Issue - meetings

The Panel was taken through the report by Sam Page, AD Universal and Safeguarding Children's Services.

The following points were noted:

·        Health Visitors are an unusual area of growth.

·        There is a commitment to increase the number of health visitors by 2015.

·        Haringey has a high trajectory of growth due to vulnerability in the population and growth.

·        Expected growth in Haringey is 50 Health Visitors.  This is a welcome but challenging growth target.

·        There are implications on the Healthy Child Programme and work is being done to consider what this means in terms of shared outcomes with partners.

·        A teenage mums programme running in the borough has been very successful.

·        The challenge with increasing the numbers of health visitors is that there are very few available health visitors, particularly in London.

·        Whittington Health is working with NHS London, the Deanery and Health Visiting Training services.

·        Health Visitors are trained nurses who then undertake a year graduate training to become a Health Visitor.

·        Health Visitor students undertake a significant amout of training in practice, for which they need support in place.

·        With a depleted workforce and a population with high vulnerabliilty it is challenging to provide the necessary level of support to students.

·        The lack of experienced Health Visitors numbers has an impact on newly qualified Health Visitors who need support to make sure they are confident and safe.

·        A Health Visitor model needs both new and experienced Health Visitors as part of it.

·        Some retired Health Visitors so come back into practice with flexible arrangements.

·        Haringey previously worked to 28 days for New Birth Visits.  This was agreed locally with Commissioners.  Nationally the target is 14 days, which is now worked to.

·        Whittington Health is currently at the baseline amount of Health visitors, but have not started to recruit to expansion figures.  This should be an additional 14 Health Visitors by April, but is not achievable at this stage.

·        Processes are currently being looked at to make them more efficient and agency staff are being used where they are needed.

·        Work has been done on the information flow across the whole pathway between agencies and the format of the information.  This has resulted in significant improvements on performance, as reflected in the chart at the end of the submitted report.

·        A big piece of work still to be done is considering the communication with midwifery at Whittington Health and North Middlesex Hospital.

·        The expansion of Health Visitors links to the work currently being done around the 54,00 project.

Discussion points noted include:

·        There are not enough Practice Teachers in Haringey.  Therefore Mentors have been put in place who are ‘long-armed’ by Practice Teachers.  This is supported by strong development and training support.

·        The shortage of Health Visitors is a national issue.

·        There is a national push on a Return to Practice programme to get previous Health Visitors back into jobs.

·        20 new students are planned across Haringey and Islington over the next 2 years.  This will be alongside the additional  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36