Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health and the Director of Public Health, and to consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member on the proposed decision to enter into a contract with the current provider to deliver Health Visitor services for one year.

Ms K Sharp (Head of Public Health Commissioning) and Mr C Thompson (Consultant in Public Health) were in attendance for this item.

(1)       Mr Thompson said that the health visiting service would transfer with effect from 1 October 2015 and the annual value of the contract was £23 million of which £11.5 million was pro-rated for the current year.  The pro-rated budget for the Family Nurse Partnership was £308,000 for the current year and provision of this service was included in the contract.  He further said that the priority was to ensure the safe transfer of commissioning of the service and to minimise any disruption in service to families across Kent.  He said that the proposed decision to enter into a one-year contract with the current provider would enable the safe transfer of service and the time to work up the new model for health visiting.

(2)       Ms Sharp emphasised the importance of a smooth transfer and the opportunities for engagement with families with children under the age of 5 as well as with General Practice, Early Help Services and other partners.  She also referred to discussions and engagement with partnership colleagues about the role and contribution of health visitors as well as the intention of having local action plans to build strong relationships between partner organisations and to monitor performance.

(3)       In response to questions she said that the health visiting role was mandated with specialist training and there was no proposal to reduce the number of health visitors in Kent. Ms Sharp said that Christ Church University provided training for health visitors in Kent and would be engaged in any future review of the service.  Ms Sharp also said that any future contracts would be let in accordance with KCC’s procurement guidelines.  Mr Scott-Clark (Director of Public Health) said that the skill mix within the service needed to be considered and other skills and professions such as nursery nurses would be required in an integrated team.  He also said it was important to retain the focus on developing and maintaining good health as good health in the early years of life was a significant influence on health in later life.

(4)       Resolved that:

(a)       Work to develop the specification for health visiting be noted;

(b)       The proposed decision to enter into a contract with the current provider, Kent Community Healthcare Foundation Trust, to deliver Health Visitor services for one year from 1 October 2015 to 30 September 2016, be endorsed.