Join us for our iHV Insights Xtra webinar ‘Spot the Signs. Change a Life: The important role of health visiting in early identification of SMA’ on Thursday 18 June 2026 3:00pm to 4:30pm (note: extended webinar, with earlier start time – please join from 2:45pm to allow a prompt start)

This is open to both iHV members and non-members.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a rare but serious progressive condition that causes motor neurons to die, leading to muscle weakness and wasting – affecting a child’s ability to move, breathe, and swallow. If the condition is not identified early – with rapid access to specialist treatment – these babies will experience life changing and often life-limiting consequences.

For health visitors and their teams, recognising SMA early is critical.  With timely diagnosis and treatment, the neural damage can be halted – with positive impacts on feeding, breathing and improved life expectancy.

Join our Insights Xtra Webinar designed to give you the confidence and knowledge to identify SMA early, understand current treatment options, and support babies, children, and families living with the condition.
We’ll also be unveiling brand‑new resources to support your practice,.

Speakers include:

• Portia Thorman — Head of Advocacy & Communication at SMA UK and parent of a child with SMA
• Dr Mariacristina Scoto — Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, Great Ormond Street Hospital

Empower your practice. Enhance early identification. Make a life‑changing difference.

How to book

Click on the “Register now” button which will appear when you click on “Booking Link (click to reveal)“

Assessing Child Development – spotlight on motor development  

Join us at our next iHV SCPHN Student Health Visitor Networking Event on 14 May 2026, 3:30-4:30pm.

We’re delighted to invite iHV SCPHN student health visitor members to a focused networking event exploring one of the most critical – and often most challenging – areas of practice: child development, with a spotlight on motor development.

Health visitors play a vital role in promoting motor development and identifying babies and children with motor development needs. This involves highly skilled timely assessments, making evidence-informed observations and judgements about typical and atypical development – and strong partnership working with parents to recognise red flags early and support the best possible outcomes.

At the point of registration, SCPHN health visitors need to be able to demonstrate specialist knowledge and understanding of child development and use validated tools to make holistic child development assessments (D.HV1, D.HV2, D.HV3, D.HV8). It takes time and the right support to build the depth of knowledge, clinical judgement and confidence required in this area of practice.

If you are questioning your own knowledge, skills and confidence in this important area of health visiting practice, you are not alone. Please join us in this safe space where you will have the opportunity to hear from fellow students, newly qualified health visitors and experienced practitioners. This event enables an opportunity to reflect on your own learning needs and identify how to best meet them.

Amanda Holland – Professional Education Learning and Development Lead iHV and Chair, and Mary Donnelly – Newly Qualified Health Visitor and Co-Chair, will be joined by;

• Vicky Gilroy – Director of Innovation and Research, iHV – sharing information about the iHV Motor Development Training and Toolkit to support your professional development
• Olivia Farley and Mel Hanson – newly qualified health visitors and iHV Student Award recipients, 2025 – reflecting on their experiences, worries and concerns as students, and sharing their top tips for success

The iHV SCPHN Student Member Networking is designed for student health visitors and newly qualified health visitors in their first year of practice.

This event is available to iHV SCPHN student health visitor members. If you are not a member yet, you can find out more about student membership here.

How to book

Log in with your iHV member email address and password.

Please note: when you log in you’ll be redirected to the iHV homepage. Simply return to the iHV events webpage to find and book your event.

Once you are viewing this page logged in, the “Register now” button will appear when you click on “Booking Link (click to reveal)“

Tickets now on sale

The iHV annual Evidence-based Practice (EBP) Conference 2026 is the UK’s leading health visiting event. This one-day conference offers a fantastic opportunity to hear about the latest developments, research and innovations in health visiting and to network with colleagues from across the UK to share best practice.

The iHV EBP conference also provides an important platform for health visiting researchers and practitioners to raise the profile of their work, disseminate excellence and support best practice – all focused on improving health and ending health inequalities for babies, children, families and communities.

This year’s conference, “From Evidence to Action: Getting it right from the start”, will be held at Bournemouth International Centre on 6 May 2026.

Reasons to attend:

• Hear from over 80+ inspiring speakers and presenters – and engage in Q&A sessions and discussions.
• Participate in an extensive range of topical sessions covering the breadth of health visiting practice and research – with something for everyone to choose from in our keynote, concurrent and breakout oral presentation sessions, focused on key priority topics for health visiting in the UK today.
• Enjoy an extensive range of poster presentations selected from the highest scoring poster submissions from researchers and leaders in practice.
• Network with hundreds of participants from across health visiting practice, research, education, policy, national and local government, charities, businesses, partners and supporters.
• Visit our vibrant exhibition with carefully selected stands that will be of interest to those working in health visiting and child/family health in the earliest years.
• Hear new ideas and solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing health visiting and child/ family health across the UK and share ideas during interactive sessions.
• Flexible joining options: you can choose to either join in-person at the fantastic Bournemouth International Centre, with its state-of-the-art facilities and excellent location on Bournemouth beachfront – or take advantage of our hybrid option and enjoy the conference experience online from your work or home setting.
• Leave feeling inspired and connected to the wider health visiting community.

Tickets now on sale, book here

Why are iHV conferences so popular? Read our delegate feedback:

In-person delegates:

“Inspiring, powerful, motivating – as always!”

“Great atmosphere and vibe”

“Excellent programme – every speaker was so good and the programme flowed well with a good mix of policy, practice and research”

“The atmosphere was so welcoming, supportive, and personable… I loved the interactive discussions and the enthusiasm for sharing learning across the profession. I left feeling completely inspired”

“One of the best conferences I have attended – whole atmosphere of the day and speakers provided a positive, motivational and inspirational day. Went home energised and thrilled to have been able to network with so many new people as well as seeing wonderful colleagues from previous roles”

Online delegates:

“I found it so interesting, the interactive part was great too, allowing us to ask questions virtually”

“First time attending. Loved it. Reignited a fire I thought had long been extinguished”

“The broadcast was clear and visually covered the room well. Keep up the excellent work”