Health Visitor Programme: Position statement & key achievements 2011 – March 2015
Updated 26 March 2015
Applies to England
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This has been a four year transformational programme of recruitment and retention, professional development and improved commissioning linked to public health improvement.
The programme has delivered what is thought to be the biggest percentage professional growth ever achieved in NHS in this timescale. It has succeeded in training in excess of 7,000 nurses and midwives to become health visitors, attracted health visitors back to practice and developed the current work for increased capability and improved retention. The current estimate is that by 1 April we will have an additional 4,000 wte health visitors, (additionally over 900 student health visitors will be in their final supervised practice element of training and contributing to clinical practice)
A range of professional leadership initiatives have been undertaken to support transformation, including extensive professional materials and support alongside front line teams, (for example: a range of clinical pathways including ‘Midwifery to Health Visiting’ and ‘Health Visiting to School Nursing’.
The programme has worked with the Institute of HV to introduce a successful ‘champions’ model that rolls out education on high priority health issues. This has resulted in 570 health visitor perinatal mental health champions and 300 health visitor domestic violence and abuse champions – with both groups now disseminating skills/knowledge locally (supportive by interactive e-learning modules).
On service transformation – we now have a clear easily understood national framework on which local services can build. ‘HV 4,5, 6’ sets out a four-tiered service reach (support for all parents – more help when needed), five vital universal health reviews for all children (regulations having been approved by Parliament to make these mandatory from 1 October 2015), and six areas where health visitors have especially high opportunity and impact on child and family health and wellbeing.
Local authorities take up their role as commissioners of 0 – 5 years public health services, including health visitor services in October. DH and its partner organisations have gone to great lengths to secure a smooth transition that paves the way for a successful, sustainable future – one that ensures we have the basis for sustaining this momentum and the overall positive environment around health visiting services as we move forward. Local authorities are enthusiastic about this transition - they know the needs of their local communities best, they will be able to bring together a range of different services for children and families, and will have more opportunities to reduce the health inequalities in their areas.
Viv Bennett, Director of Nursing (DH/PHE) has written an open letter; ‘transforming health visiting: thank you to the profession, partners and parents’.