Purpose

Proposed Decision:
 

APPROVE the Adult Healthy Lifestyle
Service model and agree to the commissioning of the relevant
services:

 

Stop Smoking Service: Three Year
Contract (1 April 2026 – 31 March 2029) with an optional
extension, up to 24 months.

 

Weight Management and Healthy
Lifestyle Service:

 

East Kent: Three year Contract (1
April 2026 – 31 March 2029) with an optional extension, up to
36 months

 

West Kent: Three year Grant
Agreement (1 April 2026 – 31 March 2029) with District and
Borough Councils. Towards the end of the Three years, a decision
will need to be made on whether KCC continues to provide the
service in West Kent through Grant Agreements with the District and
Borough Councils.

 

DELEGATE authority to the Director
of Public Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult
Social Care and Public Health to commission the relevant services
and enter into contracts or other legal agreements with providers
to deliver the Adult Healthy Lifestyle Service model; and

 

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

 

DELEGATE authority to the Director
of Public Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult
Social Care and Public Health, to take relevant actions, including
but not limited to, awarding, finalising the terms of and entering
into the relevant contracts or other legal agreements, as
necessary, to implement the decision

 
 

Background
 
Kent
County Council (KCC) commission Adult Lifestyle Services (Stop
Smoking, Weight Management and Healthy Lifestyles) as part of the
service branded as One You Kent (OYK).
 
OYK
commenced on 1 April 2017 and ends on 31 March 2026. The Service is
currentlydelivered by Kent Community Health
Foundation Trust (KCHFT) and six district, borough and city
councils.
 
The
overall aim of OYK, is to increase the number of people quitting
smoking, managing their weight and living a healthy lifestyle in
Kent, by engaging, motivating and supporting individuals to
successfully achieve personal outcomes/goals. The service is also
targeted at people from priority groups, such as people residing in
areas of deprivation, in order to reduce health
inequalities.
 
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.
 
As part
of the PHSTP, market, stakeholder and public engagement has been
undertaken. All responses and contributions from engagement has
been analysed and informed future service delivery. New service
specifications will be developed, which encompasses learning from
all the engagement undertaken.
 

Reason for Decision:
 
Under
the Care Act, KCC is obliged to provide or arrange for services,
facilities or resources which would prevent, delay, or reduce
individuals’ needs for care and support. Within the Care Act
statutory guidance, secondary prevention or early intervention is
defined as more targeted interventions aimed at individuals who
have an increased risk of developing needs, where the provision of
services, resources or facilities may help slow down or reduce any
further deterioration or prevent other needs from
developing.
 
KCC
also has a statutory duty to improve the health of the population
and reduce health inequalities (Health and Social Care Act 2012).
KCC receive a ringfenced Public Health Grant to meet this statutory
duty and annually report to Government on how much of this Grant
has been allocated on weight management, lifestyles and stop
smoking services.
 
OYK
plays a vital role in ensuring the effective and timely provision
of preventative health and wellbeing services and can help meet key
priorities:
 

· 
Helping the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in
society to improve their physical and mental health; with a focus
on the social determinants of health and preventing people
becoming ill in the first place

· 
Helping people to manage their
own health and wellbeing and be proactive partners in their care so
they can live happy, independent and fulfilling lives; adding years
to life and life to years.

The service achieves this by supporting residents of
Kent to quit smoking, manage their weight, improve their diet,
increase their physical activity, boost their mental wellbeing and
reduce their alcohol consumption. The service
is open access, but is also targeted at people from priority
groups, such as people residing in areas of deprivation, in order
to reduce health inequalities.

It is proposed Adult Healthy Lifestyle Services are
recommissioned, with the aim of successfully selecting provider(s)
to deliver the services from 1 April 2026. The process will adhere
to ‘Spending the Council’s Money’ and relevant
procurement legislation.

Options (other options considered but
discarded)

 

Discontinue /
decommission services - Decommissioning the
services was concluded as a non-viable option, due to the
prevalence of unhealthy behaviours in Kent and demand for services.
OYK supports the Council to achieve priorities set out in Framing
Kent’s Future and Securing Kent’s Future and the Kent
and Medway Integrated Care System to achieve key outcomes set out
in the Integrated Care Strategy. The services play a key role in
supporting KCC to reduce health inequalities and improve the health
of the Kent population. It is also a requirement as per the Local
Stop Smoking Service Support Grant (LSSSSG) that in order for local
authorities to receive the funding, KCC must maintain its existing
spend on stop smoking services

 

Reduce service offer - Reducing the
services was concluded as a non-viable option, due to the
prevalence of unhealthy behaviours in Kent and demand for services.
OYK supports the Council to achieve priorities set out in Framing
Kent’s Future and Securing Kent’s Future and the Kent
and Medway Integrated Care System to achieve key outcomes set out
in the Integrated Care Strategy. The services play a key role in
supporting KCC to reduce health inequalities and improve the health
of the Kent population. It is also a requirement as per the LSSSSG
that in order for local authorities to receive the funding, KCC
must maintain its existing spend on stop smoking
services. 

