Exciting new opportunity with iHV – Research Assistant

An exciting and unique development opportunity is available with the Institute – Research Assistant (Part-time).

We are seeking to appoint a part-time (2-days a week) Research Assistant.

The post holder will have a Masters’ degree or doctorate, be based in the South or East of England, and be prepared to travel within the post.

This post will suit a candidate who wants to have a research career as it provides excellent experience for a growing CV.

10-month fixed term contract in the first instance: May/June 2017 – March/April 2018.

Applications close at 5pm on Friday, 28 April, 2017

For further information or an informal conversation about this post please contact: Dr Esther Mugweni: [email protected]

For more details and how to apply

iHV welcomes BabyClear study to reduce smoking in pregnancy

Research published today by the University of Newcastle shows that the BabyClear programme, implemented in the north east of England to reduce smoking during pregnancy, has been very successful.

Pregnant women are almost twice as likely to quit smoking if they are supported from their first midwife appointment – and then are more likely to have heavier, healthier babies. Newcastle University researchers evaluated the “BabyClear” programme which follows the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance around smoking in pregnancy by screening all pregnant women for smoking using carbon monoxide monitoring.

Dr Cheryll Adams CBE, executive director, iHV, said:

“It is excellent that the pilot BabyClear programme in the North East has been so effective in helping women to stop smoking, yet there is more work to be done. Using this approach across the whole country, we can significantly reduce the number of pregnant women who smoke and, as a result, reduce perinatal mortality and morbidity – so giving more children a better start in life.”

The implementation of the BabyClear programme in the North East was supported by SFAC and Smoking in Pregnancy Challenge Group members Fresh North East.

For further details, read Newcastle University press release

New clinical research conference – for health visitors

The Institute is delighted to announce its research conference being held on 16 February 2016 in London, in conjunction with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

Opening the Door: Opportunities for health visitor engagement in clinical research is a network event to explore how health visitors can be involved in clinical research and support changes in service delivery in the community setting. The iHV has been fortunate to have been offered sponsorship by NIHR for the first meeting of the iHV community.

Date: 16 February 2017

Venue: etc.venues Victoria, London

The event provides an opportunity to not only meet with colleagues in the iHV network, but to celebrate ten years of the NIHR and to participate in a critical look forward with senior colleagues to its future development.

See the event programme

For more details

0-19 Research Network: Yorkshire and the Humber – 11 Jan 2017

Bringing together those across Yorkshire and the Humber involved in or developing research that can strengthen the knowledge base relevant to school nursing and health visiting

Are you a school nurse or health visitor with an interest in research?
Do you work in a public health role with 0-19s and have an interest in research?
Are you a researcher with an interest in, or undertaking, research relevant to school nursing and health visiting?

The 0-19 Research Network: Yorkshire and the Humber’s goal is to see the growth in new research relationships that can strengthen research practice in health visiting and school nursing and support service delivery and innovation for 0-19s. In 2017, they will be running a series of meetings in Yorkshire and the Humber with the aim of increasing research engagement and research capacity of health visitors and school nurses and others working in 0-19 services.

These meetings are funded by the Y & H Clinical Research Network – and complement the North of England Health Visitor and Child Health Research Network which has been running since 2013.

The first meeting will be on Wednesday 11 January 2017 11am-3pm at
The Bar Convent Conference Centre,
17 Blossom Street,
York YO24 1AQ

They hope to welcome everyone interested in research – both new and experienced researchers
Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

This is a free event but prior booking is essential. Please contact Liz Flower: [email protected]
For further information about the network please contact Dr Sue Peckover: [email protected]

See event flyer

Exciting new opportunity with iHV – Research Lead

An exciting and unique development opportunity is available with the Institute – Research Lead (Part-time).

We are seeking to appoint a part-time (0.6 FTE, 3-days a week) Research Lead. The Research Lead will take responsibility for the development of a new research department within the iHV and the delivery of the Institute’s research strategy.

The post holder will have a doctorate and be an experienced researcher in the fields of child and public health.

Applications close at 9am on Monday 31 October 2016.

