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Public Health Nursing Service

Welcome to Livewell Southwest
0–19 Public Health Nursing Service

Supporting children, young people, and families from pregnancy through to adulthood.

About Us

 Our 0–19 Public Health Nursing Team includes Health Visitors, School Nurses, and Family Health Workers.

Health Visitors and School Nurses are specially trained Nurses and Midwives who have completed an additional year’s training in Public Health. Alongside our Family Health Workers we are here to support you and your family with your child’s health, wellbeing, and development from pregnancy through to the teenage years.

Leading the delivery of the healthy child programme, we offer advice, support, and guidance to parents and carers, with a focus on early intervention and prevention. We help families get the right support at the right time, ensuring children have the best possible start in life.

As a service we monitor children’s growth and development, and promote healthy lifestyles, good nutrition, and overall wellbeing. By building positive relationships with families, health visitors and school nurses help children learn, thrive, and reach their full potential.

Alongside families we work with schools, early years settings, and other professionals to promote health, support emotional well-being, and to empower families from pregnancy to 19 years of age.

Support Across Age Groups

Health Visiting - Pregnancy to 5 Years

School Nursing - 5 to 11 Years

School Nursing - 11 to 19 Years

School Nursing - Advice for Young People

Who is your School Nurse?

What We Offer, and What to Expect

Antenatal Visit

We’d like to offer you this appointment before your baby arrives — it’s a great opportunity to get to know each other before life gets a little busier!

Pregnancy is an exciting time, but it can also bring questions or worries — and we’re here to help with those.

Your partner, or anyone who supports you, is very welcome to join you.

What to expect at your antenatal appointment

We will talk about:

  • Yours and your partners health and well being
  • Your baby’s health and development; early attachment and bonding
  • Who and where to go for support
  • Looking after yourself and your baby
  • Your support network
  • Changing family life
  • Caring for your baby
  • Infant feeding

And any worries or questions you may have.

Getting to know your Children’s Public Health 0-19 Nursing Service

While you are pregnant your Midwife will be your main contact, however we can still offer additional support if needed.

Once your baby is born your Children’s Public Health 0-19 Nursing Service will be there to support you.

The team is made up of Health Visitors and School Nurses who have had specialist training in working with children and families to assess and support their health and development needs. We also have Family Health Workers who are skilled support staff who can help you with your child’s development and a healthy lifestyle.

Helpful links

Contact the team

Tel: 01752 434008
Email: [email protected]

PHN Admin Team
Mount Gould Admin Block
Mount Gould Hospital
Mount Gould
PL4 7QD

New Birth Visit

Your new birth appointment will be at 10-14 days following your baby’s birth. A Health Visitor from the team will visit you and your family at home and offer you the support you might need and also ensure your new baby is developing as expected. Your partner, or anyone who supports you, is very welcome to be with you.

We complete a Family Health Needs assessment to help establish what support might be beneficial for you and your baby, this may include a growth assessment for your baby and a ‘top to toe’ examination to document any birth marks or provide support with common minor issues in new borns such as ‘sticky eyes’, new born spots and dry skin. Visit our common childhood illnesses page here.

At the new birth visit we also offer a Hearing Screen for your new baby, please click here for more information on how this is completed and what to expect.

What to expect at your new birth visit

We will talk about: 

  • How you are feeling after baby’s birth
  • Yours and your partners health and well being and how you are adjusting to family life
  • Getting to know your baby
  • Infant Feeding
  • Baby safety and safe sleep
  • Baby crying and ICON
  • Protecting your baby from childhood illnesses and vaccinations
  • Your contraception choice
  • Your baby’s health and development; early attachment and bonding
  • Who and where to go for support
  • Looking after yourself and your baby
  • Your support network
  • Changing family life
  • Caring for your baby

And any worries or questions you may have.

Getting to know your Children’s Public Health 0-19 Nursing Service

While you were pregnant and up to the first 28 days of life your Midwife may have been your main contact, however, now your baby is born and over 10-14 days old your Public Health Nursing service will continue this support for you and your family.

The team is made up of Health Visitors and School Nurses who have had specialist training in working with children and families to assess and support their health and development needs. We also have Family Health Workers who are skilled support staff who can help you with your child’s development and a healthy lifestyle.

Helpful links

Contact the team

Tel: 01752 434008
Email: [email protected]

PHN Admin Team
Mount Gould Admin Block
Mount Gould Hospital
Mount Gould
PL4 7QD

6 - 8 week review

At 6 – 8 weeks old a Health Visitor from the team will come and visit you at home.

During this visit we will ask how you and your partner are doing and how any other children in the home are adjusting to having a new baby in the family.

Your Health Visitor will complete a growth assessment by weighing and measuring your baby, to ensure they are growing and developing as expected.

Your partner, or anyone who supports you, is very welcome to be with you at this appointment.

You will also have a GP appointment when your baby turns 6-8 weeks old. To find out more about this review, please click here.

Please also remember to take your baby’s RED BOOK to the appointment.

What to expect at your 6-8 week review

We will talk about:

  • How you and your partner are feeling emotionally and physically
  • Getting to know your baby
  • Infant Feeding and when to wean
  • Baby safety and safe sleep
  • Baby crying and ICON
  • Protecting your baby from childhood illnesses and vaccinations
  • Your contraception choice
  • Your baby’s health and development
  • Who and where to go for support and your support network
  • Caring for your baby
  • And any worries or questions you may have

Helpful links

Contact the team

Tel: 01752 434008

Email: [email protected]

PHN Admin Team
Mount Gould Admin Block
Mount Gould Hospital
Mount Gould
PL4 7QD

9 - 12 month review

At 9 – 12 months old a Health Visitor or Family Health Worker from the team will come and visit you at home or ask you to come and visit us at one of our clinics.

