Health visitors across Bath and North East Somerset are now working from local Children’s Centres in a bid to improve access for parents and integrating better with the community.
The move by Sirona care & health will put health visitors at the heart of local communities which is one of the organisation’s key objectives.
Sirona is a not for profit social enterprise which provides specialist community services in B&NES including health visiting and is publicly funded by the NHS and local authorities.
Health Visitors will remain linked to GP Surgeries but now the specially trained staff will also be joining up with existing children’s centres to ensure services link together.
This will mean that support which local families with young children need is available in their own community and will link to centres in Odd Down, Moorfields, Twerton, and Weston in Bath as well as in the city centre plus in Paulton, Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Peasedown St John, Keynsham and Chew Magna.
Parents see a health visitor from before their baby is born through until their child goes to school.
Penny Hazelwood, Sirona’s head of health visiting, said: “This will help health visitors to get to know the local community and work with other groups and agencies close to where the parents and children live.
“The type of support will not change. They will still offer home visits, group support and drop in sessions such as the Baby Feeding Hubs which offer information and support to parents on all aspects of infant feeding as well as health and development reviews.”
The change also follows national changes to Health Visiting and Shiela Willoughby, team lead for health visiting, said: “Working locally in partnership with parents and Children’s Centres should enable children to reach their full potential.”
There are six areas which Health Visitors focus on and these include the transition to parenthood and the early weeks; breastfeeding; healthy weight and nutrition; managing minor illness and accident prevention and the health, wellbeing and development of the child to be ready for school.
Jackie Wrench, fellow team lead for Health Visiting, said: “Letters have been sent to all parents of children under one to tell them about the changes and make sure they know who their Health Visiting team is and how to contact them.”
She added that health visitors will contact families to offer health and development reviews as usual.
Anyone who doesn’t know who their Health Visiting team is should contact 01225 831794 or visit www.sirona-cic.org.uk.
