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JANE>> Health Visitors are really important to deliver, because theyíre skilled in public
health, they are skilled in recognising the needs
of children, babies, young families, and theyíre actually skilled in being able
to find the tools, techniques and support to enable young mothers, young families, young
parents, to look after their children in the best possible way
and give those children the best opportunity.
GILL>> I became a Health Visitor by default really.
I was doing my nurse training, Iíd previously been a nursery nurse,
and I really wanted something that fit in with family life,
and I absolutely loved it, and luckily progressed to where I am today.
Iím team leader for approximately about 26 staff,
I share it with a colleague, and weíve been in post perhaps for about
three years, and the reason the post was developed
was to really improve services to local families and communities
and actually raise the standard of Health Visiting.
THERESA>> In my nurse training I did seven weeks
in my first year of my nurse training with the Health Visiting team,
and I really really enjoyed it. I enjoyed working with mums,
I enjoyed working with families, and I think it was that sharing of knowledge
that I really liked and I found that really interesting.
The Health Visitors training was a really challenging year.
It was assignment after assignment, lots of exams,
it was intense, and it was deadline after deadline.
But it was really good, it was worth it, Iím glad that Iíve done it.
We might have a clinic in the morning, so mums come in and get babies weighed.
There might be a number of problems that mums ask you questions about at the clinic.
Weíll be working out in the community, maybe in the afternoon going to mumsí houses and
seeing new babies. Weíll identify what the mumís and familiesí
health needs are, and then weíll provide the services to support
the mum.
ANDREW>> There a greater expectation and a greater public policy demand of Health Visiting
which means that that canít be delivered unless weíre supported to do so.
So I think thatís going to happen, I think it already is happening.
Really, itís a good time to come into the profession.
GILL>> Services we offer locally again are governed by the Healthy Child Programme,
which weíre actually currently working to nationally.
We have a lot of local input into the childrenís centres,
so the strong links that we have with Barnardoís have been helpful to actually do a lot of
joint-working, so we might look at developing courses around
toddlers, baby massage, infant massage, we might look at maternal mental health issues
and how we support that. We work very closely with the midwives
and provide breastfeeding workshops and clinics and, you know, support really.
TERRY>> I think how important the Health Visitor is varies from one family to another,
so it goes across the whole range. For some families,
they shouldnít not know why the Health Visitor is here, it should be pretty obvious,
but their need for Health Visitor intervention is probably minimal: Everythingís ok,
theyíre very autonomous, they can be getting on with their lives, and the child is healthy.
But for some families itís quite the opposite of all that,
and the intervention of the Health Visitor can be vital.
GILL>> The role to the families I serve, again, is very individual, because
families byÖ theyíre all unique, you know, we canít go in to one family and do the same
thing each time we go in. Their needs are different so for instance
we might go to a young person who is living with their parents, and the
needs of that family have to be tailored to what they want from us really,
so it changes on a day by day basis.
ANDREW>> Itís a privilege and itís also a responsibility
to be able to have some influence over how children and families function and how they
live their lives. Iím not overstating our input, sometimes
we donít have as much input as weíd like to have,
but we definitely have a role to play and thatís a real privilege to be part of peopleís
lives. I think Health Visitors are appreciated,
I think certainly if you talk to families that have had a good experience
of Health Visitors or have been supported by Health Visitors,
they will speak very positively about the experiences that theyíve had,
and certainly for many families itís vital.
THERESA>> I work in a team where Iím really really well supported,
so I can always ask members of the team for their support, you know,
and their advice, bounce ideas off each other. I learn something new every day, always lotís
to learn. I think you need to be good with people, youíre
going into people homes, youíre asking lots of questions,
and sometimes theyíre quite difficult questions to ask.
TERRY>> I think when Health Visiting is working well, then youíre recognised as a resource,
not just for that family but for the community and the people,
in a sense, you get information that people think you should know this about so-and-so
such a thing and you should know this. You become a source
of information.
ANDREW>> When I think of myself as a Health Visitor, I donít think of myself as a male
Health Visitor, and neither do I think any of my colleagues
or families that I work with. Iím Andrew, who is a Health Visitor.
So if youíre good at engaging with people, if you want to work with communities and feel
that you can make a difference, then come, itís a good time to be one, and
youíll enjoy it.