Spotlight on health visiting

The Local Government Association (LGA, 2024) has published a report highlighting the important work of health visitors in local areas, Giving children the best start in life: Shining a spotlight on health visiting.

The report has three case studies of excellence local practice; for example, some areas have offered nurses guarantees of jobs once they complete their health visitor training, while others are promoting public health nursing as a profession in schools through giving talks and running campaigns with the aim of building the future workforce.

It says, ‘We continue to repeat our calls to Government to reverse the almost £900 million of public health reductions since 2015. This will allow councils to strengthen and rebuild the health visiting workforce to ensure that all families with babies and young children are provided with the support that they need in line with the national blueprint set out in the Healthy Child Programme’.