Breastfeeding Support Service

Tender description

Lewisham’s current community breastfeeding support consists of breastfeeding groups using the Baby Café model, breastfeeding peer support, a peer support co-ordinator and a ‘Breastfeeding Welcome’ Scheme. The community breastfeeding support is delivered in partnership between Lewisham Council and the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Healthcare Trust (LGT) with staff from the midwifery and health visiting teams facilitating the breastfeeding groups, supported by volunteer peer supporters. The current model has had successful outcomes in supporting mothers to continue breastfeeding and in engaging volunteer peer supporters who support in the community cafes and more recently on the postnatal ward. On average there are around 30 active volunteer peer supporters supporting mothers in the community. Audits of parents experience show that they value the support offered by the service. The service is less successful in reaching young mothers, mothers from Black African/Caribbean backgrounds, mothers with lower educational attainment and mothers living in deprived communities. The Council is seeking to commission a suitable provider to continue the provision of the community Breastfeeding Support Service, offering a similar service to the current offer but with the opportunity to change elements of the delivery model in order to make improvements or efficiencies to the service. The midwifery and health visiting teams will continue to facilitate the breastfeeding groups. It is expected that the new service will form a similar seamless and integrated offer, with no break in service delivery. Keywords: Breastfeeding