Health Visitors
What is a Health Visitor?
A health visitor is a registered nurse who has undertaken further study at degree or diploma level and who may lead a team of nursery nurses, health visitor assistants and paediatric staff nurses. Health visitors have expertise in family and child health. They are qualified in the development and safeguarding of children and young people. They also work to promote good health across all ages in the community generally.
Health visitors do not wear uniform but do carry identification badges. They provide a high quality professional and confidential service from Monday to Friday.
Their responsibilities include:
- Promoting better public health;
- Health promotion, through individual or group sessions;
- National campaigns;
- Parenting support and advice for feeding, development, safety, immunisation advice, behavioural problems and teenage health;
- Child protection issues;
- Healthy lifestyle advice for middle and older age groups.
Health visiting teams work to promote the health and well-being of babies, children and their families and the community in general. To do this, they also work closely with other organisations including Social Care and Health, nurseries, GPs, local community groups and voluntary services.
Working together
Health visitors work in teams which may consist of:
- nursery nurses
- staff nurses
- health visitor assistants
Members of the team work in the community and are usually based at GP surgeries. This is a brief description of their different roles.
Nursery nurses
Nursery nurses have a qualification and experience in childcare, behaviour management, development, play and education.
Staff nurses
Staff nurses are registered nurses who bring a wide range of skills relating to family health and health promotion to the team. For example, they may carry out immunisations.
Health visitor assistants
Health visitors assistants have experience and further training in public health and childcare.
Support and information
The team can offer support and information on the following:
Babies
- child development
- breastfeeding
- weaning, feeding and nutrition
- crying and colic
- safety and accident prevention
- play
- immunisations
- babies with special needs
- sleep
- minor ailments and health problems
Toddlers and children
- behaviour
- diet and nutrition
- play
- toilet training
- sleep
- child development
- accident prevention
- socialisation
- speech
- childhood illnesses
Young people
Information and advice on:
- drugs
- smoking
- alcohol
- weight problems and nutrition
- safe sex and contraception
- social and housing needs
- parenting
Parents and families
- pre-conception advice and information
- pregnancy
- parentcraft
- postnatal support groups
- support for single parents
- help with family and social needs
- information about child and family issues
- healthy lifestyles
- postnatal depression
Adults
Health visitors work to improve health, for example by offering support to people wishing to give up smoking.
Staff safety
Health visitors are usually welcomed into people’s homes where their help is greatly appreciated. However, it should be pointed out that the Trust has a staff charter in which it says:
‘Everyone employed by the Trust has the right to be treated with respect by patients, carers and visitors.’
The NHS believes that violence, threats of violence and aggressive behaviour towards staff is totally unacceptable. Anyone behaving in this way towards staff will be reported to the police.
To contact a Health Visitor or team member please contact your GP practice in the first instance.
For our leaflets, please take this link to the publications section where you will find some useful information.