Health Visitors are professional Nurses called Community Specialist Public Health Nurses who have completed additional post graduate training in supporting families with children who are under 5 until they start school.
Health visitors are commissioned to deliver a National Programme called ‘The Healthy Child Programme’ so your child grows up to be as healthy as possible and you are supported to be the parents you would like to be.
There are five planned contacts by the Health visiting service. Further support/contacts can be arranged as required with your Health Visiting team.
When attending for appointments or clinics please bring your child health record (the red book).
Antenatal visits are usually carried out when you are 28 to 32 weeks along in your pregnancy.
During the Antenatal visit we will discuss your pregnancy, how it is progressing and how you are feeling about this new change in your life. We will explore any thoughts you have about what happens postnatally, any support needs you may have and hopefully highlight what resources we have available in Cumbria to help during this time.
Useful information and resources:
- Talking to bump - Chatter Matters
- Building a happy baby - a guide for parents
- Handle with care: a guide to keeping your baby safe
- Off to the best start A guide to help you start breastfeeding
- Safer Sleep for babies A guide for parents and carers
- Fit for Birth - essential exercises and helpful advice
- Exercise and advice after pregnancy
The New Birth visit, sometimes called the ‘Primary Visit’, will take about 45 minutes up to an hour. At this visit your health visitor will:
- Check that your details, which your midwife will have passed on, are correct
- Chat to you about how the birth of your baby went
- Check if you have any concerns about your baby's health or behaviour
Your Health Visitor will liaise with your Midwife and will generally take over the care of you and your new baby around 10-14 days after the birth of your baby. If for some reason you want this visit to be carried out later than 10-14 days talk to your Health Visitor and they can be flexible to fit in with your individual needs as a family.
Your Health Visitor will work with you on what it means to become a parent, support you in how to keep your baby safe and healthy and signpost you to other professionals if additional support is needed.
As parents you will be supported to make choices about how to feed your baby and given support around both bottle and breastfeeding.
At the initial contact you will be provided with contact details of the Health Visiting team and have access to health promotion and health advice via paper or online resources.
Helpful information you will be given at this visit:
- A guide to immunisation
- Off to the best start A guide to help you start breastfeeding
- Guide to bottle feeding: How to prepare infant formula and sterilise bottles
- Baby check: is your baby really ill? (You can also download the baby check app)
- My Prem Baby - a free app to support parents of premature babies
- Infant crying and how to cope
- Bottle feeding assessment tool
- Children and Families Information Service
- Building a happy baby - a guide for parents
- Infant formula and responsive bottle feeding
- Safer Sleep for babies A guide for parents and carers
- Fit and Safe to exercise in the childbearing year
- Exercise and advice after pregnancy
- Accessing Mental Health Services - Lancaster, Morecambe and South Cumbria
The 6-8 week review appointment is an important opportunity to speak with a health visitor to discuss your baby’s development and progress, as well as your health and wellbeing.
This visit is important for assessing the baby’s growth and wellbeing alongside the health of the parent, particularly looking for signs of postnatal depression. It is a key time for addressing things such as breastfeeding, dental health, healthy start vitamins, immunisations, sensitive parenting and for supporting on specific issues such as sleep.
The health visitor will review the parents’ general health. They will also signpost to local groups or children’s centre where the mother can access a range of support. The date and time of the appointment will be given to you at your new birth visit and arranged for when your baby is aged between 6 and 8 weeks old. You should have your baby’s Red book with you.
Useful information leaflets:
- Introducing Solid Foods: Giving your baby a better start in life
- North Cumbria Talking Therapies (previously known as First Step)
- First Step Nutrition
- Activities to do with your 2 month old
- Baby check: is your baby really ill? (You can also download the baby check app)
-
Movement for Babies by Active Cumbria
The Pre-Year Review, sometimes called the ‘One Year Check’, will take about 45 minutes up to an hour and may be completed in your home or in a clinic setting by a member of the Health Visiting Team.
You will have been sent two assessments to complete prior to the contact which will help us to see if your child requires any early intervention around their emotional and physical health. It will be a great chance for you to raise any concerns or worries you may have and we will work together to set activities to help reduce those worries or submit referrals with your consent to other services to help your child reach their milestones.
It will be an opportunity for us to review your child’s physical, social and emotional needs and explore any risk factors. As part of the review you will have the chance to raise any concerns you may have about your child’s health and development. The Health Visitor will discuss dental care, health promotion, and home safety as well as weigh your child.
Helpful resources:
- Potty training: how to start and best age to potty train
- Vitamins for children
- Help paying for childcare: Free education and childcare for 2-year-olds
- Choosing footwear for Children
- Keeping Kids Safe - preventing child accidents
- Institute of Health Visiting Top Tips
-
Movement for Toddlers by Active Cumbria
As part of the Health Visitor service, your child will be offered a contact for a 2 to 2.5 year review. This can be carried out in a clinic setting or at home by a member of the Health Visiting team. It will be an opportunity for us to review your child’s physical, social and emotional needs and explore any risk factors.
As part of the review you will have the chance to raise any concerns you may have about your child’s health and development. The Health Visitor team member will discuss dental care, health promotion, and home safety as well as weigh your child.
Helpful resources:
- Top Tips for Parents
- Toddler - Start for Life - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- Children's language development and parenting advice - BBC Tiny Happy People
- Childcare Choices | 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More | Help with Costs
- Potty training: how to start & best age to potty train
- Child Safety Advice | Child Accident Prevention Trust
We offer a wide range of support and advice on things like:
- baby clinics
- behaviour
- growth and development
- immunisations
- minor ailments
- nutrition
- support groups
We can also connect you with other agencies if you need advice or support around housing, benefits or debt.
North Cumbria
Carlisle and Eden Health Visitors Facebook Page
Eden health visitors
- Alston: 01768 245615
- Appleby: 01768 354964
- Penrith: 01768 245615
Carlisle health visitors
- North Carlisle: Longtown: 01228 792712
- West Carlisle: West Children’s Centre: 01228 608045
- South Carlisle: Carleton Clinic, Carlisle: 01228 608953
West Cumbria
Allerdale and Copeland
- Allerdale and Copeland Health Visitors Facebook Page
- Copeland: 01946 68616
- Allerdale: 01900 705173
South Cumbria
South Lakes health visitors
- South Lakes Health Visitors Facebook Page
- Kendal: 01539 718155
- Windermere: 01539 447625
- Kirkby Lonsdale: 01524 279177
- Grange: 01539 777254
Furness health visitors
- Furness Health Visitors Facebook Page
- Barrow in Furness, Hindpool Team: 01229 471655
- Barrow in Furness, Central Team: 01229 404595
- Dalton and Ulverston: 01229 407770
- Millom: 01229 777592
- UIverston: 01229 48401