Health visitors continue to work face-to-face if service users are happy to been seen at home or in a clinic setting. The team will contact pregnant women and those families with a new baby or child due any developmental reviews. People can contact the service directly using the health visitor number given in their red book.

A duty line operates between 9am-5pm or via voicemail t: 020 3316 8008

The Bright Start Health Visiting teams work together with all families and the Early Years services to provide information and support facilitating the Bright Start vision. The vision is to reduce stressors and build resilience in families, so that children will be healthy, happy, safe and active, learning and developing physically, emotionally and socially to their full potential.

Underpinning the work the Bright Start health visitors deliver are four key principles:

• the search for health needs
• the stimulation of an awareness of health needs
• the influence on policies affecting health
• the facilitation of health-enhancing activities.

These are achieved in a number of ways, primarily by taking a lead on the delivery of the Healthy Child Programme with partners. This takes the form of five mandated visits and further group work:

• antenatal contact between 28-36 weeks of pregnancy
• new birth visit 10-14 days after delivery
• the 6-8 week health visitor review
• the 12-15 month developmental review
• the 24-30 month developmental review
• journey to parenthood antenatal programme: an antenatal course which supports parents to adapt to the changes involved in becoming parents and provides an opportunity to ask questions about what to expect throughout pregnancy and beyond.
• introduction to solids workshops
• new parents groups: for parents to enjoy with their babies to discuss weekly topics led by professionals. 
• emotional wellbeing visits: a series of up to six home visits to support parents with mild to moderate mental health symptoms in the perinatal period.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusions

• parents to be and parents and carers of children under five.

How to Refer