Are you a parent or carer?

Midwives are specialists in pregnancy and birth and will look after mother and baby during labour and birth, and up to 28 days after baby is born. When your baby is 10 days old the Midwives will handover care to the Health Visitors.

Health Visitors are qualified Nurses or Midwives who have completed further training. Our Health Visitors are there to support you as a parent in raising a happy and healthy child; working together with you to give your child the best possible start in life. As far as possible we will try to ensure that you see the same Health Visitor at each visit so that you know who to expect.                                   

When and where should I expect to see my Health Visitor? 

A Health Visitor will meet you before your baby is due (around 28 weeks into pregnancy, known as your antenatal visit), then they will see you when your baby is 10 to 14 days old. The Health Visitor will come to your home for these visits and they’ll phone you to arrange a convenient time.

When your baby is 6 to 8 weeks old your Health Visitor will phone you to arrange a convenient time to meet either at home or at the clinic or Children and Family Centre.

When your baby is 9-12 months old, and again when they reach 2 to 2½ years old, you will be invited by letter to meet the Health Visitor at a clinic or Children and Family Centre. This letter will contain a questionnaire for you to complete before you meet the Health Visitor and bring along with you.

Following this your child will move to the care of the School Nurses once they start school. Further information is provided in the 5-10 section of the website.

What will my Health Visitor do at these visits/meetings? 

At the visit following the birth of your baby the Health Visitor will make sure your baby has received all their checks and assessments and advise you about immunisations. At all visits/meetings the Health Visitor will ask how you and your baby/child are doing, listen to any concerns you may have and advise appropriately. This could be anything related to feeding, sleeping, health, behaviour and development.

What if I want advice between visits?

You can either phone on 0300 330 5777, email us or use the live chat function on our website, whichever you find easier. Calls may be recorded for training and quality purposes, to find out more, visit Privacy | Bromley 0 to 19 Public Health Service. You are also welcome to attend our Well Baby Clinics where you can weigh your baby (and record it in the red book) and see a Health Visitor.

Known as the ‘red book’ due to its red cover, the Personal Child Health Record will be given to you by the Health Visitor at the first visit following your baby’s birth. It is where the Health Visitor will record your baby/child’s height and weight, vaccinations, and other important information, along with their name, NHS number, date of birth and useful contacts. You can write in the red book yourself about any illnesses or accidents your baby/child has, and about their development milestones such as their first words and the first time they walked.

The Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) works with parents aged 24 and under, partnering them with a specially trained family nurse who visits them regularly, from early pregnancy until their child is two.

Family Nurse Partnership

Our Health Visitors will support you in getting your child ready for primary school. They will provide guidance on arranging pre-school immunisations and advice about healthy eating, toileting, hand washing, etc. At five years your child moves to the care of our School Nurses.

School Nurses are qualified Nurses or Midwives who have completed further training. Every school has a named School Nurse who provides advice to children about healthy living and supports them in their choices. They are approachable and non-judgemental and their aim is to enable children and young people to improve their health and wellbeing and reach their full potential.                                  

What if I want advice outside of school?

You can either phone on 0300 330 5777, email us or use the live chat function on our website, whichever you find easier. Calls may be recorded for training and quality purposes, to find out more, visit Privacy | Bromley 0 to 19 Public Health Service.

Safeguarding is protecting those who are vulnerable from abuse or neglect. It means making sure children and young people are supported to get good access to health care and stay well. All children and young people need to have trusted adults around them to make sure they are kept safe from harm by other people, or from hurting themselves. It is also about taking action to enable all children and young people to have the best possible outcomes.

Safeguarding (children and young people)