Black/Brown Mothers Peer Support Group Contract Reference: SN240144

This is a notice of the award of the contract as required under the Healthcare Services (Provider Selection Regime) regulations 2023 11(17)(a).

KCC are looking to procure a provider to deliver a pilot programme of peer support groups for up to 10 Black women in each of Dartford and Gravesham, Kent. In addition, the group would aim to provide information on the services (in particular supporting maternal mental health, infant health and infant feeding) on offer for mothers in Dartford and Gravesham.

The pilot programme is expected to commence on 31 October 2024 and complete 31 March 2025. The budget for this programme is based on funding from the KCC’s Family Hubs programme grant.

It is expected that the programme will meet the following outcomes for Black/Brown mothers:

• Feeling safer when interacting with the health system more widely
• Reported improvements in black/brown mothers mental health
• Improvements in their infants mental health
• Report being more aware of the services that are available to them, particularly with regards to their mental health.
• Felt more confident to access support and knew when and how to access support and know who to ask if they are not sure.
• Felt they had made strong relationships with other mothers

The programme will need to:

• Be a culturally relevant peer support programme co-designed with Black mothers to address maternal (mental health) needs
• Be delivered weekly, for 1.5 to 2 hours per week until March 2025 for up to 10 mothers at each of a community venue in Dartford and Gravesham.
• Empower women from these communities to advocate for their maternal health rights through education
• Include a diversity of staff representing the target population
• Collaborate with healthcare providers, professionals, community leaders and organisations to support maternal (mental) health in Black communities.
• Liaise directly with family hub district managers in Dartford and Gravesham and the Maternity Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Midwife at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
• Collect outcome data (GAD7, PHQ9 or WEMWEB) to measure change in mental health and wellbeing in black mothers who access the group
• Collect demographic data in order to understand equality needs (postcode/ethnicity/gender/age etc)
• Be evaluated with feedback from participants into a report with recommendations for continuation and development of the programme.
• Develop the programme with sustainability in mind i.e. how it might continue beyond the project end.