Health Visitor's Role Research Articles

A spotlight on early childhood caries: The health visitor role

Despite the well documented risk factors for dental caries, the condition is common, affecting just under a quarter of 5-year-old children in England. Dental caries can have a significant impact on a child's oral health and general wellbeing. However, the condition is largely preventable, and healthy dietary choices and good oral hygiene practices are key to preventing development of dental caries. Often, risk factors are well established prior to a child being seen by a dental professional. Promoting healthy choices from infancy is key in reducing prevalence of the condition. However, with difficulty accessing dental care in the UK increasingly reported, other health professionals, such as health visitors, have a pivotal role in raising awareness of the condition, providing advice and signposting to dental care.

The need for health visitors to act as change agents

The health visitor role encompasses providing services in a variety of settings, and health visitors are in the privileged position of being able to identify and endorse change, says Amy Noakes

The role of the health visitor

The role of the health visitor has evolved over time, but their work remains vital to ensuring the health and wellbeing of families with infants and pre-school children. Every child in the United Kingdom should have a health visitor from as early as the antenatal period and have several planned contacts during the first five years of their lives. It is therefore imperative that GPs have a sound understanding of the role and responsibilities of health visitors and how they can work together most effectively. This article will outline the origins of health visiting, the role of health visitors today, and provide an example of how a strong partnership between health visitors and GPs is essential in primary care.

School readiness and the health visitor role

Supporting children to be school ready starts before birth, and the health visiting service has a crucial role in supporting, promoting health, identifying risks and referring for early help and support, says Bethany Boddy

Exploring and promoting the role of health visitors in postnatal contraception: a ‘test and learn’ project

Exploring and promoting the role of health visitors in postnatal contraception: a ‘test and learn’ project

The health visitor's role in narrowing the word gap

Bethany Boddy reflects on speech, language and communication needs and the areas in which health visitors can make every contact count to promote communication skills in children

The Why Health Visitors Matter report

A recent report by the First 1001 Days Movement is a compilation of testimonies about the role of health visitors in ensuring children are safe, healthy and able to thrive. Dave Hancock highlights some of the key points

Support for struggling families

The coming increases in energy prices and interest rates will lead to difficult choices for many. Crystal Oldman discusses the role of health visitors in raising the issue of families in poverty with their MPs

Barriers to delivering effective dental health promotion

Bethany Boddy explores the health visitor role in oral health promotion, the evidence supporting effective interventions and barriers to embedding oral health promotion in practice

Functional gastrointestinal disorders and the health visitor role

Bethany Boddy explores the guidance and evidence into functional gastrointestinal disorders in infants and how to support parents to support their infants

Antenatal Appointment Invitations: Getting the Message Across

In line with the Universal Health Visiting Pathway in Scotland, health visitors offer all expectant mothers a pre-birth visit in an antenatal letter. The town of Kirkcaldy on the east coast of Scotland has a diverse community and faced low uptake of antenatal visits (50%), with antenatal letters only sent in the English language. This article outlines how the team undertook to improve uptake of antenatal visits and understanding of the health visiting service through accessible language in the antenatal letter. Providing the letter in the expectant mother's native language improved uptake of the antenatal contact and increased understanding of the health visitor role. It is concluded that it is important to be inclusive and to provide equality of service for multicultural communities, in order to improve outcomes for all children.

Newly qualified health visitor: Working with families to help reduce obesity

With the government publishing a policy paper on obesity in July 2020, Bethany Boddy looks at the health visitor role in early identification, health promotion and intervention for families

A pathway to reducing inequalities in childhood obesity

Every child has the right to grow up healthy, but high levels of childhood obesity are damaging their health and wellbeing. This article discusses national policy, local action and the role of health visitors in addressing the problem

Our children are not school ready!

