Purpose

Proposed Decision:
 
a)   
APPROVE the additional expenditure of £400,000 across
the contract period  for the Parent
Infant Mental Health Service from the DfE Family Hub Grant and
Public Health Grant to support venue costs.

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

 
c)   
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:
 
On 4
October 2022 the Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s
Services took an executive decision (Decision number

 22/00094
)to adopt the principle of Kent becoming a?Family
Hub Transformation Authority.
 
On 24
October 2023 a further decision 23/00075
by the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and
Public Health was taken to:

 

(a) 
APPROVE the development and improvement activity to
deliver Perinatal Mental Health and Parent Infant Relationships
Interventions; and

 

(b) 
APPROVE the required expenditure, via the Family Hub
Grant Funding (£3,051,809 – expires 2025) and, subject
to evaluation and availability of funds the Public Health Grant
(post March 2025), to deliver and sustain this activity for up to
two years beyond the Family Hub Grant period – total service
period – 2023 – 2025 with the potential for two x
1-year extensions.

On 21
March 2025, a further decision
25/00012, was taken by the
Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health
to:

 

(a) 
APPROVE the development of Parent Infant Mental
Health Service for a period of 31 months and subject to evaluation
and availability of funds from the Public Health Grant an extension
for a further 24 months; and

 

(b) 
APPROVE the expenditure £2,059,928 funded via
the Family Hub Grant initially and then the Public Health
Grant

 

(c) 
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

 
Proposed Decision:
An
additional non-key decision is being sought to
APPROVE the additional
expenditure of £400,000 across the contract period from the DfE
Family Hub Grant and Public Health Grant to support
venue costs associated with the delivery of services.

 
This
expenditure was not included in the scope of the previous key
decision and is required to ensure full delivery of the
commissioned activity.

 

Reason for Decision:
 
Feedback from market engagement in April 2025 identified that
additional funding for venues costs are needed to the current
budget of (£2,059,928) as relying on having consistent access
to bookable spaces in Family Hubs would not be operational
practical or feasible for the Parent Infant Mental Health
Service.
 
A non-key decision is needed to reflect
the additional funding for venues costs. The financial budget
including venue costs is £2,459,928

 
A PSR
(Provider Selection Regime) compliant procurement process is
proposed, taking into account feedback from suppliers.
 

How the proposed decision meets the priorities of
New Models of Care and Support as set out in ‘‘Framing
Kent’s Future – Our Council Strategy 2022 –
2026’’
 
This
service will contribute to ‘Priority 1: Levelling up
Kent’ of the Framing Kent’s Future Our Council Strategy
2022-2026’ as providing additional support for families at
the start of their infant’s life which is a preventative
approach to improve the populations health and narrowing health
inequalities.
 

How the proposed decision supports Securing
Kent’s Future
 
The
Parent Infant Mental Health Service supports the Council to achieve
the priorities set out in Securing Kent’s Future, by
embedding a preventative approach and ensuring children get the
best start in life and better outcomes in adult life, leading to
reduced demand and costs in Health and Social Care.
 
 

Decision

As Cabinet Member for Adult
Social care and Public Health,  I agree
to:
 

a)   
APPROVE the additional
expenditure of £400,000 across the contract period  for the Parent Infant Mental Health Service from
the DfE Family Hub Grant and Public Health
Grant to support venue costs.

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

c)   
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.