Health Visiting Service

As Health Visitors we aim to work with families to improve future health outcomes, and by utilising our specialist training we can provide expert information, assessment and intervention for babies, children and families including first time mothers and fathers and families with complex needs. 

Health Visitors are qualified nurses or midwives who have an additional degree or post graduate diploma in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing. They have had specialist training in child development and health promotion and can support families to prevent illness and to promote good health.

We provide a family focused service to ensure children and families have a positive start in life. We are community based to ensure our service continues to be accessible to all. Health Visitors will also provide support over the telephone. 

We can help with;

• Keeping children safe and preventing accidents
• Support with Healthier lifestyles – Smoking cessation, alcohol and substance misuse
• An unhappy or violent relationship or family conflict
• Immunisation/screening programmes
• Safeguarding Children
• General health advice and referral to appropriate services
• Supporting with Healthy Eating

Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home-visiting (MECSH)

The home visiting components of the MECSH program intervention consists of at least 25 home visits by the same Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (Health Visitor) MECSH during the remainder of pregnancy and the first 2 years post birth. The program goals are:

• Improve transition to parenting by supporting mothers through pregnancy.
• Improve maternal health and wellbeing by helping mothers to care for themselves.
• Improve child health and development by helping parents to interact with their children in developmentally supportive ways.
• Develop and promote parents’ aspirations for themselves and their children.
• Improve family and social relationship and networks by helping parents to foster relationships within the family and with other families and services.

Contact your local Health Visiting Team

Who do Health Visitors work with?

We will work alongside other professionals including

• Breastfeeding Specialist Support Advisers
• Midwives
• Community Paediatricians
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
• Speech and Language
• Paediatric Audiology
• Paediatric Physiotherapy
• School Nurses
• Occupational Therapists 
• Parenting Support Services
• Perinatal Mental Health Team
• GP's

Safeguarding

Worcestershire Health Visitors work closely with the Safeguarding Children's Board and Integrated Safeguarding Team to ensure that all Children and Young People within our area are safe and cared for.

• An unhappy or violent relationship or family conflict
• Immunisation/screening programmes
• Safeguarding Children
• General health advice and referral to appropriate services
• Supporting with healthy eating

Health Visitors are Specialist Community Public Health Nurses who alongside Community Nursery Nurses deliver the 0-5 Healthy Child Programme:

Antenatal visit: 28-32 weeks pregnant

A Health Visitor will help you prepare for parenthood and is someone you can talk to about how you are feeling. This visit will be offered to all first time parents and to other families if required.

10-14 days after birth

You can talk with the Health Visitor about how your new baby is settling in and you can ask questions regarding any aspect of their care including feeding issues and immunisations. You can also talk about how you are feeling. The Health Visitor will also be able to advise on support and activities in your local area.

Six to eight weeks after the birth

You can talk to your Health Visitor about how you and your new family are doing. There will be an opportunity to talk about immunisations which start at 8 weeks and how you are feeling emotionally and physically. 

9-12 months Ages and Stages developmental review

This is also an opportunity to discuss your child’s general health and wellbeing. If you are interested, your health visitor can also put you in touch with local baby groups, children’s centres or activities in your area.

2-2½  years Ages and Stages developmental review

This is an opportunity to discuss your child’s development and general health and wellbeing including speech and language development, toilet training and behaviour.

2½ - 5 years

You can contact your health visitor directly to discuss any concerns you may have regarding your child.