More on Health Visitors

[Bisonex]

Any day now I will be a grandfather for the first time - my daughter-in-law was due yesterday but no signs of labour yet.

I have noticed a dew discussions on here about health visitors. Having attended child abuse case conferences in a professional capacity I would advise anyone strongly against admitting a HV to their homes. My eldest daughter, now a doctor in paediatrics, shares my view on this.

HVs are far more concerned with carrying out surveillance on mothers and babies than giving any practical help or advice. They keep detailed records not just about the child, but they make assessments of the mother and father - their perceived competence as parents etc, the cleanliness of the home and anything else that catches their interest. If you try to see these records, they will obstruct you every step of the way. My son and D-i-L are clear that they will not be admitting the HV, or allowing her to see the baby - only the GP will be allowed to perform any checks.

I have seen suggestions that admitting HVs is compulsory. That's absolute nonsense - it isn't. A refusal to admit a HV will be noted - obviously - but that's all. Without plenty of other evidence, denied access would not be anywhere near enough to warrant interest from social services, let alone give them any powers. We had three children of our own and no HV ever crossed the threshold, nor were they allowed any access to our children. Once they realised we weren't going to change our minds, they left us lone.

Basically, if you let them in, they will open a file on you and it will contain a whole lot of stuff you will never see, yet which could be used against you should they ever wish to do so.

[JambalayaCodfishPie]

Ffs. Old threads need to be in a different colour or something!!

[Lifeisontheup]

Perhaps Op you could let me know where your daughter works so I can avoid her?
I'm glad all the paediatricians I come into contact with are better educated and not full of such nonsense as are the police officers who work in child protection.
They are all more than happy to let a HV in to their homes nor do they have such an incredibly patronising view of nurses.

[Lotta1234]

Bisonex My experience of a health visitor and dealing with agencies somewhat clashes with your experience so worth sharing with other mumsnetters.

Our health visitor was very supportive when we had a social services investigation instigated by - drum roll - a paediatrician.

We were found innocent, by the way, after five weeks of not being allowed on our own with our baby.

So much for your theory that paediatricians are amazing and health visitors suck.

I would always let a health visitor into my home and heartily recommend using health visitors. If you don't like the one you're assigned ask for another one.

[Lotta1234]

I've started a new thread where positive stories about HVs can be shared and where you can give tips on how to deal with issues that people might encounter with a HV:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/childbirth/1687215-Positive-health-visitor-stories-and-tips

[yeahforreal]

Dear Lotta1234 ,

www.thealphaparent.com/2011/08/health-visitors-help-or-hindrance.html

have a read , very interesting , any numpty can legally call themselves an HV . Time to be more careful with whom you are giving access to your children . Just say no people.

[flyingbebe]

I'm training to be a child nurse and on my course, I do several placements in different areas such as health visiting. I know what OP thinks of nurses, so I'll make it brief.

There will be awful HVs. Just like there will be awful nurses, awful doctors, awful bus drivers, awful politicians etc. In all professions, there will be a small miniority that give a bad name to the rest. I'm sorry for everyone on this thread that got a bad health visitor.

All healthcare professionals are aware of the possibility of neglect, not trying to find evidence, just being aware of the signs.

You can refuse your HV entry into your home. They are there to give you the NHS advice on various things like feeding the baby, immunisations and maintaining the baby's temperature. You can ignore the advice. The HV will do health checks on the baby like weight, head circumference and asking you how they have been. They can also provide support if you have any questions and concerns.

On my placement with the HVs, they were incredibly busy. They do not have time to go into an in-depth assessment of your family and they do not want to. If you're happy, the baby's happy, then everything's fine.

[flyinmytea]

Tarah !!!!! I have just retired from a health visiting post flying all the flags.

I am amazed that I am a numpty?????never knew that. Also don't know anything about about anything?????.yeahforreal Health visitors are all registered nurses. They are very experienced in different nursing backgrounds. The Public Health Nurse qualification is a post graduate qualification. I completed a post grad diploma in a year. Yeah I am deffo mad. All nurses are registered with the NMC. I am not 60. But I did want to retain whatever is left of my mental health for my own future.

In fact I loved most of the families I visited. I did help some they told me
I did challenge others they told me too. The families I will miss the most are the mums who were real characters and regularly took me to task. Like a good argument (discussion) me. However In the continuing climate of reducing staffing and resources I felt I could not offer a service when it was needed most. If you need a bit of support you shouldn't have to run after a health visitor. I also felt unable to deliver a meaningful service to children who were potentially at risk for lots of reasons. The job is about helping families avoiding crisis not snooping. AND I didn't want to be the next health visitor pilloried for not "knowing" that a child was at risk because of parental avoidance and lying...

