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If you are thinking of becoming a health visitor this information will help prepare you with information and tips for your application and interview
Institute of Health Visiting | c/o Royal Society for Public Health, John Snow House, 59 Mansell Street, London E1 8AN
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Are you thinking about becoming a health visitor? If you love working with young children and their families, are keen to play an active role in your local community and want a career where you can really make a difference then it could be the right path for you! Health visiting is a complicated and demanding profession, but the challenges of this career path are outweighed by its many benefits.
From what to expect a health visitor’s salary to look like, to how to find the best health visitor jobs, here’s everything you need to know about how to become a health visitor:
A health visitor is a healthcare professional that supports new parents, often in their own homes, helping to make the transition to parenthood as easy as possible and ensuring that families with children aged five and below (but often new babies on discharge from hospital) are healthy, happy, and thriving. Health Visitors are usually nurses or midwives that gain additional qualifications in order to take on the greater responsibility of becoming a health visitor.
Health visitors are officially known as specialist community public health nurses (SCPHN) and in order to carry out the role health care professionals must undertake additional training in community public health nursing. Health visitors play a vital role in the lives of parents with young children, establishing relationships with families from every socio-economic group, and they are often the first port of call for all parents of children under five if they have any concerns about their child’s health, development, or general wellbeing. As part of their day-to-day role, health visitors work with children and families in at-risk groups, including but not limited to, travellers, addicts, asylum seekers, refugees and the homeless. The main aim of the health visitor is to give all children in the UK the best possible start to life and therefore the role of a health visitor is vital, as well as being incredibly fulfilling. 90% of a child’s brain development happens before that child is five years old, so supporting a child through those first five years will give a child the best chance of developmental normality, and ultimately success in later life.
As a health visitor, you will typically work a standard 37.5 hours per week, which allows for a good work-life balance. Some evening work at clinics, manning drop-in centres and leading support groups may be required. Part-time and job share opportunities do exist within this profession, as do opportunities to take a career break when needed.
The journey to becoming a health visitor is not an easy one, but it is a career path that is incredibly rewarding for the right person. No two days are the same, you can see the positive impact you are making within your community, and you are able to provide immediate support to children and their parents when they really need it. Here are just some of the personal qualities that you will need if you are thinking of becoming a health visitor:
The role of a health visitor will change from day to day, depending on the unique needs of their clients and, in part, to the age of the children that they are visiting. However, some of the most common roles completed by a health visitor will include:
As most health visitors in the UK work within the NHS, the health visitor salary will be determined by the NHS pay band that they fall under. If you are a newly qualified health visitor, then it is likely that you will fall into band 6 and will be offered a salary of between £32,306 and £39,027. Once you have gained more experience you could progress to a specialist or senior health visitor; at this stage you will fall in NHS band 7 and your health visitor salary will increase to between £40,057 and £45,839.
It’s important to note that these figures are rough approximations rather than precise figures and that varied factors could have an impact on your earning potential. If you live in London, your salary will be subject to London weighting, for example. The number of years experience you have in your field and any additional on-the-job training you undertake could also have an impact on the salary you will receive.
If you are training to become a health visitor then you will receive a training salary, which is slightly less than that offered to a newly qualified health visitor. There are other perks to working for the NHS which should be taken into account: a generous pension scheme, paid sick leave and good maternity benefits, in addition to nationwide discounts from a variety of organisations and corporations.
If you wish to become a health visitor then, before you can begin your training for this role, you will need to be a qualified and registered nurse or midwife. This registration must be logged with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) . If you are not already a registered nurse or midwife, therefore, the route to becoming a health visitor is a relatively long one involving registering onto a specific nursing programme. Depending on the programme you choose (and whether you do this on a part time or full-time basis) it can take anywhere between 16 months and 4 years to gain your nursing qualifications, for example.
If you already have your nursing or midwifery qualification, or once you have secured this qualification, you will need to undertake the health visitor training programme known as the Specialist Community Public Health Nursing – Health Visiting (SCPHN – HV) course. The good news is that there is no requirement to have a certain amount of experience within the nursing or midwifery fields before you start this course, so if you know you want to be a health visitor you can start this programme as soon as your initial training is completed.
The SCPHN – HV training programme courses are degree level courses: you can study for this at either undergraduate or postgraduate level. These courses take 1-2 years to complete (depending on whether you study on a full or part-time basis) and it is only when you have received this qualification that you will be able to begin to work as a health visitor.
If you are a registered nurse or midwife with ambitions to become a health visitor, then it is possible to apply for a specialist community public health nurse (master’s) degree apprenticeship. This is a route to the profession that allows you to both work and earn as you achieve the qualification that you need. It usually takes 18 months to complete, and you will spend 50% of your time on academic study and 50% of your time on work-based learning. Work experience and volunteering are key if you are hoping to gain a position on one of these on-the-job training courses, as they can be incredibly competitive.
As in all medical professions, on the job training is vital when you become a health visitor as it is important to keep up to date with new innovations in the field, as well as new medical advances and practical best practice.
The main professional body you need to be aware of if you wish to be a health visitor is the nursing and midwifery council (NMC), as you cannot practice as a nurse, midwife, or health visitor in the UK unless you are registered with this professional body. To maintain your registration, you’ll have to complete revalidation every three years. In order to have your registration revalidated, you will need to complete at least 450 hours of registered practise and 35 hours of continuing professional development (CPD), which must include 20 hours of participatory learning, during the three years since your membership was last activated.
Membership to the Institute of Health Visiting (IHV) may also be beneficial. This is the professional body dedicated solely to health visiting and their members are offered a wide range of training courses, access to industry-specific research and documentation, and access to a private members area where they can communicate with other experts in their field as well as access webinars that are exclusive to members of the organisation. Joining a professional body dedicated to your specialism is a wonderful way to find out about new training opportunities and continue enhancing your career.
