Health Visitor

Go back Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Health Visitor The closing date is 02 March 2026

Our developing Health Visiting Service has undergone a recent service transformation that has been recognised both locally and nationally as an exemplar of good practice through its commitment to early intervention and prevention.

We are looking to recruit forward thinking practitioners who are keen to embrace change and can exemplify the following essential activities in their work with families: This is a fixed term post to cover maternity leave

• Being supportive (to sustain, encourage and care)
• Being connected and facilitative (Build therapeutic relationships)
• Being influential (to inspire and to change)
• Being purposeful (to be focused, determined and persistent)

If you are the candidate we are looking for you will possess the following qualities:

• Respect and interest in parents
• Empathy and understanding
• Personal strength, integrity and humility
• Prepared to invest time effort and emotional energy.
• Being trustworthy, reliable and consistent in word and deed.

Main duties of the job The successful candidates will join one of our locality teams in Blackpool to deliver the Healthy Child Programme to the 0 - 5yrs population. You will have an identified caseload but may also be required to work at other locations to support equitable service delivery across the locality.

We are a service committed to early intervention and prevention and have clear antenatal and perinatal/maternal mental health pathways established. We deliver an evidence based universal antenatal programme, Baby Steps, delivered during the day and some evenings. There is an expectation that the post holder would deliver the programme following training and in partnership with Better Start.

You will benefit from an excellent training package unique to Blackpool which includes Adverse Childhood Experiences, Behavioural Activation and a new and effective model of restorative supervision.

About us Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is situated on the west coast of Lancashire and offers a full range of District Hospital services and Community Health services to this population.

Commitment to undertake ongoing in-service training and development is essential. You should be motivated, keen to learn and ready to embrace change. Our commitment to you is to provide the environment for this to happen an ensure that you are part of a defined preceptorship programme.

If you are motivated to deliver high standards of care and have the personal qualities and characteristics as outlined in the Blackpool person then this could be the post for you.

Job responsibilities

• Communicate professional accountable opinion in child protection cases, in multidisciplinary case conferences and during legal proceedings where the Health Visitor is a key participant in the decision making process, which can lead to life changing circumstances for families where professional opinion may differ from other agencies.
• Respond to frequent unpredictable situations or crises utilising professional skills, knowledge and expertise. This includes those service users who are hostile to input e.g. where client cannot accept or admit issues e.g. parenting, domestic violence, aggression, mental health.
• Following referral from clients, statutory, non-statutory agencies and the voluntary sector undertake health needs assessments, initiating packages of care, monitoring and evaluating outcomes.
• Referrals to statutory and voluntary agencies will be made in line with the health needs assessment and the practitioners professional judgement.
• Communicate identified needs to client/carer where the subject is emotive or there are barriers to acceptance/understanding e.g. English is not first language, understanding is limited, or cases of child protection.
• As a prescriber diagnose and prescribe treatment for a range of conditions referring to medical practitioner if required.
• Adhere to Trust policies, guidelines and protocols.
• Adhere to NMC professional guidelines.
• Maintain contemporaneous and accurate written and/or electronic records. Following training, use I.T. skills to complete electronic record system e.g. templates, child protection information.
• Health needs should be addressed and prioritised utilizing innovative and creative evidence based practice e.g. Baby Steps Programme, New Born Behavioural Observation, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Perinatal and Infant Mental Health.
• To assess, analyse and interpret confusing, complex and contentious evidence to decide an appropriate outcome e.g. family dispute cases, domestic violence.
• Provide child health surveillance in line with the Healthy Child Programme 0 5yrs interpreting results and referring if necessary.
• Utilise skills to build on the capacity of parents to meet the needs of their children via one to one anticipatory guidance and reference to appropriate local service.
• Provide and co-ordinate care plans for children with a range of needs which may be complex, including those receiving multiple interventions. e.g. speech and language development, oral health.
• Assess, identify, evaluate and measure outcomes of intervention and reassess effectiveness, based on evidence based practice.
• Triage minor illnesses providing advice and management, based on clinical assessment and, where appropriate, prescribe treatment. Organisational
• Working in partnership with statutory and voluntary agencies, plan, deliver and evaluate care, utilising the Early Help Assessment process where applicable, to improve the longterm outcomes for all service users e.g. Better Start, Social Services, Childrens Centres, NSPCC.
• Implement the public health agenda, facilitating change to meet the needs of the target population e.g. communication, nutrition, early intervention and behaviour management.
• Analyse community and environmental issues, including local surveys that may affect the health of communities. Liaise and work with statutory and/or voluntary agencies to implement initiatives to manage the situation.
• Influence, participate in and provide a clinical perspective in the development of Trust clinical policies, guidelines and protocols. Influence, participate in, inform and provide a service perspective to local working parties e.g. Neighbourhood working.
• Take responsibility for the initiation, development and participation in the provision of public health programmes for service users in line with local and national targets.
• Record health/social/environmental data, including that obtained from multiple sources, to inform planning and community profiles.
• Facilitate multi-agency/disciplinary team meetings e.g. Children and Families with Complex Needs.

Management

• Contribute to local community developments and Health Visiting Team objectives by working in partnership with other agencies.
• Identify, initiate, plan and organise own workloads with regard to local health needs, priorities and the NHS plan adapting to changing government initiatives and the public health agenda. These will be determined by the local delivery plan.
• Will be responsible for the delegation and co-ordination of work within the skill mix team.
• Will share information having regard to the best interest of the service user e.g.

Safeguarding

• As an autonomous practitioner prioritise workload, time and caseload effectively being aware of the frequent interruptions which occur and making unpredictable changes necessary.
• To act as a Mentor to pre and post registration students and preceptor to newly qualified Health Visitors to consolidate their training and support their professional development.
• With additional specialist knowledge and training will act as peer supervisors for other health professionals regarding safeguarding. This will include the use of a 4x4x4 supervision model.
• Attend staff and HV Team meetings; ensuring other members of the skill mix team participate as necessary. To cascade information to those unable to attend.
• To be responsible for the day to day management of support staff, including work allocation, delegation and monitoring.
• To act as a lone worker assessing and evaluating the risks and using Trust lone worker systems.
• Identify and address shortfall in service provision informing line manager when necessary.
• Provide service support during periods of sickness and absence to other Health Visiting teams.
• Following appropriate training undertake staff appraisal within the skill mix team ensuring completion of the personal development plan (PDP).
• Co-operate with the Trust to ensure all members of the team are aware of statutory regulations/policies and codes of practice and departmental safety rules.
• Using professionally accountable knowledge and skills assist other agencies/professions to raise their awareness of their own professional roles and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding.
• To participate in the recruitment of team members through the interview process e.g. Nursery Nurses and Admin staff.
• Attend first visits without knowing the health and safety risks involved and undertake a risk assessment if necessary in order to protect oneself and the team from potential harm while assuring quality of care.

Professional

• To participate in annual performance reviews and monthly 4x4x4 supervision.
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