Breastfeeding Peer Support Service

Concepts

• miscellaneous health services
• portsmouth
• breastfeeding peer support service
• their breastfeeding journey
• the breastfeeding journey
• online support
• peer support service
• the appropriate service streams
• breastfeeding network
• a trained breastfeeding network peer support volunteer

Location

Portsmouth:

Description

The Breastfeeding Network Service provide a community-based service, adopting multi-faceted approaches in order to improve breastfeeding initiation and prevalence rates in Portsmouth, therefore supporting a reduction in health inequalities. The service contributes to promoting a social and cultural shift where breastfeeding is recognised as the conventional way to feed an infant. Their team of peer supporters and volunteers are in place to support mothers and expectant mothers throughout their breastfeeding journey and support with the many different factors and techniques involved, inclusive of Combination feeding, expressing, exclusively breastfeeding, chest-feeding, newborn stage, toddler stage, ending the breastfeeding journey and debriefing feelings about a previous journey. Type of services provide by BfN Community Groups - These are all drop-in groups, running throughout the week at various locations across the city. Online support - This involves 1:1 support via Zoom from a trained Breastfeeding Network peer support volunteer.

Total Quantity or Scope

This notice is confirmation of an award being made due to an urgent circumstance. Currently the Breastfeeding Network (BfN) is subcontracted under Home-Start Portsmouth through a consortium arrangement, with Home-Start being the consortium lead. This arrangement was put in place via an open tender in 2023 and aligned with Portsmouth plans in relation to the Government funded Family Hub and Best Start for Life offer. The initial term of these Contracts was for 33 months, and are due to terminate 31st March 2025, however, the services were to be extended year on year dependent on the government's intention to continue to fund the Council for this programme. The DfE have only recently confirmed that the Council will continue to be funded for this service for the 25/26 financial year, and there has been a severely limited timeframe to allocate funds to the appropriate service streams that all fall under this programme. This consortium arrangement is unable to continue, therefore the decision has been taken to award a short term contract directly with the BfN to ensure minimum disruption to quality of service. The Public Health Directorate are due to take over and manage these services later in the year, with the aim of awarding their own contract via PSR process by 1st September 2025.

Award Detail

Renewal Options

The contract has been awarded for a five month period with the option to extend up to a maximum twelve month period.

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85140000 - Miscellaneous health services

Indicators

• Options are available.

Legal Justification

The Provider Selection Regime recognises that there are limited occasions where relevant authorities may need to act urgently and award or modify contracts to address immediate risks to patient or public safety. These circumstances include where: • urgent quality/safety concerns pose risks to patients or the public and necessitate rapid changes In the view of the Council the contract award was urgent due to the above circumstance. It is acknowledged that the discontinuation of such services will pose risks from a quality viewpoint, as BfN provide crucial peer and online support for the benefit of service users' mental health, social health, and relationships with their babies/toddlers/young children

Other Information

** PREVIEW NOTICE, please check Find a Tender for full details. ** This contract has been awarded under the urgent circumstances provision of the Provider Selection Regime (PSR).This contract has been awarded under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 or the Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award. The decision makers for this contract were the Integrated Children's Commissioning Team. No conflicts of interest were identified as part of this exercise.