Interviews: Morning of Thursday 10 November 2016, in London

For further information or an informal conversation about this post please contact

Dr Cheryll Adams on – 07712 678281 or [email protected]

For more details and how to apply

New digital publication for health researchers

The first issue of “The Researcher” has been published.

The digital publication, created for health researchers by health researchers aims to raise awareness of research careers among nurses, midwives and allied health professionals.

HEE, NHS Research and Development North West (NHS R&D NW) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) have worked together with a team of early career researchers and award winning writer Rob Young to produce the magazine which illustrates the real-life stories of what it is like to undertake a research career.

Read the first issue of The Researcher

Cleft lip and palate research

The University of West of England is looking for volunteers to participate in an individual, open-ended interview over the telephone, about your experiences of working with families affected by cleft lip and palate.

Are you a qualified health visitor with experience of working with families affected by cleft lip and palate? For more information about this study, or to express your interest in taking part, please contact Nicola, the lead researcher: [email protected]

Cleft research study ad

Early Intervention Foundation publishes their Foundations for Life research report

EIF - Foundations for Life: What Works to Support Parent Child Interaction in the Early Years

This report seeks to look at the cost effectiveness of different programmes to support the development of healthy attachment. It is hoped to be of value to commissioners trying to decide where to spend their money.

Inevitably it’s been a challenging piece of work to do and some of the conclusions are being seen as controversial. For example, the originator and iHV ambassador of the MESCH programme in the UK, Professors Lynn Kemp and Sarah Cowley respectively, have been very disappointed at the fact that MESCH has been included in the attachment section, whereas it is a broad-based multi-faceted programme delivered as part of a universal service, rather than a targeted programme focused on attachment.

Please see their statement about the MESCH programme here

Dr Cheryll Adams, iHV director said:

“This report must be interpreted with extreme care. It was a very difficult piece of work to embark on and some of the recommendations will be seen as very surprising or disappointing. Indeed, there could even be an interpretation that it challenges the value of universal services, although that wasn’t at all its purpose.

We would challenge the report for promoting the commissioning of early intervention services to respond to overt problems which the EIF identifies as risk. This suggests intervention from age 2-3 years onwards, instead of the health visitor interpretation of early intervention where the recognition of risk is in the first year of life and intervening then when interventions can be most effective.

We must encourage commissioners to invest in services upstream of problems. Even if the evidence for the value of doing this hasn’t been invested in, there is a clear logic that prevention is better than cure. For example, how much better to pick up glue ear affecting hearing early, rather than speech delay and its social and emotional consequences at age 2½.”

We encourage health visitors to read the report and let us and the EIF know their thoughts on its value for strengthening commissioning to improve children’s lives. Also to be ready to challenge inappropriate commissioning decisions based on its findings.

2017 Travelling Fellowships – applications open now

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust 2017 Travelling Fellowships are now open for applications.

A Fellowship allows you to go overseas and look at best practice and innovative programmes so that you can return to the UK and disseminate the new ideas for the improvement of your hospital, organisation or community.

What is a Travelling Fellowship?

The Trust awards travel grants to men and women who will be able to undertake research overseas and on their return to the UK disseminate their new knowledge and examples of best practice.

Applicants must demonstrate that their project will have a wider benefit within their community or field, in addition to their own personal development.

Nursing and Allied Professions category:

The Trust is looking for people who work in health promotion and disease prevention, and those involved in the integration of health and social care. They are particularly interested in applications focused on putting patients first and making the best use of available resources. They also welcome projects on the role and contribution of Nurses and Allied Health Professionals in the delivery and leadership of an effective healthcare system in the UK.

This is a joint project with the Burdett Trust for Nursing, the Royal College of Nursing and FoNS Centre for Nursing Innovation.

Read previous Fellows’ stories and work in this area.

Applications close on 20 September 2016 at 5pm.

Find out more and to apply

New opportunity with iHV – Research Lead

An exciting and unique development opportunity is available with the Institute – Research Lead (Part-time).

We are seeking to appoint a part-time (initially 2 ½ days a week) Research Lead. The Research Lead will take responsibility for the development of a new research department within the iHV and the delivery of the Institute’s research strategy.

The post holder will have a doctorate and be an experienced researcher in the fields of child and public health.

For more details and how to apply