To think this was strange of the health visitor?

[pandamooncloud]

Im a single mum of two (a 3.5 year old and a newborn)

Health visitor came round yesterday and took the names and dates of birth of my DC's dad's... (I had no problem with telling her I just thought it was weird) why did she need to know this information? AIBU to think she wouldn't of asked someone who was still in a relationship with their DC's father?

I'm sure there's a reason for her asking but I just can't think of one... (sorry if I sound a paranoid twat)

I’m guessing she’s going to run some sort of background check on one or both of them. Is there any reason she might need to?

The health visitor asked my husband his date of birth a couple of weeks ago. Not sure why, but it clearly is nothing to do with being a single parent.

She also asked what my older Dan's name and date of birth was and write it all down.

It'll be background checks I suspect to make sure they've no previous

I'd have asked her.

Same here. I was asked my husbands date of birth by the health visitor.

*Dan's? DS!

Maybe it’s a new safeguarding thing. Which I guess makes sense? For all they know (or even you know) any bloke whether married or not could have previous convictions for all sorts of stuff like violence or sexual abuse towards kids. So I guess it’s for your kids protection.

NotARegularPenguin

No one runs background checks on me as a mum. I find it very strange that anyone would do so on my partner or ex without it being at my request or for a specific reason.

I think it is perfectly normal for a Hv to ask about other parent married or not.

Why would a health visitor run random checks ?

I was asked too by the health visitor - also nationality of dad as baby might have needed immunisation for things that tend to be more prevalent in certain races. I know cause I asked

I was also asked this at my booking in appointment with my midwife and also after the birth the health visitor asked for DH dob again. I think its just a normal part of it to be honest, I wouldn't worry.

I remember our HV asking about my DH so I don't think it's just because you aren't together. I just assumed she was gathering general information about us. I wouldn't be happy with a HV running some sort of check without disclosing it, I'm not sure if that's something they actually do.

OP I'm an HV so hope I can provide some enlightenment!

Nothing to do with you being a single mum-asking about the children's father is totally routine (or it should be for anyone who says they weren't asked this!)
It is likely the HV is using a system whereby she'll be able to put in your children's fathers dob and name, and then this will being up a very basic record of his details-by basic I mean an address, name, dob, and nhs number-nothing more

The records then can be linked together so that your child's records have both parents reflected

Please be reassured that there is nothing sinister going on!!
Equally, you are not obliged to give the HV that information if you don't want to

Hope that helps!

I really think it would make a lot of difference to new mums to be told what information collected by HCPs will be used for, and to be reminded that they aren't required to disclose anything they don't wish to. There is a lot of anxiety that could be avoided with these very simple things.

My husband and I were both there at our HV check and she asked us both our full names and DOB and wrote them in the red book I think. I didn't really think anything of it

Thanks everyone sorry for being paranoid

I should of just asked her but I felt a bit silly then I was overthinking it and thought oh god why would she be asking!? But if its just protocol I should probably take a chill pill

Thanks again!

@RocketPockets it was because she'd just written it in a random notebook it wasn't in the red book that's partly why I was like oh god what could this be for

@Pengggwn HVs should be explaining that as a matter of course-with the amount of information governance training we get the 'data protection ' discussion should just roll off the tongue!

It is normal. The Health Visitor would have asked this to see if he had parental rights to access personal data about the children. Also these days Health Visiting is based in family focused care, sometimes fathers are still quite involved even if parents are not together.

A few weeks ago I had a HV visit (I’m pregnant and round here the HV comes to visit a few weeks before your due date to introduce themselves) and she asked for names and DOBs of everyone who lives in our house, so me, DH, DD and BIL. I didn’t really think to ask why

I don't know for sure but I used to work with HV and on the system everyone had a community health profile on the database, and you could link children to their parents. I would suspect it's that, just to join them up, but not to actually run any background checks, if that makes sense.

@pandamooncloud don't apologise-and honestly next time do just ask your HV-it's YOUR information after all!

During the course of the day we visit lots of families, and everything has to be recorded on an electronic system. There's not always room in the red book to record everything, but also not all the pages have counterfoils. Plus it's not always appropriate to record sensitive info in the red book; as such you'll find most HVs will record either in a notebook or Ipad and then transcribe the information once they get back to their office base

It would probably be to link them with their dad on whatever NHS database system they use, I imagine. When I worked at a children's centre we asked for both parents date of birth on the registration form. Firstly to double check they were not a teen parent as that was useful for data reporting, but also to distinguish one John Smith from another John Smith. I'm guessing it might have all changed now because of GDPR.