Improving communication between health visitors and primary mental health workers

Abstract

This audit aimed to open and improve communication between health visitors in Kirklees and the primary mental health workers in the child and adolescent mental health services at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust. This was deemed to be important for the establishment of best working practices and the need for multidisciplinary, multi-agency collaboration in the interests and wellbeing of the children, young people and families who use this service. It was hoped the audit would establish health visitors' knowledge of the local primary mental health worker service so that its effectiveness and relevance could be determined. In essence, the audit was intended to find out if the service provided what the service users needed and wanted. The audit demonstrated that about half of the health visitors were satisfied with the service provided and believed that their concerns or queries were dealt with appropriately. Two thirds of respondents, however, believed that they had insufficient knowledge about the role of the primary mental health worker.