The Institute of Health Visiting’s (IHV) State of Health Visiting report highlights a national shortage of around 5,000 health visitors in England, with 79 per cent of staff saying health visiting services lack capacity to offer a package of support to all children with identified needs.
“Babies and young children living with risk and vulnerability are less likely to be detected as health visitors have reduced contact with families,” the report warns.
Reflecting on the last 12 months, 80 per cent of health visitors said that other services were also stretched and lacked capacity to pick up onward referrals for children with additional needs. This is leading to a growing number of vulnerable babies and children “falling below increasing thresholds for children’s social care”, it adds.
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