Health Visitor

Bidvane; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Preceptorship programme

Safeguarding support

iHV corporate membership

Revalidation training

Employee assistance scheme

HCAS allowance

Flexible working

Mobile device

Job summary

You will need a RHV or equivalent, a first degree or higher, and evidence of ongoing professional development; nurse prescriber status and NMC registration are required. The post welcomes both newly qualified and experienced practitioners.

Qualifications

• Specialist practitioner qualification in health visiting (RHV or equivalent).
• Education to first degree level or equivalent.
• Evidence of continuing personal and professional development.

Responsibilities

• Provide a core health visiting service to all families in a defined population, at home, in clinics and other settings.
• Manage delivery of health visiting services against local delivery plans and targets.
• Lead the health visiting team, facilitate meetings and participate in clinical supervision.
• Assess and implement individualised care plans for each child with parents and carers.
• Deliver a planned health promotion programme for under-fives with GP practices and children’s centres.
• Promote breastfeeding, support those at risk of postnatal depression, and support smoking cessation and parenting programmes.
• Support clients with mental health issues using counselling skills and screening tools.
• Work within child protection policies and refer at-risk children to social care and health.
• Attend strategy meetings and write reports for conferences and legal proceedings.
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to audit and research.
• Collaborate with primary care, social care and statutory/voluntary agencies; provide peer support.

Skills

Team leadership

Public health promotion

Clinical audit literacy

PSQ and GAD familiarity

NMC registration

Education

Bachelor degree or equivalent

Specialist practitioner qualification in health visiting (RHV or equivalent)

Evidence of continuing professional development

Job description

Health Visitor post in the 0-5 years skill-mix teams of the Children's Community Directorate at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, open to both newly qualified and experienced practitioners. The work centres on the Healthy Child Programme, delivered through home visits and clinics to keep children and families well. The role carries an individual caseload within primary care, working alongside GP practices, children's centres and social care. Applicants need a specialist health visiting qualification, nurse prescriber status and NMC registration.

What the job involves

• Provide a core health visiting service to all families in a defined population, at home, in child health clinics and other settings
• Manage delivery of health visiting services to the defined population against the local delivery plan and government targets
• Lead the skill-mixed health visiting team of all grades, facilitate its professional meetings and take part in clinical supervision
• Assess and implement individualised care plans for each child with parents and carers
• Deliver a planned health promotion programme for under-fives with GP practices and children's centres
• Promote breastfeeding, identify and support those at risk of postnatal depression, encourage smoking cessation and run parenting programmes
• Support clients with mental health issues, including psychological assessment reviews using counselling skills and screening tools such as PSQ and GAD
• Work within child protection policies and procedures, assessing, identifying and referring children at risk to social care and health
• Attend strategy meetings, child protection case conferences and care reviews, and write factual reports for conferences and legal proceedings
• Keep accurate, comprehensive records and maintain the statistical and audit data the Trust requires
• Identify local health needs, use evidence-based practice, and generate or take part in audit and research
• Work with primary care, social care and statutory and voluntary agencies, and provide peer support for vulnerable families

What’s required

Qualifications

• Specialist practitioner qualification in health visiting (RHV or equivalent)
• Education to first degree level or equivalent
• Evidence of continuing personal and professional development

Registration & licences

• Registered general nurse, NMC Part 1 or 12
• Registered nurse prescriber

Experience

• Ability to prioritise workload and work to deadlines
• Experience of leading and managing a team
• Experience of working with professionals from local statutory and voluntary agencies
• Recent experience of community work
• Experience of teaching and assessing students

Skills & knowledge

• Understanding of clinical audit and benchmarking
• Knowledge and application of local and national policies and frameworks in primary care
• Knowledge of recent NHS development and reform, and willingness to learn new areas
• Experience of using screening tools to assess maternal mental health
• Good working knowledge of child protection
• Clinical skills in child development, vaccination and immunisation

Nice to have

• Additional or ENB qualifications, such as ENB 997 or 998 or equivalent

What’s offered

• Preceptorship programme for newly qualified health visitors in their first 12 months
• Safeguarding support from the Trust's safeguarding team
• Corporate membership with the iHV
• Training opportunities supporting revalidation and professional development
• Employee assistance scheme
• Inner London high cost area supplement (HCAS)
• Flexible working and condensed hours
• Mobile device provided to all clinical staff