HEALTH VISITOR JOB

A health visitor is a qualified and registered nurse or midwife who is specially trained to assess the health needs of individuals, families and the wider community. They aim to promote good health and prevent illness in the community by offering practical help and advice. The role involves visiting people in their homes, in particular new parents and children under five, as well as working with other sections of the community. Working as a health visitor may also include tackling the impact of social inequality on health, and working closely with at-risk or deprived groups.

Activities vary according to the nature of the individual role, but may include: Listening to, advising and supporting people from all backgrounds and age groups, advising and informing new parents on issues such as feeding, safety, physical and emotional development, weaning and immunization, delivering child health programs, running parenting groups, working in partnership with families to develop and agree tailored health plans addressing individual parenting and health needs.

And managing and attending parent and baby clinics/sessions at surgeries, community and children's centres, and holding specialist clinics on areas such as baby massage, exercise and child development, identifying the health needs of neighbourhoods and other groups in the community, such as the homeless, working with local communities to help them identify and tackle their own health needs, and encouraging members of deprived communities to participate in their own health care planning.

Running groups dealing with a specific health aspect, such as giving up smoking, and supporting self-help or special needs groups, such as working parents, offering counselling to people on issues such as post-natal depression, Diagnosing minor conditions and prescribing low-level medication, Supporting and training new health visitors, maintaining and updating patient records, supporting government initiatives to tackle child poverty and social exclusion.