We asked, you said, we did

We asked

We asked your views on our Healthy Child Programme, which includes the health visiting, school nursing, healthy weight nursing, breastfeeding support, and oral health promotion services. The consultation included the completion of a combination of online and face-to-face questionnaires. We also consulted staff and stakeholders involved in delivering the service as part of this consultation.

We asked service users:

how much they have engaged with the services offered as part of the Healthy Child Programme

• about the quality of service that they received
• what they valued about the service and what they think the service should do to improve and develop
• what public health issues residents are concerned about
• whether staff and stakeholders understand the needs of service users or residents.

You said

Health Visitors

• we received 463 responses
• 80% of respondents said that the Health Visitor was one of their top sources of information and support when they had concerns about their family’s health, development and wellbeing
• 95% of respondents are ‘likely’ or ‘extremely likely’ to recommend the service to others
• fewer service users want face-to-face contact with the Health Visitor, and more are interested in virtual contact instead.

School Nurses

• we received 511 responses
• 72% of students and 85% of parents and carers would recommend the School Nurse service to family or friends
• the emotional wellbeing of students was highlighted as one of the most important issues for School Nurses
• While most parents, carers and students are aware of the School Nurse, some were not or were not aware of what the School Nurse could offer.

Healthy Weight Nurses

• we received 40 responses
• 86% of service users were ‘likely’ or ‘extremely likely’ to recommend the service.
• most parents and carers (76%) reported having concerns about their child’s weight
• there was a group of respondents who were unaware of the service and would like more information about how to access support.

Breastfeeding Support

• we received 73 responses
• the overwhelming majority (96%) of respondents required support to breastfeed their child
• 96% were also ‘likely’ or ‘extremely likely’ to recommend the service
• some contact with service users became virtual during the pandemic, but the majority of service users (57%) would prefer face-to-face contact when possible.

Oral Health Promotion

• we received 137 responses
• 58% of respondents are ‘likely’ or ‘extremely likely’ to recommend the service
• service users found the oral health promotion services to be informative and interactive
• practical advice about brushing and answering specific questions were most valued by service users.

We did

We have committed to taking the following actions:

Health Visitors

• make sure that the pathway to support for families is clear by increasing partnership working
• Harness technology to allow families to access information in a timely way.

School Nurse

• improve awareness of the School Nurse and the support that they can offer
• more presence in schools to ensure that the School Nurse is easily accessible (depending on the COVID – 19 restrictions).

Healthy Weight Nurses

• introduce accessible group activities for young people and families with a weight concern
• improve awareness of the service through greater partnership working.

Breastfeeding Support

• ensure service users receive clear information about how and when they can use the Breastfeeding Support service
• at home, face-to-face sessions when this is appropriate (dependent on the COVID – 19 restrictions)
• Breastfeeding Support services to be advertised earlier in pregnancy support classes/sessions.

Oral Health Promotion

• raise awareness of the service and the support on offer
• offer face-to-face sessions wherever possible, especially to very young children.