URL: https://democracy.croydon.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=2794

Decision Maker: Director of Education

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Purpose: Croydon Council was one of the original 75 local authorities selected to implement the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme, operating from April 2022 to March 2026. The programme was subsequently extended to December 2026 to provide sufficient time for the procurement and mobilisation of the new Best Start in Life Family Hubs services. The original Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme was established by the Department for Education (DfE) and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) following publication of The Best Start for Life: A Vision for the 1,001 Critical Days in 2021. The programme has since evolved into the wider Best Start in Life agenda, which expands the focus from the first 1,001 critical days to include childcare, child development, school readiness and broader family support. The transition to the Best Start in Life approach commenced during 2025, with further national implementation from April 2026 through the development of Best Start Family Hubs and related services (see Appendix A1).   During the four-year Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme, Croydon benefited from investment provided by the Department for Education (DfE) and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), with funding allocations as set out below   Year 1 (2022/23) - £1,145,000.00 Year 2 (2023/24) - £1,959,000.00 Year 3 (2024/25) - £1,619,100.00 Year 4 (2025/26) - £1,712,400.00 Totalling: £6,435,500.00   It should be noted that the budgets set out below relate primarily to the delivery of commissioned services. Approximately 20% of the total Family Hubs and Start for Life funding allocation has been earmarked for transformation activity and capital expenditure, in line with programme requirements. This includes investment in Family Hub infrastructure, digital developments, service transformation, workforce development, programme management, data and evaluation, and other implementation costs necessary to support the delivery of sustainable Best Start in Life services. The remaining funding is allocated to the commissioned service strands detailed below.   The Programme delivers under the following thematic areas: -   ·       Healthy Babies (the core components are Parent-Infant Relations and Perinatal Mental Health) - promoting positive early relationships and good mental wellbeing for babies aged 0-2 and their families. ·       Parenting – focuses on strengthening parental confidence, skills and resilience, enabling parents and carers of children aged 0-5 years to provide nurturing, responsive care that promotes children's health, development, wellbeing and school readiness. ·       Home Learning Environment (HLE) through Family Hubs - supports parents and carers of children aged 0-5 years to create positive learning experiences in the home that promote children's early language, communication, literacy, confidence, cognitive development and school readiness.   In July 2025, the Government confirmed its ongoing commitment to Family Hubs and early years support, with the Start for Life Family Hubs Programme developing into the Best Start for Life Family Hubs Programme.   The Government is committed to breaking the link between a child’s background and their future success, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to achieve and thrive. Its ambition is to create the healthiest generation of children ever, enabling every family to give their child the best start in life. This includes a national target for 75% of children to achieve a good level of development by the end of Reception by 2028, ensuring they start school ready to learn.   This investment will fund the programme's three core themes: Healthy Babies, Parenting, and Home Learning Environment.   This report sets out proposals for the commissioning of services to support the delivery of the Best Start in Life Family Hubs Programme. These services will be funded through the £6.2 million allocation for the period January 2027 to March 2029 and will contribute to the delivery of the Healthy Babies, Parenting and Home Learning Environment themes.  

Content: Croydon Council was one of the original 75 local authorities selected to implement the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme, operating from April 2022 to March 2026. The programme was subsequently extended to December 2026 to provide sufficient time for the procurement and mobilisation of the new Best Start in Life Family Hubs services. The original Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme was established by the Department for Education (DfE) and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) following publication of The Best Start for Life: A Vision for the 1,001 Critical Days in 2021. The programme has since evolved into the wider Best Start in Life agenda, which expands the focus from the first 1,001 critical days to include childcare, child development, school readiness and broader family support. The transition to the Best Start in Life approach commenced during 2025, with further national implementation from April 2026 through the development of Best Start Family Hubs and related services (see Appendix A1).   During the four-year Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme, Croydon benefited from investment provided by the Department for Education (DfE) and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), with funding allocations as set out below   Year 1 (2022/23) - £1,145,000.00 Year 2 (2023/24) - £1,959,000.00 Year 3 (2024/25) - £1,619,100.00 Year 4 (2025/26) - £1,712,400.00 Totalling: £6,435,500.00   It should be noted that the budgets set out below relate primarily to the delivery of commissioned services. Approximately 20% of the total Family Hubs and Start for Life funding allocation has been earmarked for transformation activity and capital expenditure, in line with programme requirements. This includes investment in Family Hub infrastructure, digital developments, service transformation, workforce development, programme management, data and evaluation, and other implementation costs necessary to support the delivery of sustainable Best Start in Life services. The remaining funding is allocated to the commissioned service strands detailed below.   The Programme delivers under the following thematic areas: -   ·       Healthy Babies (the core components are Parent-Infant Relations and Perinatal Mental Health) - promoting positive early relationships and good mental wellbeing for babies aged 0-2 and their families. ·       Parenting – focuses on strengthening parental confidence, skills and resilience, enabling parents and carers of children aged 0-5 years to provide nurturing, responsive care that promotes children's health, development, wellbeing and school readiness. ·       Home Learning Environment (HLE) through Family Hubs - supports parents and carers of children aged 0-5 years to create positive learning experiences in the home that promote children's early language, communication, literacy, confidence, cognitive development and school readiness.   