Child Health Services
Multi-disciplinary Team Development in
Down GP Federation Area
As part of the introduction of Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDT) into the Down GP Federation area,
new investment into the Health Visiting Service has allowed for an increase in the number of Health
Visitors and Child Health Assistants within the federation area.
This has meant a reduction in the size of the health visiting caseloads enabling the Team to offer all
nine core contacts in the universal 'Healthy Child Healthy Future' Programme to all families in the
federation area. This includes an antenatal home visit for all parents.
The Health Visitors and Child Health Assistants are now able to offer greater support to families on
a range of issues such as parental and infant mental health, breastfeeding and feeding, behaviour
management, dental health, baby massage, play skills and general parenting issues. They are
working closely with social work and mental health colleagues in the new teams to ensure that
clients are receiving the benefit of any appropriate services that are available in the area.
All first time parents are being offered the opportunity to attend a 'New Parents Group' with each
group being evaluated in order to ensure the sessions meet the needs of the parents that are
attending.
All team members have been issued with an iPad to enable more flexible mobile working and
giving them the ability to electronically share advice and guidance with clients as well as affording
easier access to systems to check the progress of referrals or results.
Evaluation of the changes is being undertaken by the development of an Outcomes Based
Accountability (OBA) Scorecard along with the evaluation of the groups and a short client
questionnaire which clients will be asked to complete at set times using the iPads.
Two Quality Improvement (QI) projects are also being undertaken by individuals outside of the
immediate teams and will inform any future changes to the current model of working that may be
required.
New Parent Group.
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