Health visitors at nursery

[purpleme12]

My little girl went to nursery today while we were at work. She's 2.7 yearsHer dad picked her up as I was working. He said he signed something when he was there about when health visitors come to the nursery to check on them (or something like that he said he was in a bit of a daze as usual). I don't take too kindly to health visitors, when she was younger they've interfered and thought they knew best when they didn't and I really didn't like them. And you're allocated one anyway so why are nursery having them? I see them as interfering busybodies to be honest. Is it normal for nurseries to have visits from people like this? Will I be seen as odd if I say I don't consent to it for my little girl? I expect them to say something bad (she's too small or something) and I won't be there to defend her.

[FerkTheeesSheet]

Ring the nursery and say you revoke all permission.
Is the nursery in the same district as your address, chances are it'll be a different HV anyway and she may be lovely.
I liked my HV, I don't believe they'd all try to cause trouble for innocent parents.

[PerspicaciaTick]

Find out what the permission is about by talking to the nursery before you go in all guns blazing.

[ReallyTired]

I feel it's only positive if a health visitor does a development review. In my area the two year check has been dropped because it was believed that nursery/ pre school would pick up developmental problems. The reality has been that nursery nurses do not have the level training/ education needed. Children have not had access to the help they needed.

[ReallyTired]

Ask the nursery if the health visitor is seeing all two year olds. Does the nursery have concerns about your child's development?

I think that refusing a simple developmental check might be the fastest way to have the health visitor knocking at your door. Sometimes refusing contact or doing something out of the ordinary like refusing a standard check attracts them like flies to a dung heap. If they have had "concerns" then it's no as simple to say you don't legally have to see a health visitor as they can just refer you to social services.

I have to admit that I feel that a parent should be present at a developmental check. A parent knows their child better than the nursery.

[purpleme12]

She's had her development check at 2 years old with our HV. They don't have any concerns about her neither do I so I know it must be everyone who'll be having it. I'll ring them today to ask exactly what it is.

[purpleme12]

If it does turn out be health visitor type thing would it be too wierd to say no?

[squizita]

The HV in my area are attached to the children's centres where a lot of the nurseries are -they're often nursery nurses there anyway IYSWIM?
It's the nursery nurse ones that do the 2 year checks too as they are more developmentally minded.

I'm actually hoping my nursery will offer to do DD's checks as otherwise I waste a day I have paid for and have to organise longer off work - if they could do it at nursery I could pop over during my lunchtime, get it done and she would be more likely to do everything for a familiar grown up she sees here and there around her daily environment.

HV are not all horrible, either - luck of the draw I guess. Mine were completely reassuring that my very small child was healthy and it is just one of those things that she is small for her age, probably genetic. Insisted I BF as long as I wished and not worry about her size. So you might well get a good one!

[squizita]

This kind of thing is terrifying to many parents and really, really doesn't help childcare professionals gain a rappor. It's also a often seen online trope which can be terrifying for anxious parents or those who worry about heavy handed HV:

I think that refusing a simple developmental check might be the fastest way to have the health visitor knocking at your door. Sometimes refusing contact or doing something out of the ordinary like refusing a standard check attracts them like flies to a dung heap. If they have had "concerns" then it's no as simple to say you don't legally have to see a health visitor as they can just refer you to social services.

In my area there are loads of kids who don't do their checks - variety of reasons including mummy and daddy don't do NHS dahling or they just don't engage with the HV in that way.
The child is at nursery therefore concerns would be linked to anything seen at nursery. The HV would not contact SS if the nursery said "oh smallchild is perfectly normal/clean/cared for, they're on holiday/can't make it..." they would have a telephone conversation with the parent.

This reminds me very much of the terrifying 'what happens if you go to A&E' shit which I found when DD was 8 months old. Of course being aware of my own anxieties I did still take her, then cleaned the house for 2 days solid fearing an inspection and declaration of unsafeness. SS did not come round. The HV did not come and inspect my house with a fine tooth comb. The HV popped a note through the door and followed up with a phone call - I surmise that as what I said tallied with what the medics said (child climbed onto sofa when cruising, child fell off onto face, no injuries, PFB) and I explained I had purchased a play pen, they were fine with it.

HV-snitching-terror is probably more dangerous than anything as someone really scared might disengage more to keep off the radar (e.g. avoid A&E if actually needed, avoid free nursery places because of stuff like this...).