Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether health visitors are required to (a) inform parents of their entitlement to Healthy Start vouchers and (b) assist them through the application process.

Health visitors work with parents who have new babies, offering support and informed advice in order to promote good health and prevent illness. Families from all walks of life may need support for specific issues that affect their children’s health and development, so the actual service provided to each particular family will vary according to a personalised assessment of their own needs and evidence of what will work for them.

Health visitors draw on their knowledge of the families they work with to promote the Healthy Start Scheme to those who may be eligible. The Healthy Start application form must be countersigned by a healthcare professional, and this provides an opportunity for health visitors to support people to complete the form.