Health visiting

Health visitors are specialist practitioners who have undertaken post-registration qualifications to meet the NMC’s standards for specialist community public nursing (SCPHN).

They are generally responsible for supporting children from 0-5 years and their families, providing antenatal and postnatal support, assessing growth and development needs, teaching parents about the nutritional needs of infants and young children, encouraging the development of healthy lifestyles, reducing risks, and safeguarding and protecting children. Health visitors have been key to initiatives such as ‘Sure Start’ children’s centres, which support families and improve parenting, particularly for those living in disadvantaged areas.

There is an increasing recognition of the importance of early intervention to prevent mental health problems in later childhood and adolescence and to detect physical health problems that can be effectively treated before a child starts school. This includes evidence about the neurological development of infants which highlights the significant impact of poor attachment and negative parenting on a child’s physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development, which has life-long effects into adulthood.

Health visiting interventions, when well planned and co-ordinated, reduce problems in later childhood, promote self-care and resilience in communities, and prevent ill health occurring in the first place. Positive outcomes have been demonstrated by intensive home visiting programmes such as Early Start, The Triple P – Positive Parenting Programme and the Family-Nurse Partnership programmes.

Across the UK there are differences in the child health programme, mandated health visiting contacts, priorities and service specifications.

England

Mandated checks: pre-birth; 10-14 days; 3-5 weeks, 6-8 weeks; 9 months to 1 year; 2-2 ½ years, see:

Scotland

Mandated checks: pre-birth; 10-14 days; 3-5 weeks; 6-8 weeks; 3 months; 8 months; 13-15 months; 27-30 months; 2 years; 4-5 years, see:

In Scotland the health visitor acts as the named professional and first point of contact for all health and wellbeing and child protection issues for children under five, see: Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC).