Issue - meetings

To receive the report from the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health and the Acting Director of Public Health and to consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member

Ms K Sharp, Head of Public Health Commissioning, was in attendance for this item.

1.            The Chairman asked Members of the Committee if they wished to refer to the information included in the exempt appendix to the report.  Members confirmed that they did not and the item was therefore considered without going into closed session.

2.            Ms Sharp introduced the report and referred to the extensive discussion which the Committee had at its April meeting about the importance of breastfeeding and the challenges in supporting and promoting it. The procurement process had since been completed and it was now proposed that the Cabinet Member award the contract for a community infant feeding service to the preferred bidder, as identified in the exempt appendix to the report. Ms Sharp responded to comments from Members and the following points were highlighted:-

a)    one speaker told of a colleague who had recently returned to a teaching job at a local authority school and had experienced a lack of support from the school in terms of making available suitable facilities for her to express milk at break times.  Ms Sharp explained that there was a national scheme in place which encouraged employers to make available suitable facilities and flexible working hours to support staff who wished to express milk.  Mr Scott-Clark added that, in the case described, such facilities and support should be provided under the Healthy Schools Initiative and he undertook to check that the school in question was complying with the initiative;

b)    the national scheme described above applied to all employers, including the County Council, and Ms Sharp added that she was liaising with the Director of Property and Infrastructure Support to check that a suitable policy would shortly be in place at County Council premises;  and

c)    part of the specification of the contract about to be awarded was a requirement to work with businesses to promote breastfeeding-friendly premises such as cafés and other leisure facilities.

3.            Mr Gibbens thanked Members for their comments and said he would take them into account when taking the decision to award the contract. He voiced concern about the lack of support experienced by school staff wishing to express milk and undertook to look into the matter with the Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform, Mr R Gough.

4.            RESOLVED that the decision proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, to award a contract to deliver a Community Infant Feeding Service to the preferred bidder identified in the exempt appendix, taking account of the Cabinet Committee’s comments, be endorsed.