In July 2025, the Government confirmed its ongoing commitment to Family Hubs and early years support, with the Start for Life Family Hubs Programme developing into the Best Start for Life Family Hubs Programme.   The Government is committed to breaking the link between a child’s background and their future success, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to achieve and thrive. Its ambition is to create the healthiest generation of children ever, enabling every family to give their child the best start in life. This includes a national target for 75% of children to achieve a good level of development by the end of Reception by 2028, ensuring they start school ready to learn.   This investment will fund the programme's three core themes: Healthy Babies, Parenting, and Home Learning Environment.   This report sets out proposals for the commissioning of services to support the delivery of the Best Start in Life Family Hubs Programme. These services will be funded through the £6.2 million allocation for the period January 2027 to March 2029 and will contribute to the delivery of the Healthy Babies, Parenting and Home Learning Environment themes.   a)    Agree the strategy set out in this report which will lead to the procurement of contracts across 14 lots as described at paragraph 5.1.1.2 for the Best Start in Life Family Hubs programme with an estimated value across all lots of £905,522. b)    Note that for reasons explained in the report, the contracts will be awarded for a period of 2 years and 3 months commencing 1st January 2027, save for lot 11 which will be awarded for two years commencing 1st April 2027 c)    Note that the report also incorporates the proposed route to market which has been approved by the Head of Strategic Procurement.   The commissioning of Best Start in Life Family Hubs services for the period 2026 to 2029 is recommended to ensure the Council continues to meet its statutory responsibilities under the Childcare Act 2006 and associated early years and Best Start in Life guidance, while supporting the delivery of national and local priorities for children and families. The proposed approach will enable the continued provision of integrated and accessible services across the Healthy Babies, Parenting and Home Learning Environment themes, improving outcomes for children and families, including school readiness, speech and language development, parental confidence, and parent-infant relationships. It will also support early intervention and prevention, helping to reduce inequalities and improve life chances across the borough.   Undertaking a compliant procurement process will ensure transparency, fairness and value for money, enabling the Council to commission high-quality services that deliver early intervention and preventative support for children and families. Establishing contracts for a term of two years and three months will provide stability and continuity of service delivery, support effective partnership working through the Best Start in Life Family Hubs model, and facilitate robust contract and performance management. This approach aligns with the Council’s strategic priorities by improving outcomes for children and families, reducing inequalities, and helping to mitigate future demand on more intensive and costly statutory services.   In addition, procurement of these services will enable the Council to:   ·       Ensure services are aligned with the objectives and outcomes of the Best Start in Life Family Hubs Programme. ·       Commission evidence-based interventions that support improved outcomes for babies, children and families. ·       Respond to identified local needs and priorities through the design and delivery of targeted services. ·       Strengthen partnership working across health, early years, education and family support services. ·       Establish clear outcomes, performance measures and reporting arrangements to monitor the impact of commissioned services. ·       Promote consistency and equity of access to support across the borough. ·       Maximise the impact of Government funding by investing in services that deliver early intervention and preventative support. ·       Support the reduction of health, development and educational inequalities and improve life chances for children and families.   Delivery Options Appraisal   OPTION 1 Option DO Nothing Feasibility   While the Council could choose not to undertake a procurement exercise, this option is not considered feasible in the medium to long term. Existing commissioning arrangements will expire and cannot continue indefinitely without a compliant procurement process. Failure to procure replacement services would create a gap in provision and may compromise delivery of the Best Start Family Hubs Programme objectives. This option would also not utilise available specialist providers within the market. Existing providers and other organisations with relevant expertise would not have the opportunity to compete for future service delivery. The Council does not currently have the internal capacity, specialist workforce, or infrastructure required to deliver all aspects of the Healthy Babies service in-house. Bringing delivery in-house would require additional resources, recruitment, training, and operational arrangements that are not currently in place. This would have repercussions for the Council to meet its obligations for the grant and could mean claw back for money not spent.   The do-nothing option presents several significant risks, including: Failure to deliver programme outcomes associated with infant feeding and perinatal mental health support. Reduced support for expectant parents, babies, and families. Potential increase in health inequalities and unmet need within vulnerable communities. Reputational risk to the Council and its partners. Risk of failing to meet funding requirements and programme expectations set by the Department for Education (DfE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). Loss of established partnerships, expertise, and community-based support networks. Increased pressure on other statutory services due to reduced early intervention and prevention activity. For these reasons, the do-nothing option is not considered a viable or a recommended approach.   Benefits and Drawbacks Benefits Service users: No immediate disruption to existing services in the short term, as current arrangements would continue until expiry. Council: No additional procurement activity required in the short term, resulting in reduced immediate administrative effort. Market/partners: Existing providers would continue delivery during the remaining term of current arrangements. Drawbacks Service users: Failure to secure future provision would result in a gap in services beyond current arrangements, reducing access to infant feeding and perinatal mental health support and negatively impacting outcomes for families and children. Council: The option is not compliant with procurement requirements once existing arrangements expire, creating legal and governance risk. It also risks failure to deliver Best Start Family Hubs Programme outcomes and may jeopardise continued central government funding. Market/partners: No opportunity for fair and open competition, limiting market engagement and innovation, and preventing new providers from contributing to service improvement. Overall Assessment Not Recommended   Croydon would lose the funding, considering the financial position of the Council this is not viable.  