Purpose

Proposed
decision:
 
    
I.       
APPROVE amendments to the current Kent School Public Health
Service  Specification from April 2026 specifically:
(a)the removal of
the Children and Young People’s Counselling Service, from the
school health contract;
(b) changes to
target cohorts for Online Health Assessments,
(c) increased
flexibility to Whole School Approach offer
(d) review and
adaptation of the Emotional Wellbeing Package of Care to avoid
duplication with Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) schools, better
target need and improve outcome reporting;
 
   
II.       
APPROVE the required expenditure, via the Public Health
Grant, from April 2026 to April 2031 (with an option to extend for
a further 5 years to 2036) to implement the amendments to the Kent
School Public Health Service
 
 
III.       
APPROVE the commissioning of a new standalone Therapeutic
Support Service to support children and young people with mild to
moderate emotional and mental health needs who are aged between
school entry in Reception up to 19 years old. This service would be
aligned with the wider Therapeutic Alliance model being procured by
NHS Kent and Medway and be delivered as part of the Family Hub
network. The service would commence from November 2025. 
 
 
IV.       
DELEGATE authority to the Director of public Health, in
consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and
Public Health to implement the changes to the Kent School Public
Health Service and undertake the required activity to establish a
new standalone Therapeutic support service.
 
  
V.       
DELEGATE authority to the Director of Public Health, in
consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and
Public Health, to exercise relevant contract extensions and enter
into relevant contracts or legal agreements; and  
 
 
VI.       
DELEGATE authority to the Director of Public Health, to take
other necessary actions, including but not limited to allocating
resources, expenditure, and entering into contracts and other legal
agreements, as required to implement the decision. 
 
 

Background:
 
Kent
County Council (KCC) commission the Kent School Public Health
service (5 to 19 years). This service commenced on 1 April 2017 and
ends on 31 March 2026.
 
The
Service is currentlydelivered by Kent
Community Health Foundation NHS Trust (KCHFT).
 
The
contract includes CYP Counselling Service and the intention,
following recent Public Consultation, is to commission a new CYP
Therapeutic Support Service.
 

Decision:
 
The
decision is to agree service model changes for the Kent School
Public Health service (5 to 19 years) and new proposed CYP
Therapeutic Support Service (TSS).
 
The
main changes are to separate the emotional and wellbeing service
from the Kent School Public Health service and commission both
services separately.
 
Kent
School Public Health service

To also make minor amendments to the service specification
including; improved data reporting and flexibility to support a
wider range of partnership i.e. colleges, amongst a number of other
additional improvements.
 
These
changes will be delivered through the re-commission of the Kent
School Public Health service and a change to the service
specification.
 
The
positive changes will be that reporting is improved, that the
service work with a wider range of partners and broaden its
reach.
 
Therapeutic Support Service (TSS)

The establishment of a new standalone Therapeutic Support Service
to support children and young people with mild to moderate
emotional and mental health needs who are aged between school entry
in Reception up to 19 years old. This service would be aligned with
the wider Therapeutic Alliance model being procured by NHS Kent and
Medway and be delivered as part of the Family Hub
network.
 
Some of
the positive changes will be; offering a range of opportunities for
children and young people to take part in therapeutic activities,
improving alignment with the wider system of children and young
people’s mental health services.
 
 

Reason for Decision:
 
In July
2023, KCC commenced the Public Health Service Transformation
Programme (PHSTP). The programme responded to a series of strategic
developments, challenges, and opportunities in the commissioning
landscape, and is underpinned by an evidence-based review of all
internal and external Public Health funded services and
grants.
 
The
Programme required the evaluation of existing service models and
collaboration with key stakeholders to identify recommendations for
future service delivery.
 
Papers
on this were presented in relation to Public Health Transformation
(PHSTP) at Health Reform and Public Health Cabinet Committee in
January 2024, May 2024, November 2024 and January 2025.
 
As part
of the PHSTP, stakeholder engagement and public consultation has
been undertaken. All responses and contributions from the
engagement and consultation have been analysed and informed this
decision. A new service specification will be developed, which
encompasses learning from all the engagement and consultation
undertaken.
 
The
Kent School Health Service leads the Healthy Child Programme for 5-
to 19-year-olds. Delivery includes; health assessments, vision and
hearing screening, delivery of the mandated National Child
Measurement Programme (weighing and measuring), drop-in clinics and
whole school approach support on mental health. The contract also
includes the CYP Counselling service for children and young people
with mild to moderate emotional wellbeing needs.
 

How the proposed decision meets the priorities of
New Models of Care and Support as set out in ‘‘Framing
Kent’s Future – Our Council Strategy 2022 –
2026’’

 
Kent
School Public Health Service supports the Council to achieve the
following priorities set out in the Council’s Strategy
2022-2026 ‘Framing Kent’s Future’:
 
Framing
Kent’s Future aligns with the NHS Kent and Medway Integrated
Care Strategy including to ‘strive for children and young
people to be physically and emotionally healthy’ as part of
the outcome to ‘Give child and young people the best start in
life’ and 'to work with our partners to hardwire a
preventative approach into improving the health of Kent’s
population and narrowing health inequalities.' 
 
KCC has
a statutory duty to improve the health of the population and reduce
health inequalities (Health and Social Care Act 2012).
 

How the proposed decision supports Securing
Kent’s Future
 
The
School Health service, as lead for the Healthy Child Programme,
play a vital role in ensuring the effective and timely provision of
preventative health and wellbeing services and can help meet key
health and prevention priorities.
 
 
 

Decision

Decision:
As Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, I agree
to:
 

     
I.        
APPROVE amendments to the current
Kent School Public Health Service Specification from April
2026 specifically:

(a)      the removal of the Children and
Young People’s Counselling  
         
Service, from the school health contract;
(b)      changes to target cohorts
for Online Health Assessments,
(c)      increased flexibility to
Whole School Approach offer

(d)      review and adaptation of
the Emotional Wellbeing Package of Care to avoid duplication with
Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) schools, better target need and
improve outcome reporting;    
 
   
II.        
APPROVE the required expenditure,
via the Public Health Grant, from April 2026 to April 2031 (with an
option to extend for a further 5 years to 2036) to implement the
amendments to the Kent School Public Health Service
 
  
III.        
APPROVE the establishment of a new
standalone Therapeutic Support Service to support children and
young people with mild to moderate emotional and mental health
needs who are aged between school entry in Reception up to 19 years
old. This service would be aligned with the wider Therapeutic
Alliance model being procured by NHS Kent and Medway and be
delivered as part of the Family Hub network. The service would
commence from November 2025. 
 
 
IV.        
DELEGATE authority to the Director
of public Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult
Social Care and Public Health to implement the changes to the Kent
School Public Health Service and undertake the required activity to
establish a new standalone Therapeutic support service.
 
   
V.        
DELEGATE authority to the Director
of Public Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult
Social Care and Public Health, to exercise relevant contract
extensions and enter into relevant contracts or legal agreements;
and  
 
 
VI.        
DELEGATE authority to the Director
of Public Health, to take other necessary actions, including but
not limited to allocating resources, expenditure, and entering into
contracts and other legal agreements, as required to implement the
decision.