Nursery World - 'Bring back the health visitors'

Nursery head teachers have prompted the leader of education at Edinburgh council to call for routine health visitor visits to be resumed to families with children older than six weeks.

Councillor Mrs Marilyne MacLaren, convener for Education and Children and Families, said that both nursery head teachers and social care workers had reported an increase in behavioural problems in three- and four-year-olds.

Two years ago the Scottish Executive recommended that health visitors call on babies aged over six weeks on a case-by-case basis. Parents can still request health visitor support at any point.

'The people working in children's services I've met were not happy with this change of policy,' said Ms MacLaren.

'At a meeting I attended with nursery heads, two or three said they had children who clearly should have been on the health visitor radar but weren't.

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