Access to Health Visiting teams is Monday to Friday, 09.00 - 5.00 excluding public holidays.

Referrals to the Health Visiting Service can be made direct to the child/families Health Visiting team by telephone or letter.

Health Visitors are able to give advice and support on physical and emotional health issues that are causing concern to pregnant women, expectant fathers and parents of new babies and young children.

The Health Visiting teams are closley linked to GP practices and can be contacted through the practices.  Health Visitors undertake home visits as well as seeing parents and children at GP practices, Children's Centres and local Community Clinics. 

Many of the services the Health Visiting team offer for children and families, such as Well Baby Clinics and Parenting Support, are run in partnership with the local Sure Start Children's Centres which are readily accessible in the community.

The Health Visiting Service delivers the national Healthy Child Programme which aims to improve the health and well-being of all children and begins in early pregnancy and for the first 5 years of life. 

All pregnant women and families with babies/children under 5 will be offered the core health and development reviews and immunisation advice to ensure a healthy start for your baby, children and the whole family. 

Outline of the Healthy Child Programme delivered by the Health Visiting team includes:

 - Ante natal contact from 30 weeks of pregnancy

 - New Baby Visit, including Newborn Hearing Screening between 11 - 14 days

 - Review of progress at 6 - 8 weeks of age

 - Review of progress at 4 months of age

 - Review of progress at 8 months of age

 - Review of progress at 2 years of age

In addition the service aims to provide easy access to information, advice and support when you have concerns or need additional support and may include working with and/or referring to other agencies or services to support you.

You will see a member of the Health Visiting team dependant on the health check or clinic you and your child are attending or the concern you are seeking advice or support with.

The Health Visiting teams are led by a qualified Health Visitor who has completed specialist training following nurse or midwifery training.  Other team members will include qualified Nursery Nurses and Health Visitor administration assistants and may include Paediatric/team nurses.

All pregnant women will receive a visit from a Health Visitor from 30 weeks of pregnancy when expectant mums will receive the Parent Child Health Record (Red Book) that includes contact details for your Health Visiting team.

Parents with babies and children under the age of 5 years who transfer into the area and/or change their GP will be contacted by a member of the team soon after registering with a GP.

All parents with children under 5 will be invited to attend the health checks and reviews as part of the Healthy Child Programme.

Should you need to contact the team outside of the routine checks, please contact your Health Visitor direct.  If you are not aware of who to contact see section 'who can I contact to find out more'.

Talk to your local Health Visiting team for more information.

Talk to your local Health Visiting team for more information.

The Health Visiting Service offers a range of clinics and group sessions for parents and families across Bournemouth and Poole.  These will vary dependant on the needs of the local population but will include for example well baby clinics, parenting support, and under 1s groups.  The clinics and groups are held in a variety of settings such as Children's Centres, community clinics, church halls, GP Practices, and community centres.

To find out up to date information about clinics and groups in your local area, please contact your Health Visiting team.

If you don't have the contact details for your Health Visiting team, this information can be obtained by telephoning the numbers detailed in the section below. 

Health Visiting locality office for Bournemouth : 01202 711612 Monday to Thursday 09.00 - 1.30 and Friday 09.00 - 12.30

Health Visiting locality office for Poole             : 01202 711611 Monday to Thursday 09.00 - 2.00 and Friday 09.00 - 1.00

Children and Families Administration office      : 01202 584335 Monday to Friday 09.00 - 4.30

If no one is available to take your call, please leave a message and someone will get back to you at the earliest opportunity.

If you wish to speak to a manager of the Service, please contact:

 - Tina Collinson, Children and Families Manager on 01202 584337 or mobile 07919 305617

 - Fiona Haughey, Associate Director of Children and Families on 01202 584356 or mobile 07826 952279