Tories would replace Sure Start outreach workers with health visitors
Tom Lloyd
Monday, March 17, 2008
The Conservative Party has unveiled plans to recruit 4,200 health visitors instead of Sure Start outreach workers.
Party leader David Cameron said: "Instead of more untrained outreach workers, we need more trained professionals who really know what they're doing."
Cameron said a Conservative government would create a universal health visiting service for parents.
He denied the plans are an attack on Sure Start, saying they are about "making Sure Start work better", and represent a better use of public money than Labour's plans.
Cameron made the announcement as part of a speech on the theme of family to close the Conservative Party spring conference.
He said there is a need to "make Britain more family friendly", and outlined a range of measures to achieve this, including benefit changes, the introduction of 12 month parental leave that can be shared between parents, and dedicated maternity nurses for every new mother.
The Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice, which represents professionals working with families, said the plans do not go far enough.
Association chair Dorothy Ramsay said: "Supporting families means much more than increasing health visitor numbers to families with young children, important though this may be."
Cameron said a Conservative government would create a universal health visiting service for parents.
He denied the plans are an attack on Sure Start, saying they are about "making Sure Start work better", and represent a better use of public money than Labour's plans.
Cameron made the announcement as part of a speech on the theme of family to close the Conservative Party spring conference.
He said there is a need to "make Britain more family friendly", and outlined a range of measures to achieve this, including benefit changes, the introduction of 12 month parental leave that can be shared between parents, and dedicated maternity nurses for every new mother.
The Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice, which represents professionals working with families, said the plans do not go far enough.
Association chair Dorothy Ramsay said: "Supporting families means much more than increasing health visitor numbers to families with young children, important though this may be."
