Agenda item

This paper provides an overview of the Healthy Child Service (HCS) in York.

Members considered a report that provided an overview of York’s Healthy Child Service.

The Assistant Director of Public Health highlighted how the Healthy Child Service set out a universal offer to support prevention and early identification of need, and a targeted offer to ensure the right support was provided by the right people/service.

She also noted that:

·        The Healthy Child Programme set out the universal offer, which consisted of five mandated contacts:

§  Antenatal contact from 28 weeks pregnant

§  New birth visit 10-14 days

§  6-8 week review

§  1 year review

§  2 year review

·        Health Visitors and School Nurses were key partners in multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.

·        The service received its first full Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in September 2021 and was rated ‘good’ overall, with two areas identified as ‘required improvements’. 

·        Progress following the inspection had been good and the CQC visited the service again in June 2022.The CQC were satisfied with the improvements that had been implemented.

·        In house training programmes had led to an increase in School Nurse capacity, however, retention and recruitment of experienced Health Visitors had been challenging. The pay gap and differences in terms and conditions compared with NHS Health Visitors and School Nurses could be a contributing factor.

·        The performance data showed that York compared favourable against other areas and successful recruitment and retention was key to achieving the transformation required in the 5-19 years offer and in the ongoing delivery of an effective 0-19 years offer.

The Health Visitor and School Nurse provided an overview of their work, highlighting case studies, feedback received, and the challenges faced when providing the following services:

·        Infant feeding support

·        Child health and development clinics

·        Targeted support for speech, language and communication, parenting, sleep, diet, toileting and perinatal mental health

·        Targeted Healthy Families parenting programme (HENRY), in partnership with the Health Trainer service

·        National Childhood measurement programme (NCMP) (reception and year 6)

·        Hearing and vision screening (reception aged children)

·        Bowel and bladder tier one 5-19 years

·        Targeted support for emotional wellbeing, sexual health, healthy lifestyles support 5-19 years

·        0-19 years Review Health Assessments for children in care

During discussion and in answer to questions raised, it was noted that:

·        New birth visits helped build a relationship and enabled conversations to take place in a supported environment, allowing Health Visitors to make an holistic assessment.

·        The School Nurse team was split between staff nurses and public health specialist nurses. Two staff nurses had completed their master’s degree to become public health nurses and one Health Visitor had successfully completed a conversion course to dual school nurse qualification.

·        Retention and recruitment would continue to be a significant priority. Consideration would be given to career progression options and conversations with HR were also underway.

·        A specialist SystmOne Business Intelligence Officer had been employed to monitor outcomes against the full offerand there would be a focus on the red rated performance indicators.

·        The Healthy Start scheme provided eligible parents with a prepaid card to buy fruit, vegetables and milk. Following a drive to increase the uptake, 75% of eligible families now claimed the voucher, and the aspiration was to reach all eligible families in York.

Members noted the capacity issues and they commended the Health Visitor and School Nurse for delivering an essential service, and they thanked them for highlighting real life experiences.

Resolved: That the report be noted.

Reason:  To keep Members updated on the Healthy Child Service.