Manx Care recently collaborated with the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) to articulate the complexity of the Health Visitor role to families and professionals.
The teams worked together to adapt the iHV infographic ‘Who are health visitors and what do they do?’ to support Manx health visiting practice, enabling Manx Health Visitors to demonstrate the huge range of skills included in the service.
“We often find that many people do not know what our role entails,” commented Rachel Kissack, Health Visitor at Manx Care.
“Our Health Visiting Service follows the national Public Health framework (The Healthy Child Programme), which offers families evidence-based intervention, and allows children and families to achieve their optimum health and wellbeing whilst reducing inequalities.
“All families on the Isle of Man should receive seven mandated universal health visiting contacts, from pregnancy to when their child starts school. Our service is universal in reach and personalised in response, meaning that the workforce can provide additional support and tailor-made interventions for families experiencing challenges.”
Institute of Health Visiting
Manx Care’s Health Visitors work in skill-mix teams, which include school nurses, community staff, nurses, nursery nurses and other support staff.
They improve Public Health outcomes by aiming to give every child the best start in life and beyond; addressing inequalities, building resilience, narrowing the gap in attainment, and working with their partners to improve outcomes for all babies, children (including vulnerable children), and families.
A unique aspect of the Health Visiting Service on the Isle of Man is that it is part of an Integrated Care Group, which allows for collaborative working across all specialisms and professional groups.
These specialisms include Neonatal (inpatient and outreach services), Paediatrics (inpatient, outpatient and community services), Obstetrics and Midwifery, Cervical Screening, Gynaecology (inpatient and outpatient services) and Sexual Health Services.
You can see the infographic in full on the iHV website, and their Manx Care “Voices” blog here.
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