A universal service to families if they have a child under five. The Health Visiting Service provides a home visiting and community-based service to support children and families in promoting health and well-being in line with the Healthy Child Programme. It is a prevention and intervention service available to all families which provides advice, support and guidance in caring for children 0-5 years of age, in order to enable children to achieve optimum health and well-being.
Health Visitors are available to advise and support families with issues such as: • Breastfeeding, weaning and healthy eating
• Children’s growth and development
• Emotional health and wellbeing including postnatal depression
• Behaviour difficulties, sleeping, eating, potty training, temper tantrums and teething
• Safety in the home
• Minor illness
• Immunisations
• Domestic violence, addressing conflicts within the family and giving information and support
• Information and signposting to local support networks.
We deliver key health and development reviews for vulnerable families, in line with the Healthy Child Programme schedule.
We work with families to identify infants’ and children’s needs.
We develop and put in place programmes of care for children and their families who need additional support in a range of ways including follow up home visits, clinic appointments, and telephone contact.
We provide a named health visitor for each GP practice. We ensure that children remain on the health visiting caseload until they reach five years of age or start school, or change their family doctor (GP) to a non-Camden GP or move out of the London Borough of Camden.
We monitor safeguarding concerns for children under five and work with the Child Safeguarding Support Team to monitor and support families with a safeguarding plan.