Yesterday, Kent County Council (KCC) released its final decision on the planned cuts to breastfeeding support services in the county. The decision was reached after two consultations and a total of 1,294 consultation responses, as well as a petition with almost 5,000 signatures opposing the plans. The proposals were widely criticised by the Keep Kent Breastfeeding (KKB) campaign group throughout the consultation period, which originally began in July 2017.
The first consultation was withdrawn by Paul Carter, leader of KCC, who admitted in a Freedom of Information request that the withdrawal happened because “It did not articulate appropriately the planned changes, [and] also contained suggestions that [council] members were unaware of and did not support.”
The final decision was released on Monday 12 March and within their decision statement, KCC accused KKB campaigners of disseminating misinformation.
“I’m totally appalled at not only the decision, but the way it has been publicised and the content of the decision statement” said Mrs Hemming, who is now 37 weeks’ pregnant with her second child.
“The decision statement was released to the press first and not the incumbent provider, PS Breastfeeding. In their statement they have accused us of disseminating misinformation with statements in quotations, without proper reference to where they originate. This accusation is a slur and it’s outright insulting.
“We pride ourselves on the fact that we have run a clean and professional campaign using only the information that was provided in the consultation documents. We have never unfairly criticised council members, Health Visitors nor families who choose not to breastfeed. We have been very strict with our messaging and the way we communicate our values. This is about adequately supporting families who wish to breastfeed – nothing more. Any suggestion otherwise is a smear.
“Some of what they call ‘misinformation’ and have referred to as ‘myths’ in communications with PS Breastfeeding, directed at volunteer breastfeeding peer supporters, (of which I am currently one), are educated opinions we are entitled to hold. It is our strong, informed view that these changes will negatively impact breastfeeding rates in the county of Kent.
“We have said, time and time again, that breastfeeding families need adequate, local and timely support from specialists, like internationally certified lactation consultants (IBCLCs) and breastfeeding counsellors. The appointment model, we believe, will not adequately support women who need support from experts quickly, at drop-in sessions.
“We also strongly believe that Health Visitors are valuable health care professionals, but they are responsible for a wide remit of 0-5 years and their training is not – and cannot ever be – to the same level as breastfeeding specialists. This is simply a fact. You do not see a General Physician for specialist haematology or oncology advice – you see subject specialists. Breastfeeding is no different, especially in a society where our cultural knowledge is lacking as breastfeeding rates are low and the older women around us were not supported over generations before us. Women who have to stop breastfeeding before they reach their goals feel they have failed and it’s our responsibility – our duty – to realise that they haven’t: society and support has failed them.
“It is a measure of the council’s incompetence and lack of understanding that they have smeared the campaign in this fashion, when it was the council who were forced to withdraw the original consultation. They did so as it did not ‘appropriately articulate’ what they planned – these are their own words, available to read on https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/user/tannice_hemming/wall. The second consultation was not much better. Despite consulting with us, the second iteration had few significant or useful changes. Many who filled out the consultation complained about the design of the questionnaire and felt it had been engineered to prompt certain answers and lacking in adequate space for qualitative responses. Others complained the changes weren’t adequately explained in comparison with the existing provision.
“The website, keepkentbreastfeeding.org, aimed to allow consultation responders to compare the current provision with the proposals – something the consultation documents should have done. At no time has the council contacted us to suggest that what we are saying was incorrect. This would have been rectified immediately should it have been highlighted. Their accusations are false and show a lack of confidence in their decision, to resort to such appalling, undermining tactics.
“The five Freedom of Information requests submitted also reveal that the overall consultation response number of 1,294 responses far exceeds their average 2017 amount of consultation responses (per consultation) of 156.
Mrs Hemming was also at pains to note that she has no formal affiliation with PSB CIC beyond her role as a volunteer breastfeeding peer supporter and is simply an expectant mother (with an older, breastfed toddler) who is concerned that these changes are about to take effect on and around her due date.
“It’s clear that the council were always going to do what they planned and, after awarding themselves a pay rise, needed to make savings elsewhere. They said they were listening, but ultimately they even dismissed the queries of their own councillors during the February 8th Petition Debate. If they can ignore 5,000 petition signatures and 1,294 consultation responses, as well as the valid questions of their own councillors (such as Trudy Dean) [watch this here], then there really is no real democracy. Councillors during that debate even told our campaigners to ‘trust them’ and that we should not ‘stress out’ about the changes [watch this here]. Such an authoritarian attitude surely shows that KCC believes they know best. It’s astonishing that they can ignore the warnings of trained breastfeeding specialists and the mothers and volunteer peer supporters who have been there and breastfed their babies. Sadly it is the women and babies of Kent – those born and those still yet to be – who will truly find out who they can trust now.”
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February 8th’s Petition Debate can watched in its entirety at https://kent.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/329393
For more details, please visit keepkentbreastfeeding.org. Media enquiries to Tannice Hemming in the first instance through www.fb.me/keepkentbf
