Issue details

Proposed decision:

APPROVE the development of new place-based Infant Feeding Support Services that align with the Health and Care Partnership areas from January 2026 onwards.

APPROVE amendments to the current Health Visiting Service specification from January 2026, particularly the approach to the delivery of the mandated antenatal contact.

DELEGATE authority to the Director of Public Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, to exercise relevant contract extensions and enter into relevant contracts or legal agreements; and

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

Background

Local authorities are responsible for using the Public Health Grant funding to commission and deliver health visiting services as part of the 0-19 years National Healthy Child Programme (HCP).  Health Visiting and infant feeding services are commissioned as part of KCC’s statutory responsibilities, which includes five mandated contacts.

Reason for the decision

The Kent Health Visiting Service, which includes the Specialist Infant Feeding Service and the Family Partnership Programme, is currently delivered through a co-operation agreement between KCC and Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT), which ends on the 31 March 2026. A recommissioning exercise is therefore in progress to agree the approach beyond the contract term. The recommissioning is part of the Public Health Transformation Programme.

In February 2023, KCC became one of 75 upper-tier local authorities to receive Family Hub and Start for Life funding. The Family Hub model supports the delivery of a range of services for children, young people and families, including health visiting and infant feeding. In November 2023, a local implementation model was agreed to join up and enhance services delivered through Family Hubs in Kent, ensuring all parents and carers can access the support they need when they need it.

This proposal aligns with the Family Hub model and supports implementation of the recently approved strategy, ‘Nourishing our next generation’, Kent’s 5-year infant feeding strategy (2024-2029).

Options appraisal

There has been a thorough options appraisal process. A full business case has been developed to arrive at the proposed service model which is outlined below.

How the proposed decision supports KCC Strategy 

Framing Kent's Future - Our Council Strategy 2022-2026  

Priority 1: Levelling up Kent

To work with our partners to hardwire a preventative approach into improving the health of Kent’s population and narrowing health inequalities.

By investing in the early years, Children will receive the best start in life contributing to KCC’s priority of Levelling up Kent – improving health and reducing health inequalities.

Priority 4: New Models of Care and Support

To reshape our commissioning practice to ensure we build strategic partnerships with our providers, through earlier engagement, more consistent and proactive commissioning practice, and a stronger focus on co-designing services.

The re-commissioning of the Kent Health Visiting Service and the review process has involved engaging with stakeholders to develop the service model. The new service will embed a whole-family approach, tackling the underlying problems that might cause concern in a child’s family, such as domestic abuse, substance misuse and parental mental health

How the proposed decision supports Securing Kent’s Future 2022 -2026: Securing Kents Future - Budget Recovery Strategy.pdf

Securing Kent’s Future 2022 -2026: Securing Kents Future - Budget Recovery Strategy.pdf 

The proposed changes to the Kent Health Visiting service support KCC’s duty for best value requirements.

Nourishing our next generation, Kent’s 5-year infant feeding strategy (2024-2029)

Financial Implications

The funding for contracts would be funded from the Public Health Grant and, should DFE confirm additional Start for Life grant funding beyond March 2025 for infant feeding, this would be used for additional activity within the contracts.

Contract values will be finalised follow a Provider Selection Regime compliant procurement process, including supplier negotiations, as applicable.

Contract values will be within the following maximum budgets available for these services;

·         up to £142,519,893 for a 5 year and 6-month contract for Health Visiting Service (including Specialist Infant Feeding Service and Family Partnership Programme (This includes an estimated uplift that will be applied to the contract subject to the allocation of the public health grant.)

·         up to £2,682,109 for a 3-year contract with a 2-year extension for a place-based infant feeding service.

The above values include an estimated uplift that will be applied to the contract subject to the allocation of the public health grant (with the exclusion of the first year). The uplift reflects the need to retain the workforce.