A New Look at Hall 4 – the Early Years – Good Health for Every Child

HEALTH IMPROVEMENT

Positive health improvement information and support are key to the success of achieving a healthy nation. In modern times, these messages are provided through a range of media from internet sites and national TV advertising campaigns to national and locally produced materials, aimed at serving the local population.

Public Health Nurses - Health Visitors are key to the delivery of these messages and to ensuring that the right messages are getting through. As part of the primary healthcare team, Public Health Nurses - Health Visitors should ensure that positive health improvement messages are provided as part of all universal contacts with children and their families. Such information and support should be accessible to individual families and tailored to their needs to ensure improvements in health and wellbeing also contribute to reducing the current inequalities in outcomes for children. By adopting an "asset-based" approach, Public Health Nurses - Health Visitors can build on the existing knowledge and skills of families.

Public Health Nurses - Health Visitors should ensure that they promote the use of materials such as Ready Steady Baby! and Ready Steady Toddler! as a regular reference point for health improvement information and advocate the use of Ready Steady Baby! and Ready Steady Toddler! websites to obtain additional information and support.

Key Recommendations

• Public Health Nurses - Health Visitors should promote materials such as Ready Steady Baby! and Ready Steady Toddler!, play@home, Breastfeeding Off to a Good Start, and Fun First Foods to provide parents with information.
• Public Health Nurses - Health Visitors should ensure that information, resources and support provided are accessible and tailored to meet the needs of individual families.
• Health improvement messages can be provided through a range of sources and NHS Boards should ensure that accessible positive messages and guidance are given to parents/carers.
• Public Health Nurses - Health Visitors should use the 24-30 month review as a key point for the provision of health improvement information and support.