iHV Special Interest Groups

The aim of a special interest group (SIG) is to build a national network of health visitors with strong interests in particular subject areas, to improve health visiting services for families. The groups will provide a forum to share best practice, pathways, policies, new ideas, even creating a national initiative. Through working together as a group, the SIGs could really make change happen. These shared ideas would benefit children and their families in reducing inequalities and improving outcomes.

Our aim is to promote innovation in health visiting nationally. As with many areas, capacity is a challenge, with reduced staff numbers alongside increased need. Despite this, we believe that change is possible. We need to think smarter to achieve an enhanced pathway of care. We passionately believe in working smarter not harder!

SEND SIG

We believe that Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is everyone’s business. The aim of our SEND special interest group (SIG) is to build a national network of health visitors in a SEND role, or health visitors with a strong interest in SEND, to improve health visiting services for families. Our aim is to promote innovation in SEND health visiting nationally, ensuring a caring and agile approach to the delivery of care and support to babies and children with SEND and their families.

We have received great feedback from our SEND SIG events:

‘This is what I have been waiting for! Lots of great ideas and reassurance around my new role. – Thank you’

‘Really good to hear from other areas and their ways of working and sharing good practice. I came away with lots of inspiration and some resources 🙂 many thanks’

‘It’s brilliant to be able to collaborate ideas and share information. Thank you for the opportunity to be part of the group.’

‘Good practice and sharing of ideas and work – excellent session!’

Please join us at our next iHV SEND SIG events:

2025

Wednesday 12 March, 15:00-16:30
Wednesday 2 July, 15:00-16:30
Wednesday 12 November, 15:00-16:30

Our SEND Specialist Interest Group (SIG) is an exclusive membership only event. We welcome new members to join us as we grow this community – you can join our SEND SIG today by emailing [email protected]

Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to network and discuss best practices for supporting babies and children with SEND.

If you would like to take part and you are not an iHV member, then please do join us as a member.

Sp HV PIMH SIG

Specialist Health Visitors in Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Special Interest Group

At iHV, we believe that there’s ‘no health without mental health’. Healthy parents and healthy parent-infant relationships are the foundation for good mental health across the life-course and, in turn, a healthy society.

Evidence suggests that Specialist Health Visitors in Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (Sp HV PIMH) have a unique role in addressing parent and infant mental health problems both strategically and clinically, and undertake leadership, supervisory and workforce development functions directly and across service boundaries to achieve these good foundations.

Our Sp HV PIMH SIG has been established since 2021 and has members from across all UK nations, enabling practitioners to network, share best practice and access support. The group benefits from a vibrant Listserv, a dedicated section on the iHV website, regular virtual meetings, and options to join subgroup special interest meetings to develop further thinking and action.

Feedback from current members reflects the value of the SIG:

“This group enables rich discussions about the differences and similarities in our roles, the importance of supervision, thinking about outcome measures, sharing best practice, formulating agreements and plans to take to commissioners. I feel really inspired when I attend and go away with lots of ideas.”

“Thank you so much for facilitating this group. Taking on this complex role in isolation is a real challenge, especially in the current climate of staffing/caseload crisis. This group has given me the inspiration and drive to continue.”

Our Sp HV PIMH SIG is an exclusive membership-only event. We welcome anyone who is a member of the iHV and who is currently employed as a specialist, undertaking additional educational, strategic, consultative, supervisory or clinical roles in relation to perinatal and infant mental health within their organisation. Join us today by emailing [email protected].

For more information about iHV membership see here.

Please join us at our next iHV Sp HV PIMH SIG events: