Decision

The Director of Public Health, on behalf of
the Champs Public Health Collaborative (Champs), has approved the
direct award of a contract to provide Strategic Leadership Capacity
to Helen Lowey Consulting Limited through Bloom under the NEPO
framework for a part time (0.6WTE) Consultant in Public Health,
from the 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2027 at a cost of
£120,960.

This is to provide capacity, appropriate expert knowledge and
skills to support delivery of the Champs All Together Fairer (ATF)
Programme on behalf of the Cheshire and Merseyside Directors of
Public Health and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) Director of
Population Health.

Reasons for the decision

The Cheshire and Merseyside Directors of
Public Health (CM DsPH) agreed the need for strategic leadership
for the ATF programmes for the next 12 months. This decision was
formally recorded at their meeting on 12th December 2025.

ATF is Cheshire and Merseyside’s collaborative approach to
improving health equity and the social determinants of health in
the subregion. The ATF Programme brings together public, private
and third sector organisations with one shared aim: build a fairer,
healthier Cheshire and Merseyside.

The CM DsPH have created a bold shared vision, gained system-wide
commitment and partnered with the Local Government Association.
They have influenced National Strategy through a National Child
Poverty visit in Cheshire and Merseyside. This was acknowledged by
the Office of the Prime Minister as a vehicle for informing and
influencing the national policy. This was subsequently changed by
the removal of the 2 child benefit cap.

There is also political commitment by Steve Rotherham (Mayor of the
Liverpool City Region) and Councillor Louise Gittins (Leader
Cheshire West and Chester Council) to embed All Together Fairer as
a framework to tackling health inequalities in their devolved
areas.
Strategic leadership capacity is required to provide additional
capacity, appropriate expert knowledge and skills to advise the
Directors of Public Health whilst driving this important programme
of work forward in collaboration with the Cheshire and Warrington
(C&W) emerging Combined Authority (CA) and the Liverpool City
Region (LCR) Combined Authority.

This work requires leadership with exceptional links into national
networks to help influence policy and the ability to showcase the
work of the Cheshire and Merseyside Directors of Public
Health.

Champs is hosted by Wirral Borough Council and the budget sits
within the Champs Support Team

Alternative options considered

Not commissioning Programme Strategic
Leadership capacity

•Not procuring programme strategic leadership capacity with
the appropriate subject expertise and experience would impact
significantly on the delivery of the ATF Programme across Cheshire
and Merseyside and therefore the realisation of associated public
health outcomes would be prejudiced.

•There is not sufficient capacity within the Champs Support
Team to fulfil the required strategic leadership capacity.