Health Visiting (Crossgar) - South Eastern Trust

The Health Visiting Service
The aim of the Health Visiting service is to promote the health of the whole community and to help in promoting healthy lifestyles addressing concerns about physical and mental well being.
All Health Visitors are qualified nurses or midwives, with additional special training and experience in child health, and health promotion and education. We offer practical support and advice in a host of diverse situations. We can be found at your local GP surgery working alongside practice staff, or at the local health centre or child health clinic.
The health of your baby or young child
Every family with children under 5 has a named Health Visitor who can advise on everyday difficulties such as teething, behaviour and sleeping problems, feeding as well as immunisation programmes, parenting classes, managing difficult behaviour and any special needs your child may have.
Parenting and supporting young families
Health Visitors can
advise on employment and benefit rights
support fathers-to-be and reassure new fathers about their role.
Give information on local support networks including ante-natal classes, breast feeding support, leisure activities, mother and toddler groups, etc.
Advise on options for child care available locally.
Your emotional well-being
Health Visitors can point the way to specialist help, should you be coping with problems such as post natal depression; unemployment; a recent bereavement; serious illness; an unhappy or violent relationship; family conflicts; disability or settling into a new culture if you have recently arrived from abroad.
Living a healthy life
Health Visitors can provide practical advice on how to stay healthy. They also run health promotion groups including quit smoking groups, keep-fit, parenting and baby massage groups and parenting groups