This is not the correct information for breastfed infants. Also a feeding assessment must always be carried out.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/465344/2903819_PHE_Midwifery_accessible.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/healthy-lives-healthy-people-improving-outcomes-and-supporting-transparency

Public health outcomes framework 2013-16

In a previous area that I worked, we had a great system that worked really well. The”categories” have changed now (ie, Universal, Universal Plus, etc) but back then we used red, blue, and yellow tags to “categorise” families. – Two red tags were for child protection families. One red tag was for families that were having intensive visiting for some other reason, eg domestic abuse, postnatal depression, substance misuse. A blue tag was for medium intervention, something above core service, behaviour management interventions, eating problems, low level mental health issues, general vulnerability. A yellow tag was assigned if family had a baby under one year old. Then these categories were given points. – I think it was 1 point for no tag; 2 points for yellow tag; 3 points for blue; 4 points for red; 5 points for double red. (If a family had a blue tag plus a yellow tag, or red plus yellow, those points are added together.) The total score for the caseload can then be added up. We had an index card for every family and the little metal tags were attached to these. It was a great way to see at a glance what the caseload was like, and great for anyone new to a caseload, or a team covering a vacant/off-sick caseload. An easy way to quickly assess equity of caseloads within teams. A similar system could be applied to the current categories. Having the index cards was really really helpful. The trouble with the way people count caseloads now is that everyone grades their universal-plus families slightly differently; the system above is much more clear cut.

I think it would be a good idea, the current postage costs must be very significant. Some parents are doing the tests online anyway, and scoring them themselves, via the ASQ website where all the questionnaires and score sheets are available!

Exactly the same. We don’t have capacity to do these now that antenatals (even to multips) are KPI. Most of us really valued and miss this valuable contact as it was a maternal mental health assessment as well as a “getting to know each other better” contact, the gap between 6 weeks and 9 months being too long. Some of my colleagues and I would rather do these 3-4 month contacts to first-time parents than antenatals to multips, which although can be a good contact, can also feel like an unnecessary luxury. Oh to just have smaller caseloads and be able to do it all! – Oh wait, that’s what we thought would happen with the recruitment of 4200 more health visitors ………. ;-/

Yes the singing works the best Maggie for me!

That’s great, do you have her email address please Robert?

Can’t think of anything to add at this point Robert. I will let you know but I love the key message for commissioners.

Hi Maggie, as far as I am aware it would break the license agreement. In the trust where I work we have to post them to parents and then they bring to the clinic. Just recently received the ASQ- SE forms / Cd and it was also stated in the information there also.