Health and social work services

Tender description

The Islington Breastfeeding Peer Support Service will aim to increase the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding at 6-8 weeks and beyond, and reduce inequalities in breastfeeding initiation and continuation. It will do this by offering dedicated one-to-one and group-based breastfeeding support to mothers within 48 hours of home birth or transfer home from a birthing centre (and within 72 hours of birth if missed on the ward), and additionally according to need. The service will be delivered by a network of trained peer volunteers and accredited peer supporters recruited from the local community, working within a multi-agency, integrated system of perinatal and infant health services. The breastfeeding peer support team will also play an important role in raising awareness of Islington Bright Start and wider perinatal services. Giving children the best start in life is a health and well-being board strategic priority. The physical, emotional and social benefits of breastfeeding, for baby and mother, are well evidenced, with potential for life-long benefits throughout the health and social care system, and the opportunity to diminish some health inequalities that originate from the perinatal period. An Islington Breastfeeding Peer Support service has been operating in line with these principles for a number of years. The current provision balances a universal and targeted service, with a 7 day a week presence in UCLH and Whittington hospitals and a range of locally available, alternative access points for one-to-one and group breastfeeding support according to need. Breastfeeding Peer Support is well established as a concept and a service offer to mothers in Islington, and the extended re-commissioning of this service is described within the updated specification. We expect that the stability of provision offered through this contract will enable further integration of the service within a multi-agency health system, longer term social value, and greater sustainability for volunteer/peer supporter recruitment, training and employment, to the benefit of service users.