[yeahforreal]

FLYINMYTEA
I never called Health visitors numpties. IF YOU have the reading and understanding level of your average HV , I AM NEVER letting them near my family. What it means is that , ANY person , with no qualifications (not even a certificate in art) , can legally call themselves an HV . DO YOU understand that ?
www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/985756/Legal-status-health-visitors-restored-says-union/

Health visitors SHOULD be qualified nurses , but it may not always be true.

As for nurses , well , I started a nursing course and left after 2 weeks , not for me thanks , I am not buying this propaganda thank you very much. My degree is in Engineering. The first thing I learnt on the nursing course was AUTONOMY. Where was my RIGHT to autonomy when that HV sent me a letter stating that she was coming to my property?
The nursing and HV careers TEND to attract bossy , meddling , IN YOUR FACE, agressive , alpha females , that are usually going through the menopause and don't like taking no for an answer.
(The same females you find working on the reception at the job centre , I have had to tell her to back off too). They spend a lot of time in peoples' homes and their work is rarely challenged and they are rarely checked on . I have NEVER had a GP demand entry to my property , so what give this HV an elevated sense of superiority ? Keep away , nosey , meddling , interfering bossy boots . Go spy on someone else. Even with all the checks in the world there will still be kids at risk, sad but true . The media hype the risk so that the gov can send HV's into your home .Look at the recent food crisis , instead of looking for problems INSIDE the home , we should be looking at the REAL people posing risks to our kids.
Anyway , I am sorry you did not understand my previous post.

[Lifeisontheup]

You could call yourself a Health Visitor with no qualifications but you would never get a job in the UK working for a GP surgery or any trust.

Please do not spread such ridiculous assertions, even the blog you linked to did not say that anyone could get a job as a health visitor merely that it is not a protected title. Rest assured that trusts in the UK would be checking the qualifications of anyone employed by them.
Thank heaven you left nursing after two weeks, I wouldn't want you near any member of my family in a caring capacity.

[yeahforreal]

Lifeisontheup I never said you could get a job in the UK working for a GP surgery or any trust , however , what I HAVE said is true,you do not deny it. It is not ridiculous assertions ,it is checkable facts that I have posted. And I would have no interest in going near you or any member of your family , thank you very much .
I was never rude to you , do not be rude to me. Maybe you should re-read the posts and try and understand them before you accuse me of saying things that I have not said.

This is a discussion on HV's . Lest's not start name calling , it is a commonly used tactic when someone is losing an argument to try and go off on a tangent.
HV's are used by NHS to try to replace some of the Doctors work, to try to save money . In France , my daughter was seen every month by a GP for developmental checkups. As a mother it is my duty to demand the best and protect my lo. I want a GP not a questionably qualified HV. There is no need at all for an HV to come to your home at all , none, whatsoever . It is spying , no more , no less. You may not like what I am saying , but it is fact . And don't bother accusing me of saying things I have not said. If you want to dispute anything I have said then do so, but make sure you check your facts first.

[Jenny123G]

Is this a joke? Seriously?

[Lifeisontheup]

"In order to train as a health visitor, you must first qualify and register as a nurse or midwife. You will then need to take an approved programme in specialist community public health nursing/health visiting (SCPHN/HV)." Source www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/explore-by-career/nursing/careers-in-nursing/health-visiting/skills,-qualifications-and-training/ Accessed 20/02/13

Hardly a dubious qualification.

The idea that all health visitors do is spy is not fact, it is your opinion.

[yeahforreal]

My posts are a mixture of facts and opinions , the last time I checked we were allowed to state our opinions. As I have previously pointed out , any one can legally call themselves an HV. An older nurse may have years of experience and have very little qualifications , becoming a nurse before the current levels of qualifications required were brought in . I went to school with a nurse , she sat and failed her 'O' Level Biology twice. Took her 3 years and she still failed it. I sat the same exam in 1 year , and passed . Do I want her checking my daughter and giving me advice ? absolutely not. I will have a GP thanks. I have never done HV training , and I have the right to call it a dubious qualification, whether you disagree or not, it's only my opinion. I never said ALL they do is spy , I belive they do also get the scales out sometimes.... Don't accuse me of saying things I have never actually said. Some of the work they do is good , but lets not pretend the hidden adgenda is not there . Lets ask an HV ? What exactly is the purpose of a home visit ? Is there achild abuse/neglect element involved ? I am sure they will tell you YES. Although we need to be careful of the replies we get , as previously stated , anyone can legally call themselves an HV , even Donald Duck.

