County Council Cabinet considers consulting on support for pre-school families

Proposals to consult on changes to services which offer support to pre-school families are set to be considered by Derbyshire County Council.

Members of Cabinet, who meet on Thursday 25th July, will be asked to consider seeking people’s views on plans to transform health visiting services in Derbyshire.

Councillors will hear that this is the second phase of a review looking at how services could be delivered more effectively to ensure they remain sustainable and finite resources are targeted at families who need most support.

The report being discussed says significant cost pressures resulting from escalating health needs and inflationary rises mean the council has to consider how it can continue to deliver services it is required to by law to ensure it continues to support those who need it most.

In Derbyshire, the health visiting service is commissioned by Derbyshire County Council as part of the 0 – 19 Public Health Nursing Service and is delivered by Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust (DCHS).

Cabinet will be asked to agree a joint consultation with DCHS to ask the public what they think about various proposals to change the way health visiting services are delivered.

The six proposals which have been jointly developed by staff from DCHS and Derbyshire County Council are:

• Community nursery nurses supporting health visitors to deliver universal face-to-face reviews for children when they reach 2.5 years old. Under this proposal, health visitors who currently carry out these checks would continue to support vulnerable families identified as needing the most support.
• Community nursery nurses would continue to offer face-to-face reviews to children from 3.5 years to school age where they are identified as having developmental or health concerns. All other families would receive information about virtual support available.
• Stop delivering discretionary face-to-face reviews to children at 3.5 years old. The health visiting service would continue to support families of children where there are developmental or health concerns.
• All expectant parents will continue to be offered an antenatal review with a health visitor but this could be a face-to-face appointment at home or a virtual appointment where appropriate to meet the needs of the family.
• First-time parents and families identified as needing extra support would continue to be offered an antenatal review at home with a health visitor. All other families who have had a previous child would not routinely be offered an antenatal review but could request a virtual appointment with a health visitor.
• Community nursery nurses supporting health visitors to deliver universal face-to-face reviews for children aged 12 months old. Under this proposal, health visitors who currently carry out these checks would continue to support vulnerable families identified as needing the most support.

Councillor Carol Hart, the county council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, said: “We’ve always prided ourselves on being a well-managed council, balancing our books from year to year, but like all other councils across the country we’re facing increasing financial pressures that are outside our control.

“With demand for support rising and continuing uncertainty around increasing costs, it means we have to consider how we continue to support those who need us most while continuing to deliver the services we are required to by law.

“Under these proposals, we would continue to protect vulnerable children and families across Derbyshire with targeted support to ensure children and their parents with the greatest need are getting the help they need to thrive.

“We would also continue to offer support to all families to give their children the best start in life, including through the use of technology to fit in around busy lifestyles.”

Heather Longbottom, Divisional Director: Specialised Community Services, Deputy Chief Operating Officer Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust added: “We are fully supportive of this consultation and the importance of asking the public how they want finite resources to be utilised for the benefit of families in our area.

“Our specialist community public health nurses (health visitors) have a vital role to play in providing healthcare guidance to children and young families to give them the best start in life. We recognise that not all families or children need the same level of input and this consultation is designed to help target the specialist help available to those in our communities who most need it.

“We are grateful to our dedicated colleagues who are providing expert support to families across the county on a daily basis.”

The report states that the current service costs £12.816m a year to deliver with the funding coming from government. Uncertainty around rising costs mean if the proposals were agreed following consultation these could be phased in over the number of years, it adds.