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VIDEO
COMMENTS
Health Visiting Example Application . 2. IN SUPPORT OF YOUR APPLICATION - please read the excellence profile in the guidance document and give us examples from your practice of how your expertise matches the areas below. Please remember this is not a job application, we are not looking
The personal statement gives you the opportunity to present a compelling snapshot of who you are and perhaps why you want to be a doctor. Use your personal statement to say what others can't. The personal statement can be a tricky genre to master. On the one hand, you want to give the admissions committee a sense of your personality and who ...
Health Visitor Personal Statement Examples. Personal profile statement I am a highly motivated. outgoing and dedicated Health Visitor with a passion for supporting and helping people from all ages and a variety of backgrounds. I have worked for more than two years of providing excellent service to patients in hospitals.
One of your references must be your current or former employer, the other can be anyone who has worked with you and knows you well, such as your former manager, teacher, coach, etc. Example: Ms Claire Summers. Health Visitor Manager, Coventry Hospital. Address: 7 Station Road, Coventry, C2 3GF. Tel: 07663576088.
Personal Statement Example #13. Title: A Journey to Geriatric Nursing. My path towards a career in geriatric nursing has been shaped by a unique blend of personal experiences and a deep-seated respect for the elderly. My interest in this field was first sparked during my time as a volunteer at a local nursing home.
Personal Statements. Most applications to health professional programs will require a written personal statement. Though exact prompts will vary depending on the application, your personal statement is typically your first opportunity to share your reasons for pursuing a career in a particular healthcare path with an admissions committee.
To help give you an idea, have a look at our sample supporting statements which have been written to correlate to a sample Person Specification. Follow the order of the Person Specification as much as possible. The samples should be used as a guide only. Your own supporting statement should be structured around the job and person specification ...
Health Visitor Cover Letter Example. Sobhan Mohmand, Career Expert 28 Jun 2020. Dear Mrs Corbin, Re: Health Visitor (Ref: #779L) It is with great interest that I am applying for the Heath Visitor position at Victoria Health Centre. I am convinced, as I hope you will too, that my formal education and work experience is a perfect match for this job.
Health visitors play a vital role in ensuring that every child gets the best possible start in life! And the iHV supports health visitors to do just that! Membership of the iHV is open to anyone working in the area of health visiting. It is a widely recognised mark of commitment to health visiting and brings real professional benefits.
Band 6 Personal Statement Example 2: "As an experienced nurse with a strong passion for patient care since a young age, I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to join the your team. With a solid foundation in various healthcare settings, I possess the skills and knowledge necessary to provide compassionate and evidence-based care.
Before you begin your personal statement, you need to familiarize yourself with the parameters specified by your application. Depending on the application service or school, there are different requirements and expectations for the personal statement. Character Limitations. AMCAS and AACOMAS - 5,300 characters - including spaces
First, if you haven't already, make sure you've joined Nomad for free as either a nurse or doctor. Then follow these quick steps: Go to the "Edit Profile" section on your Profile page, and ...
I currently work as a BAND5 public health nurse for Livewell Southwest, working into a developmental post in January 2023 to begin my health visitor training to then be qualified in December 2023. I absolutely love my job and always admire the Health visitors and I can't wait to finally do what they do one day.
Online Application: Complete the application by entering accurate details about your education, professional background, and contact information. Supporting Details: This is your chance to shine. By demonstrating your suitability for the position and your alignment with NHS values, your supporting statement should support your application and ...
These documents are for higher education institutions to support and inform how they recruit and select students wishing to join health visitor programmes. The documents outline the personal and ...
Entry requirements and training The health visitor training programme is known as the Specialist Community Public Health Nursing - Health Visiting (SCPHN - HV). It is offered at degree or Master's level. You need to be a registered midwife, adult, child, mental health or learning disability nurse to apply. The full time programme is run over 52 weeks, but you may be able to train part time ...
Tu - Th 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm. Clemons Library (2nd floor) Or click here to schedule an appointment now! Your personal statement is an opportunity to set yourself apart from other applicants. It is the portion of the application where you get to discuss who you are and what is important to you, so take advantage of this opportunity!
Writing a health or social care personal statement is an important part of your application process, whether you are applying for a nursing, midwifery or allied health profession course. Health and social care Admissions Tutors and Course Leaders from the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) share their top dos and don'ts:
This is an entry level job. Ella Phoebe is 18 years old. Personal Statement Examples. Example 1: Ella-Phoebe. I am an outgoing person who loves interacting with and helping others. I listen and respond well, I'm reliable and responsible, and I'm a quick learner. I have always been drawn towards a career in care and chose to study Health
Health visitors play a vital role in ensuring that every child gets the best possible start in life! And the iHV supports health visitors to do just that! Membership of the iHV is open to anyone working in the area of health visiting. It is a widely recognised mark of commitment to health visiting and brings real professional benefits.
How Much Does a Health Visitor Earn. As most health visitors in the UK work within the NHS, the health visitor salary will be determined by the NHS pay band that they fall under. If you are a newly qualified health visitor, then it is likely that you will fall into band 6 and will be offered a salary of between £32,306 and £39,027.
3. Gain experience as a nurse or midwife. Before becoming a health visitor, it's a good idea to gain experience working as a nurse or midwife in a hospital or other medical institution. By gaining experience in your role before becoming a health visitor, you can develop your interpersonal skills and technical medical abilities.
Here are some examples of personal and professional statements: 1. Personal statement for a postgraduate programme. Joan David Personal statement for master's programme in Public Policy and Administration London School of Policy 'I held my first textbook when I was a 23-year-old undergraduate.