Health Visiting

A health visitor works with families and young people. The main focus of our work is to promote the health of the whole community by helping people stay healthy and avoid illness.

All families with a child under 5 will be supported by the health visiting who offer help and advice on the following:

• Their child's growth and development
• Common infections and skin problems in childhood
• Behaviour difficulties including: sleeping, eating, potty training, temper tantrums and teething
• Breastfeeding, weaning, healthy eating, hygiene, safety and exercise
• Postnatal depression, bereavement and violence in the family
• Working in partnership with families to tailor health plans to their needs
• Immunisation programmes

Locala Health Visitors deliver an NHS Healthy Child Programme. Which involves the following:

Antenatal visit - Aimed to be carried out from 28 weeks onwards
New Birth visit - Completed within the first month following birth
6-8 week - Continual assessment of the well-being of Mother and Child/ Family
Pre One Year Review - Aimed to be carried out between 7 months and 1 year
Two Year Review - Aimed to be carried out between 2 and 2 and half years

For Clinic Times and Infant Feeding with information on Baby Bistros and Baby Cafes, please click the links on the right.

Family Support

We also offer support to the whole family including:

• Support and reassurance for new fathers about their role
• Give information on local support networks including ante-natal classes, leisure activities, mother and toddler groups etc
• Advice on options for childcare available locally
• Provide support for single parents and parents with learning difficulties
• Referrals to education programmes or support groups and other support services if required
• Advocate on your behalf with a range of other agencies including the local authority, education services, voluntary and charitable organisations

Useful Links

Immunisations - The NHS guide to vaccinations for you and your family.

Locala Immunisation Team - Information about what the Immunisation Team do and how to contact them.

Locala Infant Feeding - Information for parents and professionals about bottle feeding, breastfeeding and solid foods up to 5 years of age.

NHS Choices Weaning - use the search feature in the top right and use the word "Weaning" for a vast array of relevant information.

Northorpe Hall - A Mirfield based childrens mental and emotional health charity.

Safety/Accident Prevention - Advice, information and resources for safety practitioners, parents, teachers and other professionals who work with children about child safety on the road, in the home and at play.

Toilet Training - You'll find potty training tips on each potty training step along the way; whatever potty training problem you might encounter ERIC offers ways to overcome them.

Visual Guide - Childhood Illnesses - A gallery of images showcasing typical childhood conditions and illnesses and how to identify them. NHS Choices.

NSPCC Handle with care - Rough handling of babies can cause serious injuries. Handle with care: a guide to keeping babies safe explains the dangers and gives advice on safe ways of holding and caring for a baby.

Cry-sis - support and information on dealing with crying and sleepless babies. Helpline 7 days per week.

Purple crying – lots of information on normal infant crying patterns

Fatherhood Institute – the benefits of involving fathers in care of their child