Issue - meetings

To consider the minutes of the meeting held on 17 December 2009.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 17 December 2009 be agreed as an accurate record.

MATTERS ARISING - HEALTH VISITING SERVICE

Cllr Mallet presented a report which had recently been considered at Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the health visiting services. Members noted that in July 2008 the decision had been made by the PCT, due to staff shortages, to temporarily suspend the traditional universal health visiting services and to concentrate on those in greatest need. This meant that children and families were assessed at the new birth visit, or on the first contact with the service and were then prioritised for further intervention. Where there were no concerns families were given contact details for any queries or concerns that they had. This was called “progressive universalism”. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee had expressed concern that they had not been informed of these changes earlier and felt that there could be some stigmatism around targeted services.

Officers advised that they had experienced some difficulties with contacting health visitors but that the situation should improve with the move to multi agency working and the location of three health visitors  to be based in their offices. However there was concern that the health visiting duty desk was staffed by health visiting staff or administrative staff.

Members expressed concerns around how the targeting was carried out and that the U5s were a particular vulnerable group. Also there was no reference to the views of families.

RESOLVED:

That a report be prepared for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee child protection meeting in March to include proposals for NHS Haringey to carry out an evaluation and to convening a Parents Focus group to establish their views.