Shape of Caring Position Statement

The iHV responds to HEE Shape of Caring Review (Willis, 2015).

iHV responds to Law Commission Report

The Institute of Health Visiting believes that the profession of health visiting should be fully regulated in statute to protect the public.

Health Visitors wearing uniform

Some health visiting services are now being managed by hospital trusts and some of these employers have decided that their health visitors should be wear nursing uniforms despite their very different professional role.

Health Visitor Education

The iHV has written this position statement on their views on what the future of health visitor education should look like and in particular how it could be strengthened but also what the blocks to doing that are

7th Annual Report

It is time to look forward and lay the foundations for a new future for health visiting. We have worked hard with many partners to deliver our evidence-based Vision for the profession and are thrilled by how well it has been received across the system. We are now working across government to seek support for its implementation. The evidence is stark, health visiting does deliver clear public health outcomes in at least fifteen priority areas for children. Stay close – together we can create a better future for babies, children and their families.

6th Annual Report

Institute has been working hard behind the scenes to raise the concerns of English health visitors, and those of the Institute, regarding the measurable effects of reduced public health budgets on outcomes for all young children and their families. As a result, our voice has been heard by health visiting’s many friends in Parliament, partner organisations, by journalists and by the public.

5th Annual Report

As the Institute celebrates its 5th year, our team continues to develop and grow, and as a result increase their contributions and impact on the Institute’s core business of improving outcomes for children and families.

We remain endlessly impressed and proud by the work of our amazing members and all that they do everyday. Despite sometimes challenging circumstances, they still give their all to make a difference to children, families and communities.

4th Annual Report

As we celebrate our fourth birthday, we wonder where four years have gone!
Thank you to each and every one of you who have helped make the Institute the organisation it is today. Without you we could never have got so far, so fast.

3rd Annual Report

2nd Annual Report

1st Annual Report

State of Health Visiting Annual Survey - 2019

This latest publication from the Institute of Health Visiting presents the findings from an annual health visiting survey completed in November 2019. This latest survey was responded to by 1209 health visitors in the UK, of whom 1040 were working in practice roles. The annual nature of this survey, and the fact that many questions have been repeated in an identical format, year on year, enables a “temperature check” to see how we are doing and the identification of trends by comparisons over time.

State of Health Visiting Annual Survey - 2019

State of Health Visiting Annual Survey - 2018

For the last six years the Institute of Health Visiting has surveyed its members on the ‘State of Health Visiting’. Here we report some of the findings from our 2018 survey of over 1200 health visitors and compare them to what health visitors told us in 2015 when their commissioning arrangements were moved from the NHS to Local Authority.

State of Health Visiting Annual Survey - 2018

State of Health Visiting Annual Survey - 2017

For the last five years, the Institute of Health Visiting has surveyed its members on the ‘State of Health Visiting’. Here, we report some of the findings of our most recent UK-wide survey, which had a response rate of over 1400 health visitors.

State of Health Visiting Annual Survey - 2017

State of Health Visiting Survey 2016

In November 2016, the iHV surveyed its Associates, yielding over 1220 responses from front-line health visitors.

This is the fourth annual survey covering the high-water mark in 2015 of the last government’s Health Visitor Implementation Plan: A Call to Action (Department of Health, 2011) and what has happened since. That Plan aimed to grow the workforce in England by 4,200 to modernise the workforce; and to transform the service in readiness for local authority commissioning and integration with other local children’s services.

State of Health Visiting Survey 2016

Health visiting during COVID-19: An iHV report (April 2020)

On 2 April 2020, the Institute of Health Visiting contacted health visitors through the iHV open Facebook page in an attempt to understand the impact that COVID-19 was having on their practice and the families on their caseloads.

Health visitors were asked to respond to two questions. Responses were received from across the UK and the data from all sources were included in this rapid qualitative analysis and identification of key themes. Based on these key themes, the Institute of Health Visiting made recommendations to support the health visiting workforce maximise their contribution and impact as part of the wider COVID-19 response.

Health visiting during COVID-19: An iHV report

Voices from practice (July 2018)

A snapshot of first hand experiences from health visiting services under pressure,
demonstrating the impacts of cuts to public health budgets on the health visiting workforce and the services that they deliver for babies, children and their families.

Voices from practice