Health Visitors work with parents and carers, offering support from the ante-natal period until the child starts school at five years.
The Service includes a team of Health Visitors, School Nurses, Staff Nurses, Nursery Nurses and Parent Support workers. It provides advice and support on the health and well-being of children and families from 28 weeks gestation through until 19 years of age.
Health Visitors and School Nurses are registered Nurses or Midwives who have chosen to undertake additional training and become Specialist Community Public Health Nurses. They lead the Healthy Child Programme (Pregnancy and the first 5 years of life), providing a universal prevention and early intervention programme, helping parents to support their child in achieving the best start in life and improve outcomes for children and reduce inequalities.
As part of the universal element of the Healthy Child Programme, every child and family is offered 5 mandated child development reviews which includes assessment of the child and family’s needs, health promotion, advice and support and referral onto other agencies if targeted support/prevention is required.
Ages 2 – 3 years is crucial in terms of child development. Problems with behaviour, social skills or communication and language difficulties often begin to become more visible.
Assessment of speech, language and communication, anticipatory guidance and promotion of a language rich home learning environment is integral to every mandated contact.
The Service work in partnership with parents helping them provide a language rich home learning environment to support their child’s cognitive development, language acquisition and social and emotional development. Supporting the whole family particularly parents mental health. Good maternal and paternal mental health helps to develop a secure attachment between parent and child which will help shape a child’s later emotional, behavioural and intellectual development.
The Service provides a universal preventative service with targeted and specialist elements.
What Can I do?
- Remind/support parents to attend health checks
- Discuss any concerns with Health Visitors
Staffordshire residents
In Staffordshire the Service is called the Families, Health and Wellbeing 0-19 service. The team are available, either via the telephone HUB, one to one appointments, Chat Health or at child health clinic.
In addition to the mandated contacts families can be signposted to the Service for advice and support via the Hub telephone and ‘Chat Health’ text service.
Contact Details
- West Hub - 0300 303 3923 (covering Moorlands, Newcastle, Stafford, Stone, Seisdon)
- East Hub - 0300 303 3924 (covering East Staffs, Cannock, Lichfield, Rugeley, Tamworth)
- Chat Health - Text 07520 615722 (answered in office hours only)
Stoke on Trent residents
The team are available, either via the telephone HUB, one to one appointments or at child health clinic. More information can be gained on the Health Visiting Team covering Stoke on Trent
Contact Details