROVE the adoption of the Infant feeding strategy, ‘Nourishing our next generation.’ and to

b)    DELEGATE authority to the Director of Public Health to take necessary actions, including but not limited to, allocating resources, expenditure, entering into contracts and other legal agreements, as required to implement the decision.