Health visiting

Health visiting is a universal service for children aged 0 to 5 and their families.

Health Visiting is an essential area of Public Health

Early childhood is when we build the foundation for almost every part of human development, including physical, intellectual, and emotional growth.

Supporting children and families in these early years of life is a vital part of laying positive foundations for future health and wellbeing.

Public Health has a duty to provide public health services for children and young people aged 0 to 19, including key elements of health visiting services

The health visiting service provides universal information, advice and support for children and families from pregnancy up to the age of five years.

All families with babies must be offered five health visitor check-ups with a health visitor before the baby is two and a half years old.

These check-ups happen during pregnancy, then when baby is 14 days, 6 to 8 weeks, 12 months, and two and a half years old.

The support provided by health visiting can be wide ranging, but includes a key focus on a number of priority ‘high-impact’ areas, considered to have a significant impact on children aged 0 to 5 years and their families.

High impact areas

• Parenthood and the early weeks
• Maternal mental health
• Breastfeeding
• Healthy weight
• Minor illnesses and accidents
• Healthy two year olds and getting ready for school

Health visitors also play a critical role in identifying and engaging those children and families that may need extra support as a result of personal circumstances or health needs, for whom a more targeted offer is available.

Health Visiting is an area of Public Health focus in Havering

Key facts

• In 2024/25, 86 percent of infants in Havering were assessed as achieving a ‘good level of development’ at their 2 and a half year review, based on their progress against age appropriate milestones. Improving the number of children achieving a good level of development by the time they start school is a key Government commitment, to which health visiting makes a vital contribution in terms of early identification and onward support.
• In 2023/24, 27.5 percent of five year olds in Havering had visibly obvious signs of dental decay. Health visitors can support families in developing positive habits in relation to healthy eating, personal care and help seeking behaviour.
• 93 (3.2 percent) of babies born in Havering in 2024/25 were born to mothers that smoke. Through routine antenatal contact, health visitors have the opportunity to support people to have as healthy a pregnancy as possible, which improves outcomes for both mothers and babies.

What we do in Havering

Public Health are responsible for the commissioning and contract management of the health visiting service, working collaboratively with the service provider, North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT) and wider partners to support service development and improvements.

NELFT also works with local professionals and agencies to support children and families in Havering and responds to local need and priorities. Read more about the NELFT offer.

Havering’s health visiting service is integrated with the local school nursing service, to ensure effective transition between services once children reach the age of five.

The health visiting service plays an important role in the delivery of Havering's Happy Healthy Lives Plan (2024-27) ambition of enabling our children and families to lead happy, healthy lives, as well as the local implementation of the Government’s new Families First Partnership programme.

How you can make a change

• Promote the full range of services offered by the Havering health visiting team to local families with children aged five years and under.
• Encourage families to take up the offer of the five health and development reviews.
• Contact the health visiting service through the NELFT 0 to 19 single point of contact in the event of any health and wellbeing concerns: Call: 0300 300 1635 (Monday to Friday 9am tp 5pm); Email: havering0-19SPA@nelft.nhs.uk.