 

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’’

 
Stop
smoking, weight management and healthy lifestyle services supports
the Council to achieve the following priorities set out in the
Council’s Strategy 2022-2026 ‘Framing Kent’s
Future’:
 

Priority 1: Levelling up Kent

To see
significant improvements in the economy, connectivity, educational
attainment, skills and employment rates and public health outcomes
in deprived communities in coastal areas so that they improve
faster than the rest of Kent to reduce the gaps
To
work with our partners to hardwire a preventative approach into
improving the health of Kent’s population and narrowing
health inequalities
Adopt
an unrelenting focus on reducing cardiovascular disease in our
population by continuing to focus on healthier behaviours, stopping
smoking, taking up exercise and healthier eating.

 

How the proposed decision supports Securing
Kent’s Future
 
Stop
smoking, weight management and healthy lifestyle services supports
the Council to achieve the priorities set out in Securing Kents
Future, by preventing people from getting long term health
conditions linked to smoking, being overweight and living unhealthy
lives, which increase’s demand and costs in Health and Social
Care.
 

Financial Implications

The new service length will be:

Stop
Smoking Service: Three Year Contract (1 April 2026 – 31 March
2029) with an optional extension, up to 24 months. This will align
with the ending of the new services being commissioned utilising
the LSSSSG

Weight Management and Healthy Lifestyle
Service:

East Kent: Three year Contract (1 April 2026 –
31 March 2029) with an optional extension, up to 36
months

West Kent: Three year Grant Agreement (1 April 2026
– 31 March 2029) with District and Borough Councils. Towards
the end of the Three years, a decision will need to be made on
whether KCC continues to provide the service in West Kent through
Grant Agreements with the District and Borough
Councils.

Arrangements involving grant agreements between KCC
and Districts and Borough Councils may be impacted by devolution
and reorganisation. Future commissioning plans will be reviewed as
the devolution agenda progresses.

The tables below outline the estimated costs to KCC
Public Health and includes an estimated annual uplift that will be
applied (with the exclusion of the first year). Final costs will be
subject to negotiations and procurement outcomes.

Table 1: Estimated Costs to KCC Public Health (Stop
Smoking Service)

 

Cost to KCCPublic Health

(Stop Smoking
Service)

1 April 2026 – 31 March 2029

£7,184,878.04

1 April 2029 – 31 March 3031

(Optional Extension Period)

£4,910,464.97

Total Cost (Three year Contract + up to 24
month optional extension)

£12,095,343.01

The estimated annual costs to KCC Public Health will
be consistent with current costs.

Table 2: Estimated Costs to KCC Public Health
(Weight Management and Healthy Lifestyle Service)

 

Cost to KCCPublic Health

(Weight Management and Healthy Lifestyle
Service)

 

1 April 2026 – 31 March
2029

1 April 2029 – 31 March
3032

Total

East Kent (Contract)

£5,448,122.53

£5,613,206.09

£11,061,328.61

West Kent (Grant Agreement)

£3,448,069.30

£3,552,549.24

£7,000,618.54

Total Cost

£8,896,191.82

£9,165,755.33

£18,061,947.15

 

 

Includes:

 

·        
Optional extension (up to 36
months) in East Kent

·        
Decision taken to continue to provide the service in
West Kent through Grant Agreements with the District and Borough
Councils for the same time period as the East Kent optional
extension (Three years).

The estimated annual costs to KCC Public Health are
lower compared to current costs. Cost modelling, including
benchmarking with other local authorities has been undertaken to
determine the estimated costs of the service post April 2026. This
has determined that KCC can achieve improved value for money with
no impact to the level or quality of support provided across
Kent.

The above values can be funded from within the
budget approved and will be funded from KCC Public Health
ring-fenced grant.
 

Decision

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

APPROVE the Adult Healthy Lifestyle
Service model and agree to the commissioning of the relevant
services:

 

Stop
Smoking Service: Three Year Contract (1 April 2026 – 31 March
2029) with an optional extension, up to 24 months.

Weight Management and Healthy Lifestyle
Service:

East Kent: Three year Contract (1 April 2026 –
31 March 2029) with an optional extension, up to 36
months

West Kent: Three year Grant Agreement (1 April 2026
– 31 March 2029) with District and Borough Councils. Towards
the end of the Three years, a decision will need to be made on
whether KCC continues to provide the service in West Kent through
Grant Agreements with the District and Borough
Councils.

 

DELEGATE authority to the Director of Public Health, in
consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and
Public Health to commission the relevant services and enter into
contracts or other legal agreements with providers to deliver the
Adult Healthy Lifestyle Service model; and

 

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

 
IV.      DELEGATE
authority to the Director of Public Health, in consultation with
the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, to take
relevant actions, including but not limited to, awarding,
finalising the terms of and entering into the relevant contracts or
other legal agreements, as necessary, to implement the
decision