This would impact on the ability of the Council to provide services to its residents.   OPTION 2 Option  Extend Current Contracts   Feasibility   Whilst it may provide continuity of service in the short term, it would not support the Council's longer-term commissioning objectives or provide the opportunity to test the market and secure the best available outcomes and value for money for residents.   Deliverability: Although extending the existing contracts could be delivered within the required timescales, this option would delay the implementation of the refreshed Best Start in Life Family Hubs and Healthy Babies service model and the outcomes required by the programme. Supplier and Partner Availability: Existing providers are currently delivering the services; however, further extensions would remove the opportunity for other providers to compete for the contracts and may limit opportunities for innovation and service improvement. Council Capacity and Capability: The Council has the capacity and capability to undertake the procurement and implement the proposed commissioning approach. Therefore, a further extension is not considered necessary from a resourcing perspective. Non-Financial Risks and Constraints: Further extensions may not align with the Council's commissioning intentions, procurement best practice or the expectation that services are periodically market tested to demonstrate value for money and ensure services continue to meet local needs. There is also a risk that opportunities for service redesign, innovation and improved outcomes in line with Best Start in Life and Family Hubs priorities would be delayed.     Benefits and Drawbacks   Benefits Ensures continuity of service for children and families with minimal disruption. Avoids immediate procurement and mobilisation activity, reducing short-term resource pressures on the Council. Maintains existing relationships with providers and delivery partners. Drawbacks Delays implementation of the refreshed Best Start in Life Family Hubs and Healthy Babies service model and associated outcomes. Limits opportunities to test the market, drive innovation and demonstrate value for money through competition. May not align with the Council's commissioning intentions, procurement best practice or strategic objectives. Risks missing opportunities to improve service quality, accessibility and outcomes for children, parents and families.   Overall Assessment Not Recommended   Given that funding is available, the market has been engaged, and there is sufficient time to undertake a compliant procurement process, the preferred approach is to proceed with the proposed procurement and award new contracts from 1 January 2027.     OPTION 3 Option Re?procure services Feasibility The re-procurement of services is deliverable within the required time frame and is the most appropriate mechanism to ensure continuity of provision. A compliant procurement process can be completed within existing governance, legal, and commissioning frameworks.   There is evidence of a capable provider market for the services being commissioned. Market engagement activity, including four provider engagement sessions, generated interest from organisations across the statutory, voluntary, community and faith sectors. Existing providers, alongside potential new entrants, are expected to have the capacity and expertise to deliver the required services. The programme also benefits from established partnerships with NHS organisations, Family Hubs, early years providers and voluntary sector organisations, providing confidence that the necessary delivery partners are available to support successful implementation.   The Council does not have the internal capacity or specialist capability to deliver these services in-house. The services rely on specialist expertise in infant feeding, perinatal mental health, and early years family support, which are currently delivered through commissioned external providers. The main risks associated with this option are transitional and procurement-related rather than service-related. These include potential disruption during mobilisation of new contracts, variation in provider performance during transition, and the need to ensure continuity of support for vulnerable families. There is also a dependency on continued central government funding (DfE and DHSC). Any reduction or withdrawal of grant funding would directly impact the scope and sustainability of commissioned services. However, this risk is mitigated through annual funding agreements and contractual provisions allowing variation or termination in line with available funding. Overall, re-procurement is considered the most viable and compliant option to ensure service continuity, quality, and alignment with programme outcomes. Benefits and Drawbacks Benefits Opportunity for improved service quality, innovation, and better responsiveness; potential for more consistent standards. Ensures procurement compliance and transparency; allows alignment with updated strategic priorities; potential for improved value for money and efficiency. Encourages competition, driving innovation, service improvement, and cost effectiveness; opens opportunity for new suppliers. Drawbacks Possible disruption during transition; learning curve if provider, systems, or processes change. Delivery risk during transition; potential procurement delays or legal challenge; resource-intensive process to run re-tendering and mobilisation. Re-procurement may result in a change of provider, leading to the loss of established relationships and local knowledge. New providers may require time to develop partnerships and referral pathways. There is also a risk that smaller providers may not bid, potentially reducing market diversity. Overall Assessment Recommended Re-procurement is required to ensure the Council continues to secure value for money, maintain legal and procurement compliance, and align service delivery with current strategic priorities. It provides an opportunity to reassess service requirements, refresh specifications, and ensure the contract reflects current and future demand. It also enables the Council to test the market, encouraging competition and innovation, which may improve service quality and efficiency. Continuing without re-procurement could risk misalignment with policy objectives, reduced performance, or poor value over time.   Recommended Delivery Option   Option 3 is recommended for the reasons set out above.   None

Date of Decision: September 15, 2026