Rise in health visitor vacancies prompts call for pause to Named Person scheme

By The Press Association4th July 2016News ScotlandChild Protection, Childrens Services, Named Person Scheme, News Scotland

A rise in health visitor vacancies could make it difficult to implement the named person scheme when it goes live next month, the Conservatives have warned.

Just under a tenth (8.6%) of health visitor posts are currently unfilled following a rise in vacancies from 144 in March last year to 182 revealed in NHS figures in June 2016.

The Scottish Government said it created 500 new health visitor posts between 2014 and 2018 and “obviously it takes time to fill these posts”.

The Tories oppose the named person scheme – which will allocate named health workers to monitor the wellbeing of every young child in Scotland.

Liz Smith, the party’s education spokeswoman, said the rise in vacancies will “make it even harder for this unpopular and intrusive policy to work”.

Ms Smith said: “There are many reasons why the SNP should press pause on this scheme.

“Those who are tasked with implementing it aren’t sure how to, and the families it will affect are unclear on the impact.

“Now we learn there are scores of vacancies across Scotland among the health visitor workforce.

“That’s going to make it even harder for this unpopular and intrusive policy to work.

“It’s typical of the SNP to dream up something like this without bothering to check if there are enough people to take it on.

“We want to see the law scrapped, and have done from the start.

“But failing that, the Scottish Government must at least recognise the need for pausing it until people are ready.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The rise in vacancies is partly due to the creation of 500 new health visitor posts between 2014 and 2018, and obviously it takes time to fill these posts.

“We are providing funding to health boards to increase the number of health visitors, building on the record high NHS staff levels in Scotland.

“Our investment will provide training and support to all newly qualifying health visitors, who will play an important role supporting children and family health.”

Simon Calvert, spokesman for No to Named Persons campaign group, said: “The Scottish Government boasted 500 additional health visitors would be employed after being told by the Royal College of Nursing they were essential to make this scheme function.

“But they have missed their target by miles.

“The shortage of health visitors is a massive failure given they have had almost a year to recruit the staff who are supposed to be the state guardians for every child in Scotland under 5.

“Without these professionals in place the scheme is unworkable even on its own terms.”