Purpose

This report
seeks the approval of a contract variation to the Parents Matter
Service, which is delivered by Family Lives. Parents Matter is
Camden’s Perinatal Mental Health (PMH) Community Peer Support
Service. Parents Matter supports key national priorities (Family
Hubs and Start for Life as well as the NHS Long-Term Plan). It also
supports delivery of local strategies including We Make Camden and
the Camden Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
 
Parents Matter
is directly linked to embedding Camden’s Children and Young
People’s Equitable Services Programme, by targeting
communities less likely to engage or be aware of perinatal mental
health services available to them. The provision harnesses experts
by experience i.e. those parents who themselves have overcome poor
mental health.
 
The current
contract is due to expire on 31st March 2026. It was intended that
the new procurement process would include further funding committed
via the Family Hubs Grant in April 2026. However, due to a delay in
Family Hubs funding arrangements being confirmed by the Government
(likely to happen just prior to April 2026), we are requesting an
extension of the current contract by one year, to enable a full
competitive re-procurement exercise during 2026/27. This will also
allow sufficient mobilisation time as there are staff transfer
implications if there is a change in provider.
 
This report
therefore seeks an extension to the current contract with Family
Lives for a period of 12 months, from 1st April 2026 until 31st
March 2027 for an estimated total value of £98,832, to ensure
continuity of support for this vulnerable cohort of people and
their families and to allow sufficient time to award a longer-term
contract for Perinatal Mental Health Community Peer Support
services from 1st April 2027.
 
The report is
being presented to the Director of Health and Wellbeing (in line
with Contract Standing Order E2 and F3.3).

Content

THAT the
Director of Health and Wellbeing:
 

1.    
Approves the extension of the Parents Matter contract with
Family Lives for a period of 12 months from 1st April 2026 until
31st March 2027,
for an estimated total value of £98,832, for a total revised
contract value of £494,158.      

2.    
Grants a waiver to extend the contract subject to approval of
the Director of Finance under CSO E2.2 and in line with CSO
F3.2

3.    
Notes that a waiver to extend the contract, further to
Recommendations 1 and 2, has been agreed by the Director of Finance
via the online waiver process.