A Government review of health visiting practice could lead to developmental delays and other health problems among children going unnoticed, early years experts have warned.
A Government review of health visiting practice could lead to developmental delays and other health problems among children going unnoticed, early years experts have warned.
Changes could also disrupt progress on delivering an integrated two-year-old health and education review, and place extra burden on early years workers.
Public Health England is currently surveying local authority leaders and children’s services staff about whether to uphold a mandate that requires community health professionals to see children five times before they are 30 months old.
A clause enforcing this requirement comes to an end in March 2017; the Government handed commissioning responsibility to local authorities for birth to five-year-olds’ public health in October 2015.
Community Practitioners and Health Visitors Association (CPHVA) lead professional officer, public health, Ros Godson told Nursery World that without the mandate, local authorities would be able to deliver a public health plan for children without health visitors. More
