Cuts will not scupper health visitor recruitment drive, minister confirms

Speaking at the Unite/Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association conference, she said: "Our commitment to health visitors is there. It is found in black and white in the coalition document. The Chancellor confirmed yesterday the money is there. We know there are huge frustrations and we need to strengthen health visitor teams and use them in a more enlightened way."

Milton also revealed a new national recruitment campaign was planned for next year to "tell the full story of the health visitor" to encourage people to join, and said there would be better training options for new recruits and for people returning to health visiting.

"We need a new confidence and a new identity for health visiting," she said. "Health visitors need to be confident about who they are, what they do and get the respect they deserve."

She also welcomed the launch of a referral tool called Safer by chief nursing officer for England Dame Christine Beasley.

The tool has been developed to help health visitors make a critical decision more easily and in a more focused manner, and will set out what needs to be communicated to social care colleagues.

She also called for help from health visitors to boost the profile of the profession and encourage more people to join. "We need you to be confident and positive, and welcome and mentor new recruits," she said. "And we need you to take the opportunity to refresh your skills."

Health visitors at the conference welcomed the plans to recruit 4,200 more health visitors but questioned what would be done in the short-term to combat large case loads. One delegate said their caseloads are, on average, 700 to 900 children per person, leading to stress and low morale among staff.