British Journal of School NursingVol. 14, No. 4 RepresentationOur children are not school ready!Sharon WhiteSharon WhiteOBE, CEO SAPHNASearch for more papers by this authorSharon WhitePublished Online:17 May 2019https://doi.org/10.12968/bjsn.2019.14.4.202AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References BBC News. Walsall infant school employs nappy changer. 2019. Online. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birming-ham-47867342 (accessed 30 April 2019) Google ScholarERIC. More children toilet training later—how early years can help parents. 2019. Online. Available at: https://www.eric.org.uk/news/more-children-toilet-training-later-how-early-years-can-help-parents (accessed 30 April 2019) Google ScholarDepartment for Health and Social Care, Public Health England. 2018. Early years high impact area 6: Health, wellbeing and development of the child aged 2: Ready to learn, narrowing the ‘word gap’. Health visitors leading the Healthy Child Programme. Online. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/756700/early_years_high_impact_area_6.pdf (accessed 30 April 2019) Google ScholarHow to Potty Train. Category: ERIC. 2018. Online. Available at: https://www.howtopot-tytrain.com/category/eric/ (accessed 30 April 2019) Google ScholarBennett V. “Ready to learn, ready for life”: The central role of health visitors, by Alison Morton. 2015. Online. Available at: https://vivbennett.blog.gov.uk/2015/08/14/ready-to-learn-ready-for-life-the-central-role-of-health-visitors-by-alison-morton/ (accessed 30 April 2019) Google ScholarPublic Health England. Official Statistics—Health Visitor Service Delivery Metrics (Experimental Statistics). Quarter 2 2018/19 Statistical Commentary (January 2019). 2019. Online. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/774242/2018_2019_Q2_Health_Visitor_Statistical_Commentary.pdf (accessed 30 April 2019) Google ScholarHealth and Social Care Committee. First 1000 days of life inquiry. 2018. Online. Available at: https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/health-and-social-care-committee/inquiries/parliament-2017/first-1000-days-life-inquiry-17-19/ (accessed 30 April 2019) Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 2 May 2019Volume 14Issue 4ISSN (print): 1752-2803ISSN (online): 2052-2827 Metrics History Published online 17 May 2019 Published in print 2 May 2019 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedPDF download

The value of specialist knowledge and practice in health visiting

This article analyses the infant feeding specialist health visitor role in leading practice and professional development, and concludes that increased continued breastfeeding rates reaffirm the place for specialist knowledge and practice in health visiting

Building the English health visitor workforce as a result of the Health Visitor Implementation Plan 2011-2015: a survey study of career progression and retention for newly qualified health visitors.

This study aimed to explore the extent to which health visitors who trained and qualified in both Greater London and the South West of England between September 2011 and January 2016 were employed in health visiting posts and have remained in the profession. In 2011, the UK Government launched the Health Visitor Implementation Plan 'A Call to Action' (Department of Health, 2011) to develop the health visitor workforce by training 4200 health visitors over a four-year period. By April 2015, 4000 additional health visitors were trained, but the total workforce has since fallen back to pre-Implementation Plan size. Data were collected using a survey, completed online by participants. All participants had undertaken a health visitor education programme at one of two participating universities. The survey was distributed in January 2017 and completed by 180 individuals. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS; association was assessed using individual chi-square tests or Fisher's exact test. Free-text responses were thematically analysed. Most (153; 87%) participants were still working as health visitors. Length of time spent working in the community prior to completing health visitor training was associated with staying in the role ( χ2 (with Fisher's exact test = 7.998, P = .027). Current pay was associated with attrition from the health visitor workforce ( χ2 (with Fisher's exact test) = 67.559, P < .001.). The majority who had left the health visitor role were on higher pay bands in their new post compared to those that had stayed (12; 60%). Bronfenbrenner's (1979) theory of socio-ecological development was used as a framework to interpret the results. While participants made an active choice to join the profession, leaving was influenced more by factors outside their control. To influence health visitor retention, both local and strategic changes are required.

Newly qualified health visitor: The health visitor role in strengthening community capacity

The transition between leaving one community and starting in another has triggered reflection on my role as a community practitioner

Midwifery students' experiences in a health visiting placement: An interview study

In the UK, there is a clear remit for midwives and health visitors to work collaboratively to care for pregnant women and new mothers. This study evaluated a clinical placement for midwifery students with health visitor mentors. The evaluation explored the experience of mentors and students during the placement, the effect on their understanding of the different roles and the potential effect on collaborative working in the future. Results indicated that students developed their knowledge of the health visitor role and learned transferable skills to take back to midwifery. They saw little collaborative practice, but identified ways to incorporate interprofessional working into their practice once qualified. Mentors were positive about sharing health visiting practice and the potential impact on relationships in the future.

Weight management in pregnancy and after birth: Benefits for mother and baby

Around 50% of women of childbearing age are either overweight or obese. The life course approach to public health accepts that key stages can make individuals more vulnerable to negative health outcomes such as weight gain, but that they can also present opportunities for intervention. This article looks at the role of health visitors in supporting mothers to manage their weight during pregnancy, continuing into the post-partum period, with the ambition of ensuring more mothers start a subsequent pregnancy with a healthier body mass index.

JHV Study Day: Development matters

The JHV study day in London on 8 October gave delegates the opportunity to hear expert speakers discuss issues related to child development and the health visitor role, including domestic violence, father involvement and video interactive guidance