rosstheboss
Retrobike Rider
secret_squirrel":1rlscqe0 said:rosstheboss":1rlscqe0 said:Health visitors are the people who have the responsibility to flag up potential neglect or abuse of children, I'd take my job seriously if I had to do that too.
Frankly that's a tiny part of their job and plenty of other professions manage have that same responsibilty without coming across as the SS.
With a couple of exceptions I didn't value the health visitors at all - YMMV.
You have to understand though that they are sometimes the only guidance that some families receive. As I mentioned before my wife works as a family outreach worker and, between visits to families, organizes groups and events at the centre to help young or hard to reach families bring their kids up. Sometimes the parents may have had no guidance themselves (absent mother, father or both) and may not be willing or able to get any, this is where the health visitors role is important, if you found them unnecessary then thankfully you have had a better upbringing than some. They also play an important role in spotting things like post natal depression as well as things like how safe the home is for a growing child. There are quite a few things that may not occur to a new parent that the health visitor could advise on.