Health Visitors

Mr. Kidney
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect of the conclusions of Agenda for Change on (a) roles and functions and (b) pay and conditions of health visitors.

Ms Rosie Winterton
The Agenda for Change pay system does not specify the roles or functions of staff but it does provide an objective means of determining the weight of jobs whose role and function is determined by the employer, and therefore the pay band in which those jobs should be placed. To assist employers in objectively assessing health visitor jobs, two national job profiles have been prepared for typical health visitor roles, which would fall in pay band 6 and pay band 7. Health visitors whose jobs match these profiles would have basic pay in the ranges of £23,458 to £31,779 and £28,313 to £37,326 (1 November 2007) respectively.