Keep Kent Breastfeeding – what are the planned cuts and how will they affect me?
*** Updated – 24th October 2018 – Please note that we have not made many changes to the page below since the re-launch of the Infant Feeding Consultation after it was revoked shortly after its original release – this is because very few changes have been made to the content of the consultation. For more information on this, please read our press release.***
The consultation documents available on the Kent County Council website are long and complex to read. They are also vague in places and contradictory in others. We wanted to be able to provide a brief, accessible and clear comparison of what the changes are and what they would mean for breastfeeding families in Kent. Below we have arranged a table to show the current breastfeeding services provision, compared with what Kent County Council plan to do when the new proposal is put into action in March 2018.
We are also constantly adding to the Objections and Questions page that shows exactly why we oppose these changes and what questions there are still to be answered. We will edit this page as and when we receive clarity from Kent County Council.
Please take a look at the consultation response page for information on the best way to respond to Kent County Council.
A brief summary of the changes for breastfeeding families (and mums-to-be)
| Current provision | Proposed changes |
|---|---|
| Specialist support for breastfeeding mothers provided across Kent at 17 locations per week. Support provided by Lactation Consultants and Breastfeeding Counsellors. Sessions are drop-in groups open to all breastfeeding families, welcoming children of all ages |
No specialist support available at drop-in clinics: this will be by referral ONLY. Health Visitors and nursery nurses will be supported by volunteer breastfeeding Peer Supporters in 3 locations per district. No breastfeeding counsellors will be available at any groups or clinics. Referrals can only be agreed by a health professional and families will only be able to see a Lactation Consultant after referral at the 4 bookable clinics in Kent a week (1 clinic per 3 districts). |
| Volunteer breastfeeding peer supporters (currently trained by PS Breastfeeding CIC) available at the above specialist clinics as well as another 20 breastfeeding groups without specialists present. | No groups run by Peer Supporters alone – the only groups will be as stated above. |
| Services promoted to families via ‘Kent Baby Matters’ website and social media. | No funding for Kent Baby Matters website and no social media to tell families about the clinics |
| Families may contact a Lactation Consultant 7 days per week via phone, email or Facebook | Duty telephone line available Monday-Friday 9am-5pm |
| It is unclear whether there will be age limits on children attending. If children above a certain age are unable to attend, there will be a drop in support for families with more than one child and Peer Supporters are likely to be unable to volunteer if they cannot bring their children to groups, as they do under the current provision. |
A brief summary of the changes for Breastfeeding Peer Supporters
Breastfeeding groups or multi-themed HUBs
There is contradictory information about where you will work. One part of the consultation talks about breastfeeding groups, whereas other parts refer to you being placed within multi-themed Health Visitor Baby Hubs. PS Breastfeeding CIC checked with KCC who said Baby Hubs only (breastfeeding groups as they are now will not exist).
When responding to the consultation it’s worth explaining how you feel about this change to your work.
There is no currently available information about how the Baby Hubs will work, but the current Dover Baby Hub states on their flyer that “unfortunately we cannot accommodate children over the age of one due to space and safety reasons”. How would this affect you if this was the model? Have you attended a Baby Hub (or health clinic)?
Breastfeeding Specialist experience
Did you ever get help from a Lactation Consultant or Breastfeeding Counsellor while assisting a mother? The document says that mothers are seeing them unnecessarily when they should have gone to a peer supporter. Do you agree with this? Share your experience with them.
Did you value working alongside a breastfeeding specialist as a learning opportunity? You will no longer be part of the Lactation Consultant bookable appointment service.
Communication via Facebook and Website
Have you found the closed Facebook groups useful? Will they continue under a new service as Health Visitors do not use closed Facebook. Do you find the Kent Baby Matters site helpful? Have you used the Health Visitor website? If so could you access the information you needed?
Bookable breastfeeding clinics
Will you be able to refer a mum direct to a breastfeeding specialist as easily as you can now?
