Category: Health Visitors

State of health visiting in England

Institute of Health Visiting (iHV)

Source: LTHTR Library Newsletter – External Health Management

The iHV’s seventh annual survey (completed by 1012 health visitors from across the UK during October and November 2020) finds that health visitors are concerned that the needs of vulnerable babies and young children are invisible as they are only able to focus on what feels like the “tip of a very large iceberg” of unmet need, with almost two-thirds of health visitors reporting an increase in cases of child neglect. Four out of five health visitors report soaring increases in domestic violence and abuse, perinatal mental illness, and the negative impact of poverty on families.

To read the full report click here, or to find out more information click here.

First 1000 days of life

Health and Social Care Committee, February 2019
This report calls on the Government to produce a long-term, cross-Government strategy for the first 1000 days of life, setting goals to reduce adverse childhood experiences, improve school readiness and reduce infant mortality and child poverty.  The report also calls for the Government’s Healthy Child Programme to be revised, improved and given greater impetus. The Committee recommends that the programme should be expanded to focus on the health of the whole family, begin before conception, deliver a greater continuity of care for children, parents and families during this period and extend visits beyond age 2½ years.
Click here to view the full report.

Overview of the 6 early years and school aged years high impact areas: Health visitors and school nurses leading the Healthy Child Programme

Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England, December 2018
The purpose of this report is to illustrate the contribution of health visitors to the Healthy Child Programme (0-5) and school nurses to the Healthy Child Programme (5-19) and to describe areas where health visitors and school nurses have a significant impact on health and wellbeing and improving outcomes for children, young people, families and communities.
Click here to view the full report.

A Crying Shame: A report by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner into vulnerable babies in England

Office of the Children’s Commissioner, October 2018
This report looks at how many babies might be vulnerable in this way and presents the facts about the sort of risks even very young children are being exposed to. Much of the data is missing; however, we are publishing the best estimates we can give of the numbers of babies living in high-risk households. A more detailed technical report explains some of the factors which affect the calculations2 – namely, that very little data is collected or collated about vulnerable babies, and that the data which does exist is often reported for children in age brackets (0-4) and not broken down for babies under a year old.
Click here to view the full report.