Returning to health visiting

The NHS continues to increase the number of health visitors and a clearer definition of the role now makes it easier for other health professionals to understand and value what they do and can bring to the community. This may make it currently more attractive to return to the job you were trained to do.

The enhanced role of health visitor includes:

• leading the delivery of the government initiative, the Healthy Child Programme (HCP)
• being responsible for designing services locally for families
• having the authority to decide, with families, on the level of help and support they need
• playing a key role in the community to improve public health for all

Your skills and experience as a health visitor are highly valued and returning to work has been made as straightforward as possible. Return to Practice (RTP) training courses are available across the country and are individually tailored, according to how long you have been away from health visiting.

You can choose full-time or part-time re-training, usually taking between three and six months to complete. RTP courses vary across the country and each local NHS organisation runs the programme differently. However, some may offer:

• to pay your course fees to be paid
• financial support towards travel, childcare and books (if eligible)
• access to a personal mentor
• supernumerary status (additional to normal staffing levels) on your clinical placements
• both theory and clinical based training

Find out more about health visiting return to practice courses on the Nursing and Midwifery Council website.