Summary
The iHV is committed to raising the profile of health visiting and supporting excellence in practice – and this includes strengthening health visiting leadership. The evidence is profound that good leaders are the backbone of great services – in a changing world, they provide direction, shape culture, build trust, and help teams navigate challenges and opportunities with purpose. Great leaders are inclusive, they take others with them, foster belonging, amplify voices and turn shared hopes into action.
Applications are now invited for our new and prestigious Dame Elizabeth Fradd Leadership Programme: iHV Fellows starting in September 2025. This 12-month programme offers the only UK-wide fellowship training dedicated to investing in health visitor leadership.
Becoming a Fellow of the Institute of Health Visiting provides:
- Well-deserved recognition of an individual’s achievements as a health visiting leader
- A fantastic programme to support further leadership development
- The opportunity to join a vibrant Fellows’ community of changemakers and aspirational health visiting leaders from across the UK
- All successful candidates with a scholarship award which covers 75% of the costs of the Fellowship programme
Successful Fellows will proudly represent the best of health visiting and, in doing so, do justice to the legacy of Dame Elizabeth Fradd, one of the most influential senior nurse and health visitor leaders in recent times.
“In a changing world, we need strong health visiting leaders more than ever to lead our profession now, and in the future – if you are a changemaker and want to develop yourself, learn from others and be part of shaping the future of health visiting, I strongly encourage you to apply!”
Alison Morton, iHV CEO
Duration: 12mths
Start: September 2025
Delivery: Blended
Application Window: July – August 2025
Closing date for applications: 22 August 2025
Why apply for an iHV Fellowship Programme?
The iHV is the UK’s leading professional organisation for health visitors. Training developed and provided by the iHV is specific to the needs of the health visiting workforce and their roles with babies, children, families and communities. The Dame Elizabeth Fradd Leadership Programme: iHV Fellows is no exception. It provides a unique experience in leadership for health visitors – focused on each candidate’s potential, so they can equip themselves and be ready to realise their ambitions as health visiting leaders.
This Programme has been developed in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders who share a vision of strong health visitor leadership, focused on supporting the wider workforce and its responsibility to babies, children, families, and communities. While it invests in individuals, the Programme’s aim is to strengthen collaborative leadership across the system. Fellows will remain based in their home organisations and will design development plans tailored to their organisation’s current and future needs.
Who is the iHV Fellows Programme for?
The Programme is aimed at aspirational health visitors with an ambition to realise their potential as leaders and advocates for the profession, ready to ‘make waves’.
Successful candidates will need to demonstrate their leadership qualities and achievements in their career so far, providing evidence of the significant and ongoing contribution that they have personally made to the advancement of excellence in health visiting. They will be committed to their own personal development and strengthening health visiting in the UK – proactive in seeking solutions, navigating complexity using evidence, innovation and creativity.
This Programme is for individuals who are excited about the power of health visiting services based on the principles of proportionate universalism, reaching all families with babies and young children to improve health and reduce inequalities.
Those eligible for The Dame Elizabeth Fradd Leadership Programme: iHV Fellows programme need to be:
- iHV members
- NMC registrants as SCPHN – health visitors
- Able to meet the criteria for the Programme (see Application Process and Criteria document in the links below for details)
Scholarship places for the 2025/26 intake are limited to 30 candidates. We anticipate high interest in this Programme – each application will be carefully considered by our Fellowship judging panel against the suitability criteria.
What you will do on the Programme
By joining the Programme, candidates will be supported to build confidence and leadership capability with three programme phases focused on: “Understanding my potential”, “Equipping myself” and “Realising my ambition”. Candidates will have access to experts in health visiting, will meet inspirational leaders, and work with professional coaches dedicated to aid their development.
The 12-month Fellowship Programme will include a number of in-person workshops (including 2 days residential), online sessions and guided study exercises.
There will be opportunities for coaching, mentorship, shadowing and skills development for collaborative leadership practice. Time will be given to explore personal capabilities and development plans, as well as expanding knowledge and skills for shaping policy and infrastructure for health visiting.
Programme fees – 75% scholarship:
This new Fellowship Programme has been made possible with thanks to the generous funding from the Dame Elizabeth Fradd Memorial Fund, overseen by the Worshipful Company of Needlemakers, the KPMG Foundation’s 25@25 special grants initiative, and the Institute of Health Visiting.
All successful applicants will be awarded a scholarship of £2,850 to cover 75% of the programme fees. Candidates will need to provide evidence of support from their executive sponsor for the duration of the programme and beyond, including confirmation of their commitment to fund the remaining financial costs (25% programme fee = £950, plus personal travel and accommodation outside the 2-day residential retreat).
To find out more
