FOI release

Health Visiting Workforce within Herefordshire

Case reference FOI2025/00649

Received 28 March 2025

Published 25 April 2025

Request

This request pertains to the health visiting workforce within the area covered by your local authority, which is listed among the upper-tier and unitary authorities receiving Public Health Grant allocations for 2025 to 2026.

The purpose of this FOI request is to gain a better understanding of current capacity and workforce trends in health visiting services commissioned by local authorities across England.

1. Do you currently commission a health visiting service?

2. Please select which of the following best describes your current health visiting contract provider:

* NHS trust

* Charity

* Local authority

* Community Interest Company

* Private healthcare provider

* Other [please state]

1. How many full-time equivalent (FTE) clinical staff in total, and on each Agenda for Change Band (if this or equivalent framework is used) [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8a, 8b, 8c] were employed in your health visiting service in: March 2025; September 2024, March 2024? [If you do not have data for these specific months, please provide the most recent full workforce data that you have]

2. How many FTE SCPHN qualified health visitors at each of the following bands: 6, 7, 8 were employed in your health visiting service in: March 2025; September 2024, March 2024? [If you do not have data for these specific months, please provide the most recent full workforce data that you have]

3. For each Band (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8a, 8b, 8c) please state the percentage of health visiting service staff on: temporary (agency), temporary (employed), fixed term, permanent contacts in: March 2025; September 2024, March 2024? [If you do not have data for these specific months, please provide the most recent full workforce data that you have]

4. What was the total number of children under 5 years of age that your health visiting service was responsible for in: March 2025; September 2024, March 2024? [If you do not have data for these specific months, please provide the most recent full workforce data that you have]

5. What was the average caseload per SCPHN qualified FTE health visitor in your area in: March 2025; September 2024, March 2024? [If you do not have data for these specific months, please provide the most recent full workforce data that you have]

6. What was the SCPHN qualified health visitor (Band 6) FTE vacancy rate in your health visiting service in: March 2025; September 2024, March 2024? [If you do not have data for these specific months, please provide the most recent full workforce data that you have]

7. Which mandated health visiting contacts in your area are currently carried out only by qualified SCPHN health visitors? (select all that apply: antenatal, New Birth Visit, 6 week check, 1 year review and 2 year review)

8. Is your health visiting service currently [in April 2025] employing any SCPHN student health visitors ? Yes/No, if Yes how many? [If you do not have data for these specific months, please provide the most recent full workforce data that you have]

9. Is your health visiting service planning to employ the SCPHN student Health Visitors upon completion of their training (Yes/No) If yes, how many?

Response

The purpose of this FOI request is to gain a better understanding of current capacity and workforce trends in health visiting services commissioned by local authorities across England.

1. Do you currently commission a health visiting service?

Answer: Yes.

2. Please select which of the following best describes your current health visiting contract provider:

* NHS trust

* Charity

* Local authority

* Community Interest Company

* Private healthcare provider

* Other [please state]

Answer: NHS trust.

Answer:

Role Band WTE Month

Health Visitor 6 15.15 March 24

Health Visitor 6 13.22 Sept 24

Health Visitor 6 12.82 March 25

Practice Lead Health Visitor 7 2.32 March 24

Practice Lead Health Visitor 7 2.32 Sept 24

Practice Lead Health Visitor 7 2.32 March 25

Community Staff Nurse 5 1.77 March 24

Community Staff Nurse 5 1.2 Sept 24

Community Staff Nurse 5 3.40 March 25

Community Nursery Nurse 4 9.88 March 24

Community Nursery Nurse 4 9.08 Sept 24

Community Nursery Nurse 4 9.28 March 25

Role Band WTE Month

Matron 8a 1.0 March 24

Matron 8a 1.0 Sept 24

Matron 8a 1.0 March 25

Practice Lead Health Visitor 7 2.32 March 24

Practice Lead Health Visitor 7 2.32 Sept 24

Practice Lead Health Visitor 7 2.32 March 25

Health Visitor 6 15.15 March 24

Health Visitor 6 13.22 Sept 24

Health Visitor 6 12.82 March 25

Answer: In March 2024 and September 2024 we did not have any fixed term or temp contracts within health visiting. In March 2025 we had one student Health Visitor on a fixed term for training and we had 2.2 WTE (Whole Time Equivalent) Fixed Term Community Staff Nurses (Band 5) these are for 2 years.

Answer: March 24 - 4267

Answer: March 2024 - 286 per WTE Health Visitor

Answer:

March 24 - 5.25WTE

Sept 24 - 3.04WTE

March 25 - 3.44WTE

Answer: Health Visitors will see primip new birth visits and enhanced Antenatal contacts otherwise these contacts are conducted by the skill mix team (registrants only).

Answer: Yes we have 3 student Health Visitors.

9. Is your health visiting service planning to employ the SCPHN student Health Visitors upon completion of their training (Yes/No) If yes, how many?

Answer: Yes, three students.

Documents

There are no documents for this release.

This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.

You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.