Issue - meetings

Report from the Executive Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health.

Recommendations:

That Cabinet:

1.    Note the high level of satisfaction with the baby packs, particularly in relation to the quality and usefulness of the items provided.

2.    Approve an open procurement exercise to ensure continuity of registering and  ...  view the full agenda text for item 116

Consideration was given to the report which provided an update on the progress of the Rotherham Baby Pack Scheme pilot and sought approval to recommission the scheme for a further period of up to four years. On 28 February 2024, the Council approved the Budget for 2024/25, including provision to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 116

Report from the Executive Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health.

Recommendations:

That Cabinet:

1.    Note the high level of satisfaction with the baby packs, particularly in relation to the quality and usefulness of the items provided.

2.    Approve an open procurement exercise to ensure continuity of registering and delivery of baby packs to Rotherham families.

At the Chair’s invitation, the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Cusworth, introduced the item on the Baby Packs Initiative, noting that she and Councillor Baker?Rogers, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, had worked closely on the programme due to the overlap in their portfolios. She explained that the initiative aimed to support new parents and aligned with the Council’s commitment to giving every child in Rotherham the best start in life.

She stated that the scrutiny session provided an opportunity to review the programme’s impact, its value to families and areas where delivery could be strengthened. The report outlined how effectively Baby Packs were reaching families, levels of take?up, early outcomes, alignment with wider early years and prevention priorities, and any risks or opportunities for improvement ahead of future commissioning.

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Young People reported that early indicators showed stronger engagement with services among families receiving the packs. Midwives and health visitors had noted increased attendance at follow?up appointments and greater involvement in family health conversations. Parents also reported increased confidence in the early days at home, particularly around safe sleep practices. Evaluation measures included practitioner feedback, behaviour?change indicators and engagement data, with plans to strengthen the framework as the programme matured.

The report also highlighted positive feedback from families on the value of the packs. Councillor Cusworth confirmed that Cabinet would be asked to note the high levels of satisfaction and to approve an open procurement exercise to ensure continuity in registering and delivering Baby Packs to Rotherham families.

The Service Director of Strategic Commissioning, Scott Matthewman, noted that Councillor Cusworth had already outlined the recommendations due to go to Cabinet the following week. He stated that the scheme had been highly successful over its first two years, both in terms of its universal approach and the positive impact reported by expectant mothers and newborn families in the borough.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health stated that she was extremely proud of the town for establishing the Baby Packs scheme, noting its success to date. Over 2,000 families had registered, and all had received their packs, with feedback consistently positive. She thanked Councillor Cusworth for her work on the initiative and said she looked forward to the item progressing to Cabinet the following week.

The Chair invited members of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board (OSMB) to raise questions and queries.

Councillor Blackham expressed concern that the scheme was not targeted, stating his view that this risked wasting money, as people would naturally take up a free offer regardless of need. He believed the initiative should be more focused on those who would benefit most. He queried the financial figures in the report, noting references to £410,000 per year and an additional £50,000 in the budget, and asked whether the total cost was £410,000 or £460,000 annually. He questioned whether the level of spend, approximately £1.5 million  ...  view the full minutes text for item 98