Health Visiting Service

Health Visitors are registered nurses with specialist training in family health. The work and activity undertaken by the Health Visiting Service can be broadly broken down into the following areas:

The health of your baby or young child

Every family with pre-school children has a named health visitor who can advise on everyday care, feeding, growth and development and minor ailments, parenting classes, managing behaviour and any special needs your child may have. A drop-in child health clinic is held each week and routine reviews of your child’s progress are held at intervals throughout the first 4 years. The Health Visitors also organise the childhood immunisation programme.

Living a healthy life

Health visitors can help you to make sense of the conflicting media messages about health lifestyles by providing practical advice on how to stay healthy. They run health promotion groups and also represent your views about health needs in the community, influence policies and participate in health service developments.

Supporting Families

We are not just there to support your baby, but the whole family. Health Visitors can:

• Support women with post natal depression
• Advise on employment and benefit rights
• Give information on local support networks
• Advise on options for child care
• Provide support for single parents
• Address conflicts within the family, including domestic violence