Health Visitors promote good health and prevent ill health among children, families and communities within the 0‑19 Healthy Child Programme. The role involves raising awareness of unmet health needs, developing, implementing and evaluating care plans, and working in partnership with families and multi‑agency services.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
* Work as part of a multidisciplinary team to identify the health needs of children and young people, their families and the community, and contribute to developing a strategy to address individual and community needs.
* Use knowledge and skills to assess, plan, implement and evaluate packages of care.
* Identify health needs within a geographical corporate caseload or community.
* Clinically triage the Single Point of Access (SPA) as required in accordance with agreed procedures.
* Promote local and national public health priorities.
* Respond to health needs assessments by referring to other professionals and statutory/voluntary agencies.
* Support vulnerable or at‑risk children, young people and families in partnership with the Locality Lead; adhere to safeguarding procedures and participate in child protection case conferences and reviews.
* Participate in all statutory safeguarding processes, including witness statements, court reports and court attendance.
* Undertake programmes of care in partnership with parents, foster parents and other agencies to safeguard children and minimise risk.
* Identify children with special educational needs and disabilities, facilitate support and referrals, and act as a key worker when indicated.
* Provide cover for colleagues as requested by the manager.
* Plan evidence‑based health promotion programmes, order resources, compile teaching plans, and evaluate sessions.
* Promote community participation and work within a community development/capacity‑building framework in a multi‑agency context.
* Act as a health link for other agencies, collaborating with children’s centres, GPs, voluntary services and private agencies to promote health and wellbeing.
* Demonstrate reflective and evidence‑based practice to influence strategy and policy development.
* Be competent as a non‑medical prescriber, maintaining NMC registration and relevant competencies.
* Hold a special interest role and support other staff within the locality and service.
* Link practice with local and national targets, delivering public health programmes based on current priorities.
* Contribute to the development of local policies and procedures relevant to the area of work.
* Take responsibility for own clinical practice, including clinical supervision and adherence to the NMC code of conduct.
* Actively participate in reflective practice development through annual clinical observations.
* Maintain live mentor status and contribute to a learning environment for SCPHN’s, return‑to‑practice SCPHN’s, new staff and pre‑registration students.
Communication
* Communicate complex and sensitive information regarding the child or young person’s condition to parents/carers and the young person, using appropriate methods and recognising communication barriers.
* Communicate within the multi‑disciplinary team, modelling effective teamwork and communication skills to support service change.
* Develop links with children’s centres, schools and other agencies involved in promoting children’s well‑being.
* Work closely with professional teams and key stakeholders, including service users, statutory and non‑statutory organisations.
* Serve as the first line response to complaints, working within national and corporate guidelines.
* Contribute to the training of nursing and other discipline students during community experience programmes.
Budgetary Responsibility
* Maintain stock control.
* Demonstrate responsible use of resources with awareness of budgetary restraints.
* Ensure health monitoring equipment is maintained, calibrated and operating to a high standard.
* Minimise incurred expenditure, e.g., mileage, telephone use and stationery.
People Management
* Ensure appropriate delegation, allocation and supervision of work and packages of care to the skill mix team, including caseload support, monitoring and counter‑signing records.
* Contribute to the training of nursing and other discipline students during community experience programmes.
* Maintain own professional development and participate in appraisal and KSF processes.
* Delegate work to team members based on capabilities and competencies, ensuring clear feedback mechanisms.
Research & Development Activity
* Contribute to clinical audit and research highlighting unmet needs within the practice population.
* Maintain the Health Profile of the practice population.
Clinical and Practice Governance
* Maintain strict confidentiality of patient, family, staff and records in line with the Data Protection Act.
* Handle data shared via phone, fax or electronic transfer in accordance with Trust Information Governance and Information Security policies.
* Adhere to Trust risk assessment, risk management, infection control policies and procedures.
* Keep NMC registration current and maintain professional registration.
* Undertake mandatory and relevant training as required by East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust.
* Participate in clinical and safeguarding audits.
* Provide patients and carers with information on standards they should expect from the team.
* Participate in reflective/clinical supervision regularly.
* Lead caseload reviews within the locality.
* Participate in relevant emergency preparedness processes for the team.
* Write concise, accurate and timely records in line with the 'Record Keeping Policy'.
* Participate in clinical pathway development and service improvements.
This role requires the holder to be a registered Health Visitor with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), demonstrate professional competence, and maintain current registration and competencies.
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