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 closed for our new and prestigious The Dame Elizabeth Fradd Leadership Programme: iHV Fellows 2025/26 cohort. 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: 12 months
Start: September 2025
Delivery: Blended
Applications: now closed

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. 

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 additional personal travel and accommodation costs outside the 2-day residential retreat).
See terms below for additional grants and funding options.

Updated Scholarship Details 13/08/25

The Burdett Trust for Nursing Travel Grant: Thanks to generous funding from The Burdett Trust for Nursing, we are delighted to announce the launch of a new travel grant for the programme for successful applicants. We know that travel costs will vary, depending on where applicants live in the UK. To support equity, The Burdett Trust for Nursing Travel Grant will be distributed based on 3 geographical zones, with the funding allocated proportionately:

• Zone 1: £250 travel grant
• Zone 2: £350 travel grant
• Zone 3: £500 travel grant

To find out which zone you live in, click here.

Accommodation for the 2-day residential at New Place Hotel in Hampshire – Request for additional support for overnight accommodation: The Institute of Health Visiting will fund all meals for the 2-day residential and overnight accommodation on Tuesday 18 November 2025. In addition, for those travelling more than 2 hours to the two-day residential in Hampshire, the Institute of Health Visiting will fund an additional night of accommodation at the New Place Hotel (on a bed and breakfast basis, dinner excluded). We will ask all successful applicants to confirm their accommodation needs when accepting their place on the Programme.

Our sincere thanks to our funding partners who made The Dame Elizabeth Fradd Leadership Programme: iHV Fellows possible:

• Dame Elizabeth Fradd Memorial Fund, overseen by the Worshipful Company of Needlemakers
• KPMG Foundation’s 25@25 special grants initiative
• The Burdett Trust for Nursing

Why do I need to fund 25% of the fees?

• The iHV Fellowship Programme is a high-value, high-cost leadership development package that requires individual and organisational buy-in to be successful.
• Thanks to generous funding from the Dame Elizabeth Fradd Memorial Fund, The KPMG Foundation and the Institute of Health Visiting, selected candidates will be awarded a generous scholarship of £2,850 to offset 75% of the course fees (this includes meals and refreshments for the face-to-face programme days, and overnight accommodation costs for one night on the 2-day residential).
• But candidates will also need a commitment from their organisation to fund the remaining 25% of the cost of the programme (£950) and other financial costs including additional personal travel, meals and accommodation outside the 2-day residential.
• In our experience, offering “free” programmes can be problematic – as each Fellow’s place is heavily subsidised, we want to ensure that all candidates are committed to the programme and that they have the support of their organisation to succeed.
• Securing commitment of the employer is a critical part of the programme, because without organisational support the ability of each Fellow to impact change will be severely compromised.
• It is important that candidates and employers understand that growth of the Fellow to be a change maker for the profession and wider community, extends beyond the period of the scheduled course.

To find out more

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED