1st December 2014
A profile of the year’s successes and achievements for the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) is published in its year two annual report 2013/14 being made available on Monday 1 December 2014 at the iHV celebration event at the King’s Fund, London.
The iHV has grown substantially this year. From its launch in November 2012, iHV membership has continued to increase significantly. In addition, projects commissioned this year by the Department of Health and Health Education England have established the iHV’s credibility as a professional organisation with the sole focus on improving the quality and consistency of health visiting practice for the benefit of all children, families and communities.
Dr Cheryll Adams, Executive Director of the Institute of Health Visiting, said:” What a year it’s been! I’m thrilled to see our innovations liberating the talents of so many in the health visiting profession. This supports our core purpose: to deliver positive health outcomes for children and families nationwide.
“In particular, we are grateful to the Department of Health and Health Education England for commissioning us to develop Fellows, to strengthen health visitor education and support and to produce a series of information sheets for health visitors and families.”
The iHV Fellows scheme, funded by the Department of Health, recognises the professional achievement of exceptional health visitors – creating a new country-wide group of expert and confident health visitors to strengthen professional leadership. By the end of 2014, there will be almost 150 Fellows, from a mix of clinical practice, research and education, who will join the iHV at the inaugural Fellows award ceremony in March 2015.
The Making the Most of Health Visitors education programme, funded by Health Education England, is a large and multi-faceted project which seeks to transform support for health visitors, prepare the workforce for the move to local authority commissioning and launch a new generation of expert public health practitioners. The iHV has been identifying health visitors’ professional development needs and priorities and creating a suite of products – such as tools to strengthen health visitors’ resilience, cascade training in infant mental health and safeguarding, national induction and preceptorship frameworks, and a new evidence-based curricula for continuing professional development (CPD).
Dr Adams added: “There is immense talent in the health visiting profession and we are delighted to have worked with so many expert health visitors, academics and organisations to deliver our work programmes. The iHV is now playing a key role in the development of the profession and we look forwards to continue to strengthen health visiting for families nationwide in 2015 and beyond.”
Dr Adams will be feeding back early findings from the Institute’s latest survey into the ‘State of Health Visiting’ at the launch. This suggests that health visitors are a barometer for social change as they are experiencing a significant increase in demand for their services as some families struggle to manage in the recession, this is despite the very welcome increase in numbers of health visitors.
ENDS
For more information, please contact: Julie Cooper, Communications and Marketing Manager at the Institute of Health Visiting on 07508 344716 or [email protected]
Photo caption: Dr Cheryll Adams, Executive Director, Institute of Health Visiting
Notes to editors
Press invite to iHV’s celebration event – Monday 1 December2014
- Press are welcome to join the iHV at its celebration event at the King’s Fund, London on Monday 1 December 2014.
- If you would like to attend, please confirm your attendance to Julie Cooper([email protected] )
About the Institute of Health Visiting
- The Institute of Health Visiting is A UK Centre of Excellence supporting the development of universally high-quality health visiting practice. It was launched on 28th November 2012 to promote excellence in health visiting practice to benefit all children, families and communities.
- The aim for the iHV is to raise standards in health visiting practice, so improving public health outcomes for all children, families and communities.
- For more information go to ihv.org.uk
- Follow the Institute of Health Visiting on Twitter @iHealthVisiting and Facebook
Dr Cheryll Adams, Executive Director of the iHV
