Nursery World - Concerns vulnerable children are being let down due to 'stretched' health visiting services

More than 40 per cent of health visitors are worried they ‘can’t do enough to safeguard babies and children’, according to new survey findings.

The iHV's report reveals a postcode lottery of health visiting services due to cuts in the number of professionals and rising needs in families

A poll of 1,291 practitioners by the Institute for Health Visiting (iHV) reveals how health visitors have seen widening health inequalities among young children and families over the last 12 months, in particular an increase in vulnerability and safeguarding risks.

Of those surveyed, 81 per cent reported a rise in perinatal mental health problems, 80 per cent an increase in domestic abuse and 71 per cent a rise in child safeguarding.

Other findings, published in a new report from the iHV, include:

The survey highlights a growing need for more health visitors due to rising levels of need and cuts to the workforce that have left remaining health visitors with ‘unmanageable’ workloads.

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