Item 2

Monitoring Recommendations Topic Group Progress Report
NAME OF TOPIC GROUP: Health Visiting
DATE OF SCRUTINY: 18 May 2011
DATE FINAL REPORT PUBLISHED: 25 May 2011
CHAIRMAN: Chris Mitchell
LEAD OFFICER: Cath Slater
RECOMMENDATION
e.g. To undertake a patient survey in the Autumn of 2009 / Trust response
e.g. PALS to carry out the survey in September 2009 / Outcome of action taken by the Trust
e.g patient concerns identified and informing service design / By whom / by when?
PALS / clinical lead / Progress to date / completed?
Timed patient appointments
1.  That HCT works with partners to raise awareness of the remit of the health visiting service with general population (3.6, 3.7, 4..4) / ·  By July 2011 the HCT website will have up to date information about the plans for the Health Visiting service in Hertfordshire in line with the national recommendations in ‘A call to action’ – the Health Visiting Implementation plan - (DH 2011) - COMPLETE
·  The head of service will update colleagues in the Children’s Centre community regarding the changes to Health Visiting thought presentations at events and through distribution of news letters. – COMPLETE / ONGOING
·  HCT will work with HCC to ensure updates are featured in HCC publications such as ‘Partnership news’ and ‘HCTP news.’ – SEPT 2011
·  HCT will utilise national and regional promotional materials as part of the national drive to increase the profile of Health Visitors when they are available. / Information updated on website.
Newsletters sent to Caroline Swindells and Gil Gibson for circulation.
Dee DeBruin emailed – 18th August.
Materials currently being designed and produced by the Strategic Health Authority – HCT is part of the group undertaking this work. / HCT communications team/Cath Slater
Caroline Swindells and Gill Gibson
Dee deBruin
Cath Slater / Complete –
Information on website – to be updated quarterly.
HCT working with the HAS on communications materials to advertise the service.
Complete -
Newsletters sent:
20/04/11
17/08/11
Locality managers and team leaders working closely with CC colleagues.
HCT has forwarded updates regularly
COMPLETE
Progress: Awaiting release from SHA of materials, plans to use them at recruitment events and to share with partners
Recruitment session arranged for January 2012. November 2011
2.  That the increase in the number of health visitors facilitates the optimum utilisation of the skill mix within health visiting teams (3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 4.2) / ·  HCT will demonstrate that Health Visitor students have been placed in areas of greatest need and where they will benefit from a rich practice experience supported by experienced staff. - OCTOBER 2011
·  HCT will undertake skill mix reviews as part of the SHA response to the HV Implementation plan – NOVEMBER
·  The service will put plans in place to ensure the balance of newly qualified and experienced staff ensures safe delivery of a quality service. NOVEMBER / 38 students have been recruited; all have been placed with experienced practice teachers and mentors, particularly in those areas of greatest need.
A robust support programme is in place from September 2011 to support students – in partnership with Children’s services
TBC – awaiting guidance from SHA
Recruitment in August 2011 – newly qualified HV’s placed in areas where they will receive support form experienced practitioners as part of their preceptorship. ‘Return to practice students encourage to join HCT. / Cath Slater
Gill Gibson
Cath Slater / Complete – workforce plan in place.
Detailed work being completed to determine where the new workforce will be allocated in line with local need.
Establishment review being completed for November 2011 to ensure correct placement of students and staff nurses.
Overwhelming response to request for ‘Return to Practice’ interest.
Complete for 2011
HCT will continue for future cohorts
3 That HCT makes every effort to ensure that health visitors liaise regularly with GP’s and the Trust continues to monitor health visitor activity to ensure that appropriate work is undertaken once GP Commissioning Consortia are in place (3.6, 4.5) / ·  HCT will ensure that each GP surgery has a link Health Visitor who liaises on a regular basis regarding local patient’s related issues - COMPLETE
·  Health Visitor team leaders and/or locality managers will attend every primary health care team meeting for each surgery (or group of practices) when invited to do so - COMPLETE
·  At strategic level the GP consortia will be kept updated regards Health Visitor activity through the contract monitoring meetings and through the Assistant Director level client manager - COMPLETE/ONGOING
·  All practices will receive detailed activity information about the Health Visiting activities of their aligned teams. COMPLETE/ONGOING / Each practice has a named Health Visitor.
A HV attends primary Health Care team meetings when invited.
Practice Based commissioning Groups receive activity data for all service including Health Visiting, covering number of referrals per practice and activities carried out.
Included in above information, the activity reports can be scrutinised down to individual practice level. / Cath Slater
HCT Locality Managers
HCT Information team.
HCT Information team. / Complete – all practices have a link HV.
Complete – staff attend when invited, attendance is monitored.
Complete -
Groups receive this information monthly.
Complete -
Groups receive this information monthly
4.  That a scrutiny of School Nursing is added to the HSC work programme (4.7) / HCT would welcome the opportunity to discuss some of the issues related to the school nursing service; the Department of Health has recently announced that they are planning to lead a school nurse development programme that recognises the valuable contribution school nursing plays in improving the health outcomes for school aged children. / Scrutiny to explore issues related to school nursing planned for February 2012.
Scoping the scrutiny commenced. / Cath Slater
Natalie Rotherham. / Visits and content of the presentations being developed.
Any other comments?
Since the scrutiny panel met, Hertfordshire has been chosen by the Department of Health as one of only 26 sites in the UK who are ‘Early Implementers’ for the HV implementation plan. This status has enabled HCT to work with the SHA and Dept. of Health to demonstrate how it will use the increased HV service to deliver the ‘Healthy Child programme’ and offer all families the comprehensive and extended HV service.
HCT has been commended nationally for some of it’s innovation in Health Visiting, in particular it’s approach to improving productivity through mobile working and some of the innovative approaches to supporting mothers with post natal depression.
The Dh has recognised the excellent partnership working with Children’s centres and Children’s services colleagues as being an area of good practice.

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