Health Visiting Service

This was the first time we rated this service. We rated it as ​good​ because:

• The service had enough staff to care for children and young people and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect children and young people from abuse, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks to children and young people, acted on them and kept good care records. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
• Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of children and young people, advised them and their families on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information.
• Staff treated children and young people with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to children and young people, families and carers.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people and took account of children and young people’s individual needs.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued, and so morale within the team was very high. They were focused on the needs of children and young people receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities.

However:

• There were high vacancy rates in the service. Leaders were focusing hard on recruiting new staff and understood how to keep children and young people safe while recruiting.
• Staff told us that the electronic records system was cumbersome and could take a long time to update.