Decision

The Director of Public Health has approved a contract variation to the existing Community Connectors contract (DN711037) with Involve Northwest to deliver three Family Navigator posts from 1 September 2026 to 31 January 2029. The posts will be funded through the Best Start in Life (BSIL) programme, funded by the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care, at a total estimated value of £279,699.

Reasons for the decision

The Best Start in Life programme requires local authorities to implement plans that improve access to integrated support for families with children aged 0 to 5 years. As part of this programme, local authorities are required to provide dedicated Family Navigators to offer a consistent point of contact for families, support access to services and coordinate support across partner agencies.

Wirral's Best Start in Life Plan was developed through a multi-agency steering group. Implementation of the plan is through the Wirral Best Start in Life Steering group; with oversight from the Executive Director of People, the Director of Children, Families and Education and the Director of Public Health and the appropriate governance structures, including the Children Young People and Education Committee and the Health and Wellbeing Board. The plan includes the delivery of the Family Navigator function. Funding has been made available to local authorities for a three-year period to support implementation of local plans.

Involve Northwest currently delivers the Community Connectors service across Wirral. The objectives of the Community Connector model closely align with the Family Navigator role, including providing personalised support, connecting residents with local services, and improving wellbeing outcomes. The existing service has the expertise, community networks, and operational infrastructure required to deliver the Family Navigator function from the commencement of the funding period.

Varying the existing contract will enable timely implementation of the Best Start in Life requirements and provide a cost-effective approach that avoids the delay associated with procuring a new service.

Alternative options considered

Various options were considered through the Wirral Best Start in Life Steering Group:

Option 1: Undertake a separate procurement exercise for the Family Navigator service. This option was not recommended as it would create implementation delays, duplicate existing provision, and incur additional procurement costs.

Option 2: Do nothing. This option was discounted as the Best Start in Life programme requires local authorities to deliver a Family Navigator function. Failure to do so could place associated programme funding at risk.

Option 3: Vary the existing Community Connectors contract with Involve Northwest. This option was selected as it provides the most efficient and cost-effective means of delivering the required Family Navigator service through an established provider with relevant expertise and local networks.