[Flisspaps]

ZOMBIE THREAD

[flyingbebe]

Anyone can legally call themselves a Health Visitor - I'm sure that's correct.

Then again, I'm sure that you would ask to see someone's badge if they rang your doorbell and called themselves a Health Visitor. You could always call the GP's surgery and double check that so-and-so is employed and if they are, they would be a qualified nurse or midwife (sometimes both) with the health visitor training on top of that.

Please stop making out all health visitors to be the devil incarnate.

[yeahforreal]

Of course they are not the devil incarnate . I am just mad as hell that an HV contacted me and told me she was coming to my home. Never asked , she was telling me. When I phoned up you know what the other one said ? "Well you have to appreciate that most people want us to make appointments for them." ARRRRGHHHHHHH , I do not have to appreciate anything you sanctimonius old bag. I refuse to believe that most people WANT you inviting yourselves into their homes, they probably just grin and bear it , not me , I will just tell you just to p off and suffer the consequences. Alpha females make me wanna puke.
I wish HV's could apologise for this rude ,disrespectful and obnoxious behaviour . I hope my rant has at least made HV's more sensitive to people not wanting them interfering. I feel sorry for the HV's , they are given more and more jobs of the GP (the mucky stuff) , without the actual wages. And most people that work for the Government , do not realise that they are not told the whole story. Here , fill in these forms , its just routine , a normal requirement... blah blah , but like the original poster said , it is data collecting . I know , I used to be a Government worker too. Anyway , rant over . I apologise for my obnoxious attitude , and I sure aint no zombie. I hope I made a few people think a bit more about the original post , the gentleman was correct.
I will not be checking an HV's identity badge if they ring my doorbell , they will be told to about turn , quick march. It's time the people demanded GP's for their childrens health , they pay the taxes and dont get the service they deserve. Peace to all.
"They must find it hard to take Truth for Authority who have so long mistaken Authority for Truth." Gerald Massey (1828-1907) .The truth is out there , seek and ye shall find.

[NandH]

[Biscuit]

are you a member of the f.b.i?

[NandH]

I'm going to re attempt a biscuit as you deserve it so much....

[TheFallenNinja]

What an utter crock of shit.

[hazeyjane]

Our Hv did a developmental assessment on ds in our home, when he was 7 months old, she helped us supported us and listened to our fears. She referred us not to paediatricians, who have a lot of respect for her. Please don't try and paint them in such a negative light when they can be such a support for some people.

[StuntNun]

This thread is a couple of years old. I hope its revival doesn't make any new mothers or mothers-to-be worry about seeing their HV.

[Writerwannabe83]

Hello everyone,

I am relatively new to mumsnet and I joined after having read these threads about what people think of the Health Visiting Service.

I am a registered Children's Nurse and I work within a team of 5 Health Visitors, all of whom are brilliant and worth their weight in gold. We cover some very deprived areas and the amount of Child Protection cases would probably surprise people. Without Health Visitors being there to spot this abuse I dread to think how many children would be at risk.

On average a Health Visitor would have only 4-5 routine contacts with a family (between the baby's birth and becoming 4 years of age) and that service would be optional which is always explained to parents. If mothers want to come to Baby clinics then they can, and if not then we aren't concerned - we certainly don't get suspicious about it. I would estimate that 95% of the families we deal with are more than happy to accept our service and seem to appeciate our advice and support. The Health Visitors work with the families that need them for a whole host of reasons and that support is always appreciated. They do not have the time to "spy" on families and make notes on whether the washing up has been done or not - that is an absurd allegation. Our prime concern is that both baby and mother are happy and healthy.

[cath889]

I think people should stay away from this ridiculous thread, the overall majority of this thread has been positive about health visitors or their encounters with them have not been so positive but truthful. However the fact that someone is actually spreading fear that health visitors are not qualified is bonkers. I completed my nurse training in 2005, have been working on the wards and in theatre since then and am now waiting to start my 1 year course to become qualified as a health visitor. Just because you are educated doesn't mean you know everything. Health visitors ARE qualified. Stop scaring first time mums its a stressful time anyway without the scaremongering and lies.

[cath889]

Can I also add I am 32, nowhere near the menopause (I don't think) and in no way am I an alpha female, quite the opposite in fact

[StarlightMcKenzie]

I've had some lousy advice from HVs in my time, but one absolutely saved my family from some realy nastiness, as well as being the only person who took seriously our concerns about our ds.

As a profession, I both angry with them and grateful. I guess like any other, there are good people and bad, and in many professions like theirs, cuts and constant reorganisation can mean that training as well as proper monitoring of conduct isn't as good as it probably should be.