Community Infant Feeding and Emotional Wellbeing Peer Support Service

Location

Peterborough

Description

Provision of a joint Infant Feeding and Emotional Wellbeing Peer Support Service across Peterborough City Council (PCC) and Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) to cover Peterborough and the Cambridgeshire districts of Fenland and Huntingdonshire.

Total Quantity or Scope

Description of Services to be provided: Family Hubs are being set up to support families from conception, through the child's early years, to later childhood, up to the age of 19 (or 25 for young people with special educational needs and disabilities). They will provide a single access point to family support services that is integrated across health (physical and mental health) and social care as well as voluntary and community organisations and education settings.  Family Hubs provide family support services early, when families need them. These include universal and targeted services. The overarching objective is to join up and enhance services delivered through transformed family hubs in local authority areas, ensuring all parents and carers can access the support they need when they need it. Through the programme, parents and carers should feel supported and empowered in caring for and nurturing their babies and children, ensuring they receive the best start in life. This in turn will improve health and education outcomes for babies and children and enable them to thrive in later life The Infant Feeding & Emotional Wellbeing Peer Support service offers new families crucial support during pregnancy and the postnatal period with breastfeeding and perinatal mental health support through the provision of community, virtual, and hospital-based peer support. This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) Intion to Award Notice under Direct Award Process C. This contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. Approximate lifetime value of the contract: £430,000 The Contract will run from 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2028.

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85323000 - Community health services

Indicators

• Award on basis of price and quality.

Legal Justification

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made to the relevant authority by 2nd June 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.

Other Information

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by 2nd June 2026. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR. Representations should be send to helen.davies@peterborough.gov.uk Award Decision Makers: Executive Director for Children's Services (John Gregg) and Cabinet Member for Children's Services (Councillor Kay Cole) No conflicts of interest have been identified to date. Peterborough City Council based its decision on the five mandatory PSR key criteria, with the relative importance of each indicated via the weighting percentage(%): Key Criteria 1 - Quality and Innovation - Weighted at 50% To delivery high quality community infant feeding and peer support though 1-2-1 support on maternity hospital wards, delivery of community groups, a 121 telephone service, emotional well-being support, and a digital offer. To demonstrate innovation by responding to local initiatives (e.g. national baby week), working with local partners to support wider objectives, and identifying local opportunities to service delivery for local families. Key Criteria 2 - Value - Weighted at 30% To ensure good value for money by using a volunteer based service and to be able to recruit local staff and volunteers locally. To meet the specific KPIs identified within the contract. To link with other local service initiatives to local families and optimise opportunities for co-production. Key Criteria 3 - Integration, collaboration and service sustainability - Weighted at 5% To support the broader ambitions and priorities of Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, including on initiatives such as Family Hubs. To align ways of working to the specialist Infant Feeding support currently provided by NHS Infant Feeding and maternity services. To be aware of local breast feeding data (prevalence rates and trends) and integrated into other local work to improve these rates (e.g. Fenland Focus). To show a commitment to recruiting local staff and volunteers and provide training and development opportunities. To embed service delivery to foster sustainability. To signpost local families to other local system partners as appropriate. Key Criteria 4 - Improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice - Weighted at 10% The provider needs to work with local families and providers to identify appropriate access points to services and support. The provider will work to deliver community groups in geographical areas of most need as recognised by deprivation and poorer health outcomes, whilst ensuring the setting type is accessible - physically, culturally, etc. The feeding equipment hires scheme offers opportunities for equipment loan to mothers who may otherwise not be able to access these and may subsequently end their breast feeding journey prematurely. Key Criteria 5 - Social Value - Weighted at 5% This programme offers local volunteer opportunities. Though the volunteer model, the programme passes experience and training opportunities to local mothers. Sharing experience of infant feeding journeys and wellbeing is empowering. For some, this may also form part of personal development and potential skills for future employment (stepping stone). It also helps to build the local community and as people form social networks within and around the programme. This programme also supports the ethos of building parental confidence and a more resilient community.