Heralded by Health Secretary Andy Burnham as the "end of the wilderness years", the Action on Health Visiting Programme unveiled last week represents the government's attempt to address the chronic staff shortages and low morale among the profession.
Health visitors have been arguing that they have been under-resourced for many years. But the plight of the profession was given fresh prominence in March when Lord Laming's report on child protection urged the government to take immediate action to boost health visitor numbers and improve the quality of the service they provide.
With the current number of health visitors standing at 8,764 this year - around 2,000 less than five years ago - some health visitors have been left with caseloads in excess of 1,000 children each, more than four times the amount the Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association (CPHVA) says is workable.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
