The health visiting teams work with mothers, their families, and community groups to promote the health and wellbeing of children between the antenatal period and the child's 5th year of age.
By helping parents learn and develop the skills required to bring up their children, the health visiting team help give the new generation the best possible start in life.
The health visiting team maintain regular contact with families to help them and their children make the best possible start in life and reach their full potential.
The team provide advice and support in several areas including:
new birth visits, including advice on feeding, weaning and dental health.
physical and developmental checks.
general parenting support.
advice on family health and minor illnesses.
specific support on subjects such as post-natal depression.
deliver immunisation and national screening programmes.
supporting children and families during the transition to school.
Click here to see what is involved in the two-year health review with your health visitor. Two-year-old reviews take place during term time on Monday and Tuesday by appointment at Ethelred Children’s Centre. If your child is two years old and you haven’t been asked to take your child for a review, you need to contact your local Health Visiting Team (they are usually at a medical centre or GP surgery) or ask a member of staff at the Children’s Centre to help you make an appointment.
Check your Child’s Development at 2 Years: This is an outline of the usual developmental progress for a two-year-old child. It is intended as a guideline for parents and it is important to remember that all children are different and children can vary in the age at which they achieve the same skill.
There are five areas looked at: Gross Motor Skills
Walk and run without falling.
Walk upstairs & downstairs holding on and using two feet per step.
Throw a ball forwards without falling over.
Walk into a ball to kick it
Fine Motor Skills
Build a tower of 5-6 bricks.
Imitate a circular scribble and straight line.
Turn the single pages of a book.
Vision
Recognise pictures of animals and everyday objects e.g. cup, apple, banana in picture books.
No squint observed.
Communication & Hearing
Able to name 3-5 pictures or objects.
May have about fifty understandable words and understands more.
Beginning to make little sentences of two words e.g. “mummy’s keys”.
Able to tell you what he or she needs.
Able to carry out simple instructions.
Social Skills & Behaviour
Play with toys meaningfully and in make believe play.
Has little idea of sharing but may be beginning to take turns.
Play alongside other children rather than with them.
Very possessive of own toys.
Drink from a cup and able to feed self with a spoon.
Very curious, tries to investigate everything and has no concept of danger.
Temper tantrums when frustrated but easily distracted.
May have toilet awareness e.g. know when wet or soiled
Safety This is a very exciting time for your child so it is important to be aware of safety. In particular, be aware of your child running away when outside. Children still like to put things in their mouths and drink anything that looks interesting so it is important to keep medicines and household cleaning liquids out of reach: be aware of the dangers of choking.
Why vaccinate your children? As a parent, you may not like seeing your baby or child being given an injection. However, vaccination will help protect them against a range of serious and potentially fatal diseases. There are three good reasons to have your child vaccinated:
vaccinations are quick, safe and extremely effective
once your child has been vaccinated against a disease, their body can fight it off better
if a child isn’t vaccinated, they’re at higher risk of catching – and becoming very ill from – the illness.
There will always be some children who are unavoidably unprotected because: