Decision ref
0017 2023/24
Decision date
13/07/2023
Portfolio
Children and Young People
Wards
All wards
Title
Agreement for a direct contract award to Mersey Care NHS Trust for a BAB's Service
Summary
The request is to undertake a direct award contract, to Mersey Care NHS for the delivery of the Building Attachments and Bonds Service ( BAB's ).
Purpose
Since 2014 BABS (The Building Attachment & Bonds Services) has been commissioned
across a number of neighbouring Merseyside Borough’s (Knowsley, Sefton and Wigan).
BABS is a specialist, therapeutic Parent-Infant Mental Health Service (PIMHS) which supports
vulnerable/at risk parents with ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) to build good, secure
bonds and attachment relationships with their babies and break negative transgenerational
cycles, offering significant cost savings for the Integrated Care System in both the short and
long term.
Research has evidenced how sadly many children do not have a secure bond and attachment
with their parents during the early years. The antenatal period provides the greatest window
of opportunity to engage our most vulnerable parents who have experienced ACES and need
specialist, psychotherapeutic parent-infant interventions to improve parenting capacity and
help parents to separate out their past/present issues from impacting on their relationships
with their baby. See below for further detail.
Background
St Helens was ranked in 2021 as 26th most deprived local authority in the UK out of 317. It is
estimated that 30% of families live in poverty. The number of Looked After Children in St
Helens has been reported considerably higher (121 children per 10,000), than comparable
regional and national averages (St Helens, JSNA 2019)
Despite, the high levels of vulnerability and health inequalities - St Helens has been praised
for its joint, integrated commissioning and delivery of care. St Helens is 1 of the 75 boroughs
in the UK chosen for ‘Best Start for Life’ (BSFL) DfE funding which will support families via the
delivery of community Family Hubs, to give our youngest of children (0-5) ‘the best start in life’.
Thus, the offer of BABS and the service’s integrated PIMH model of care would fit like a glove
in St Helens integrated MDT partnerships and community Family Hubs/Children Centres.
Perinatal and Parent Infant Mental Health is a key priority in the Best Start for Life Programme.
A significant pot of funding has been attached to the workstream to fill gaps/cracks in local
Perinatal and Parent Infant Mental Health service provision. The Local Authority Leads
steering the BSFL programme of work have identified that specialist Parent Infant Mental
Health (PIMH) support/provision is a huge gap in St Helens and is much needed to support
the many vulnerable parents and infants living in the community.
St Helen’s BSFL Leads’ and Commissioners, along with Merseyside’s Violence Reduction
Partnership (MVRP) are looking to develop a seamless pathway for vulnerable/at risk families
in the antenatal/postnatal period. As the provider of other key, inter-linked 0-5 services within
the St Helens Borough (including Perinatal Mental Health, Maternal Mental Health Services
and IAPT) Mersey Care can integrate the BABS model within the borough’s wider 0-5 offer
and enrich the enhanced Parent Infant Mental Health and Perinatal pathway for vulnerable
and complex families via delivery of a collaborative, strength-based model of psychotherapeutic Interventions. Mersey Care works closely in partnership with Wirral Community
Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust and has good pathways and referrals into the 0-19
Service and Health Child Programme.
Business Case:
This business case has been developed to support St Helens Best Start for Life Leads (PH &
EH Leads), ICB Commissioners and Leads in the MVRP passionate about this area of work -
consider the funding required for Mersey Care to deliver a 2 year pilot of the BABS (Building
Attachment and Bonds) Specialist Parent Infant Mental Health Service (PIMHS) to many of
our vulnerable families in St Helens during the ‘1001 critical days’.
The programme forms of part of the LA's Family Hubs delivery plan, which has been agreed with the Department of Education. Family Hubs funding is being made available by the DfE as part of the national Family Hubs Programme. In addition the Violence Reduction Partnership has committed £140,000 for the life of the programme.
Advice from the Peter Smith (Procurement ) is that there is no alternative provider for this service. In order to ensure successful outcomes, there will be regular contract review meetings held.
Conclusion
In conclusion we would want to progress with the commissioning of the VAB's programme, which is a fundamental element of the St Helens Family Hub delivery model.
Risk Implications
If we do not commission the BAB's programme we will not be delivering on of Family Hubs delivery plan which has been agreed with the DfE. This could result in the DfE withholding funding from the LA. Also if the programme is not provided, we will not address the needs of families with higher level of need, where there can be a long term impact for the child and parent/carer. There is also a risk that the programme will not deliver the expected outcomes.
Measures to Redress Risk
The contract aims to support children and families, where there is a higher level of need, due to the experiences of ACE's. The provision of the service will have a positive impact for both the child and parent/carer in forming more positive attachment, which are the building blocks for a child's long term outcomes.
We will have place contract monitoring arrangements, to monitor the effectiveness of service delivery and implementation.
Declarations Of Interest
None
Equality Impact Assessment
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More information
Please contact Vicky Velasco on 01744 673488
