§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to combine the skills of health visitors and social workers. [102109]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Department is investing funds from the new human resources development strategy specific grant to support pilot sites to encourage and facilitate joint working across traditional professional roles. We are working in partnership with employers, across service boundaries, to develop new types of workers at different levels of expertise.
451WOur aim is to consider how social care provision can be improved through new ways of delivering services that make the best use of staff skills and have the needs of the service user as their focus.