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)“