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Health Visiting

Part of Birmingham Forward Steps early years service.

Health Visitor

Birmingham Forward Steps is a combined health visiting and voluntary agency partners early years’ service who support all families across Birmingham with children upto the age of 5 years.  They give specific support to children with additional needs and will signpost to other agencies as required such as GPs, midwives and school nurses. 

They work in the community with a team offering support, advice and provide universal services to all families. 

The service promotes Healthy Start Vitamins for all children under the age of 4 years.  These can be obtained from your Health Visitor or Children’s Centre

Health visiting offer services on four levels:

•Community

•Universal

•Universal Plus

•Universal Partnership Plus

What does this mean?

Contact Us

Click here to download the contact details for all Children Centres and Birmingham Health Visiting Teams.

Click here to download guidance for communication between the HV service and GP practices.

Click here to download the PDF version of the Children and Families referral form for all services.

The Birmingham health visitor service is part of Birmingham Forward Steps - the citywide early years health and wellbeing service.

All communities have a range of services provided through Children's Centres and by other community groups, such as voluntary and faith groups. Health Visitors work with these groups to help develop them and to make sure you know  about  them. Health Visitors are also able to help and advise you when you are dealing with Community issues as they know your area well. Health Visitors are also able to assist you with starting up your own group, if there is a need for it in your local area.

Health Visitors and their team provide the Healthy Child Programme to assist you to provide your child with a healthy start (for example immunisation advice, health and development checks), they also support for parents  at key points throughout the early years. These core points are as follows:

  • A visit when you are around 28 weeks pregnant, including dads if they are able to be there.
  • A visit when  baby is 10 to 14 days old
  • A visit when  baby is 6-8 weeks  old
  • A visit when baby is 28-34 weeks
  • A 9 to 12 month health and development review
  • A 2 to 2½ year review jointly with your child’s Educational setting (if attending)

 

This may be at certain developmental milestones in your child’s life, following an incident that has affected them or because as a family you need support. This can include any of the following:

  • Post-natal depression
  • Toilet Training
  • Sleep problems
  • Concerns regarding behaviour
  • Relationship issues
  • Breastfeeding
  • Feeding issues/ weaning
  • Speech development

 

Provides continuing support from  Health  Visiting  teams  plus a range  of local services working with parents together to deal with more  complex issues over a period  of time.  This can include services from Children's Centres, other community services; including charities and where appropriate Local Authority Children’s Services

For example:

  • On-going medical issues
  • Disabilities  -early support
  • Mental  health  issues
  • Drug  & alcohol  related  issues
  • Learning disabilities
  • School Readiness

At School commencement if a Health Visitor team has been working with you as a family they will ensure that you are introduced to your School Nurse who will continue to support your child up to 19 years of age. 

Further Info