30th June 2015
A health visiting perspective on integrating services, commissioning and workforce development was the theme of Dr Cheryll Adams, Executive Director of the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV), presentation today at the Westminster Social Policy Forum on Early Intervention: integrating services, funding and best practice.
The forum met to look at the next steps for early intervention strategies across early years.
Dr Cheryll Adams said: “At this important time with local authorities preparing to take responsibility for the commissioning of public health services, local authority commissioners need to understand the best models of effective health visiting to help ensure that every child and their family has the best start in life.
“Health visitors identify and provide support and guidance to issues which are key to tackling inequalities in health. Issues such as couple relationships, including safeguarding, domestic violence and sensitive family relationships, parent-infant attachment, social health of families and communities and community public health. Health visitors require specialist skills, such as the ability to quickly form trusting relationships with families, to intervene in these complex areas – so these are roles that cannot be delegated and will be discussed in my presentation.”
The Forum delegates reviewed the support provided for the integration of services across local government, health and education – including the health visiting and Family Nurse Partnership programmes for babies and children up to 5 years old from October 2015.
Other sessions explored progress in developing evidence-based approaches and promoting the dissemination of best practice across early years services, and also considered the funding of early intervention in light of calls from charities for the government to set up a ring-fenced fund for tackling social problems early.
Dr Adams continued: “During this transfer of commissioning to local authorities, health visitors are the best placed professionals to provide leadership to integrated services for pre-school children. They are able to bring together necessary professionals to support families – integrating the services around the family needs. Only true early intervention (preventative work, risk assessment and anticipatory guidance) can produce the outcomes for children we all aspire to.”
ENDS
For more information, please contact: Julie Cooper, Communications and Marketing Manager at the Institute of Health Visiting on 07508 344716 or[email protected]
Notes to editors
About the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV)
- The Institute of Health Visiting is a UK Centre of Excellence supporting the development of universally high-quality health visiting practice.
- It was launched on 28 November 2012 to promote excellence in health visiting practice to benefit all children, families and communities.
- The aim for the iHV is to raise standards in health visiting practice, so improving public health outcomes for all children, families and communities.
- For more information go to www.ihv.org.uk
- Follow the Institute of Health Visiting on Twitter @iHealthVisiting and Facebook
About Westminster Social Policy Forum
- The Westminster Social Policy Forum aims to provide the premier environment for policymakers in Parliament, Whitehall and government agencies to engage with key stakeholders in timely discussion on public social policy. These include representatives of local authorities and communities; interest groups and the voluntary sector; businesses and their advisors; and academics and commentators, along with members of the reporting press.
- In planning its programme of events, the Forum regularly consults Parliamentarians, senior government officials, regulators, industry representatives, charities and action groups, professional bodies and academics, local government and others.
- The Westminster Social Policy Forum is completely impartial and has no policy agenda of its own.
http://www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/forums/index.php?fid=westminster_social_policy_forum
