Purpose

This report outlines plans for commissioning
of the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust to
deliver the Baby Steps parenting programme as part of a wider
partnership encompassing Lambeth Early Action Partnership (LEAP)
run by National Children’s Bureau (NCB), Health Visiting,
Lambeth Early Years and Parenting and Better Start Children’s
Centres. This is a key component of Lambeth’s Better Start
(Start for Life) offer and utilises a proportion of the Parenting
element of the Start for Life grant.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT) has to
date been commissioned by National Children’s Bureau (NCB) to
deliver Baby Steps in the LEAP area. LEAP funding for the programme
will end in March 2024, and be replaced by Start for Life grant
funding from April 2024. In addition to this, the capacity of the
team will be increased from January 2024 through the creation of an
additional co-facilitator pairing, meaning that this decision will
also allow GSTT to recruit to one additional midwife role for
delivery purposes.

To ensure continuity of service provision the report proposes a
direct award to the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation
Trust.

Decision

1.          
This report seeks to approve a waiver under section 17.1 of the
councils Contract Standing Orders and directly award Guy’s
and St Thomas’ to deliver Baby Steps in Lambeth. The contract
will run from January 2024 to 31 March 2025 at a value of
£16,669 in 2023-24 and £270,000 in 2024-25, and a total
maximum value of £286,669 over the term.