Agenda item

The following paper provides an overview of the draft Medway Infant Feeding Strategy. This is a refresh of the 2018 Infant Feeding Strategy, to ensure the strategic ambitions and actions are fit for purpose.

The strategy outlines the steps taken to refresh the strategy, including the detailed data analysis, community and stakeholder engagement and the assessment of best practice. The strategy concludes with the Infant Feeding priorities for Medway, that will need to be delivered by a range of partners over the next five years.

Discussion:

The Head of Health and Wellbeing introduced the report, which was the third iteration of the Infant Feeding Strategy 2018 and outlined the steps taken to refresh the strategy, and the Infant Feeding priorities to be delivered over the next five years.

Medway Community Healthcare had been instrumental in the recruitment and training of peer supporters across Medway. Peer supporters assisted mothers and families with breast feeding. A specialist team was being put in place through Medway NHS Foundation Trust which could include a new Infant Feeding Specialist post at the hospital. A paid peer support model was being explored and this may stimulate recruitment of more supporters and increase the trained workforce in years to come. Increasing peer supporters would reinforce the importance of the service.  There was also alignment with the Start for Life and Family Hubs programme, with a possibility of collaboration with this initiative should resources to fund paid peer supporters not be available in the future.

Members then made the following comments and suggestions:

·     A view was expressed that there was a variation and prevalence in breast feeding for which there were many drivers including social factors. The work to promote breast feeding included promotion of the health benefits for the infant, financial benefit for families, as well as working with local businesses and encouraging them to be more breast feeding friendly.

·     It was acknowledged that the Strategy was clear and pragmatic in ways to overcome barriers to breastfeeding and promoted the role for all in the family unit to ensure that women were supported.

·     Concern was raised at the low uptake of young white women breast feeding and the importance of doing all that was needed to encourage and support this cohort of women was stressed by the Board.

·     Members recognised that there were a number of key factors that contributed to the high numbers of certain demographics that had been identified as not breastfeeding and the importance of understating the barriers faced, which included but was not limited to health, anxiety, physical emotional and cultural factors. The importance of joined up thinking and solutions through other strategies was suggested.

·     With respect to social isolation, it was important to find ways to encourage joining of groups and promoting the idea that support groups were inclusive for all regardless of whether challenges were faced with breastfeeding or not.

·     It was suggested that there was a role for the Council to lead on some of the work by exploring and ensuring that the Return to Work policy reflected the work of the Strategy.

The Integrated Care Board Officer in attendance welcomed offline conversations with different partners of the Board on how to ensure that the work being done aligned with the wider Integrated Care Systems Strategy, providing the best start for children, and reducing health inequalities.

Officers assured the Board that the focus of the Strategy was on collaboration with all partners and sectors, both paid and voluntary, on driving forward aspirations and the priorities identified. It was acknowledged that there was always scope for increased collaboration and ways to add value, the challenge was how to facilitate some of the work that needed to be done. In order to achieve this, the Place Based Approach was being adopted across all areas, reaching out and working with businesses and organisations to promote the importance of creating safe spaces for mothers to breastfeed and infant feeding in general.

Partners on the Board were urged to work together to drive forward the aspirations of the Infant Feeding Strategy 2023-2028.

Decision:

The Health and Wellbeing Board recommended that:

1)      The report be noted.

2)      The Portfolio Holders support the Infant Feeding Strategy 2023-2028 and explore ways that it aligns with the work of their areas of responsibility across the Council.

3)      The Council ensures that its Return to Work policy aligns with the aspirations of the Strategy.