8 September 2003

The government’s ‘basket of radical initiatives’ to bring a more integrated approach to the care of the nation’s children was
warmly welcomed by the Community Practitioners’ and Health Visitors Association (CPHVA) today (Monday, 8 September).

Earlier this year the CPHVA said that the Laming report into the death of Victoria Climbie must be ‘the watershed that heralds
a revolution in child protection’.

Today, the CPHVA’s director Mark Jones said: ‘I believe that we have now reached the vital watershed that we have been calling
for some considerable time. The government is to be congratulated for its vigorous approach to bringing a more co-ordinated approach to children’s welfare.’

‘The CPHVA’s bench mark philosophy has always been that prevention is much better than allowing matters to spiral out of control
with often tragic results for the children involved. The government is now seriously committed to the ‘prevention’ route’, and, hopefully, the resources to make it happen.’

‘The CPHVA’s main concern is that the health dimension to this new way of working must be in equal partnership with those professionals working in social care and education. We need a holistic approach where health, social services, and education are integrated and
working well together, with a strong emphasis on inter-agency communication.’

‘The CPHVA, as the major professional organisation representing health visitors and school nurses, is ready to pick up the gauntlet
that the government has offered. We will work tremendously hard to make this new raft of ground breaking policies come to fruition.’

‘We cannot fail, as the public will not tolerate another horrific case such as the treatment meted out to Victoria Climbie.’

-ends-

NOTE TO NEWS EDITORS

For further information, please contact:

Shaun Noble Communications Officer ( (020) 7939 7043

mobile ( 07768 69 39 40

CPHVA press releases can be seen on the CPHVA web site: amicus-cphva.org

 The CPHVA represents health visitors, school nurses, practice nurses and registered nurses working in the community in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The CPHVA is an autonomous professional section of the amicus trade union. MSF joined with the AEEU to form amicus, the UK’s second largest union, on 1 January 2002.

NOTE FOR NEWS DESKS

For further information, please contact

Shaun Noble Press Officer (020) 7939 7043 Mobile 0468 69 39 40 MSF

press releases can be seen on our web site: amicus-cphva.org

Amicus/MSF represents 65,000 health service professionals including the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists, laboratory scientific staff, the College of Health Care Chaplains, the Community Psychiatric Nurses Association, the Medical Practitioners' Union, clinical psychologists, speech therapists, the Hospital Physicists Association and the Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association.

Amicus/MSF has 400,000 skilled and professional members in a wide range of industries. It is the UK's second largest union.

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