During this visit we will ask how you and your family are doing and answer any questions or concerns you may have about you or your baby.

We will complete a health and development review with your baby, this will also include a growth assessment. Occasionally this might include an ‘Ages and Stages Questionnaire’ (ASQ). We also give out a ‘dental pack’ containing a ‘sippy’ cup, toothbrush and toothpaste. Your partner, or anyone who supports you, is very welcome to be with you at this appointment.

To find out more about the 9-12 month review, please click here.

Please also remember to take your baby’s RED BOOK to the appointment.

To find out more about the ASQ, please click here.

What to expect at your 9-12 month review

We will talk about

  • How you and your partner are feeling emotionally and physically
  • Nutrition
  • Safety in the home
  • Routines
  • Dental Care
  • Sleep
  • Protecting your baby from childhood illnesses and vaccinations
  • Your baby’s health and development
  • Who and where to go for support and your support network
  • And any worries or questions you may have

Getting to know your Children’s Public Health 0-19 Nursing Service

Our team is made up of Health Visitors and School Nurses who have had specialist training in working with children and families to assess and support their health and development needs. We also have Family Health Workers who are skilled support staff who can help you with your child’s development and a healthy lifestyle.

Helpful links

Contact the team

Tel: 01752 434008

Email: [email protected]

PHN Admin Team
Mount Gould Admin Block
Mount Gould Hospital
Mount Gould
PL4 7QD

2 - 2.5 year review

When your child reaches 2 – 2.5 years old you will be sent an Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) and appointment for a Health and Development Review, this will also include a height and weight measurement.

To find out more about ASQ’s, please click here. We ask you to complete this questionnaire about your child’s development and bring it along with you to the Developmental clinic which will be detailed in your letter.

Alternatively, we may complete this appointment in your home or at your child’s nursery. Please also bring your child’s red book.

Your child’s 2 – 2.5 year review will be completed by a Health Visitor or Family Health Worker, sometimes there may also be Nursing students in attendance, please do let us know if you would rather a student was not observing.

During this visit we will ask how you and your family are doing and answer any questions or concerns you may have about you or your child.

Your partner, or anyone who supports you, is very welcome to be with you at this appointment.

 

What to expect at your child’s 2 – 2.5 year review

We will talk about:

  • Your child’s health and development
  • Nutrition
  • Safety in the home
  • Routines
  • Dental Care
  • Sleep
  • Protecting your child from childhood illnesses and vaccinations
  • Behaviour
  • Toilet Training
  • Who and where to go for support and your support network
  • How you and your partner are feeling emotionally and physically
  • And any worries or questions you may have

Getting to know your Children’s Public Health 0 – 19 Nursing Service

Our team is made up of Health Visitors and School Nurses who have had specialist training in working with children and families to assess and support their health and development needs. We also have Family Health Workers who are skilled support staff who can help you with your child’s development and a healthy lifestyle.

Helpful links

Contact the team

Tel: 01752 434008

Email: [email protected]

PHN Admin Team
Mount Gould Admin Block
Mount Gould Hospital
Mount Gould
PL4 7QD

Family health worker support visits

We work with families and predominantly children under the age of 5, supporting in the delivery of the Healthy Child Programme.

Our Family Health Worker’s offer support visits for the following:

  • Sleep
  • Toileting
  • Behaviour
  • Speech
  • Nutrition
  • Breastfeeding
  • Weaning
  • Play
  • Parental support
  • Parental skills
  • Growth assessments
  • Area’s of development following ASQ reviews if concerns arise.

Our Family Health Worker’s also offer Baby Massage in which they are IAIM Instructor Trained.

About Baby Massage – International Association of Infant Massage

If you would like extra support for any of the areas above, please contact your Local Health Visiting Service on 01752 434008.

Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home visiting (MECSH) programme

Parenting can be challenging and some people may need a little more help than others and our Public Health Nursing Service are there to support you.

What is MECSH and how does it work?

MECSH is a voluntary programme which provides you with more visits from your health visitor so you can identify and plan for your baby’s needs, your own needs and your family’s needs together with their support.

Your Health Visitor will share information about your child’s development and give guidance around practical issues. They can also link you to other health and family support services including activities such as parenting groups within your local area.

Visits can also take place in venues other than your own home such as in a park, playground or by phone, if this is mutually agreed.

How many home visits will I receive?

Visits start during pregnancy or soon after your baby is born.

We visit weekly for the first six weeks after your baby is born and then fortnightly until your baby is around three-months old. The visits then become more spaced apart but we will continue to visit until your child celebrates their second birthday.

What to expect at MECSH visits

At each visit you will have the opportunity to talk with the health visitor about how you and your baby are doing and the rest of your family.

Your health visitor will support you and provide you with information on how to care for your baby and how to play and talk with your baby to help them grow and learn. They will also support you to identify and plan for your baby’s needs, and how these needs will change as your baby grows and develops. Each visit will usually take an hour.

Do I have to stay in the programme?

The programme is voluntary and you can change your mind at any time if you want to withdraw from the MECSH programme. During the programme your health visitor will ask questions to find out how you, your baby and family are doing and whether the MECSH programme is helping you.

Your Health Visitor will discuss MECSH in more detail with you at your visits and whether the programme is right for you and your family.

Getting to know your Children’s Public Health 0-19 Nursing Service

Our team is made up of Health Visitors and School Nurses who have had specialist training in working with children and families to assess and support their health and development needs. We also have Family Health Workers who are skilled support staff who can help you with your child’s development and a healthy lifestyle.

Helpful links

Contact the team

Tel: 01752 434008

Email: [email protected]

PHN Admin Team
Mount Gould Admin Block
Mount Gould Hospital
Mount Gould
PL4 7QD

Infant feeding support

At Livewell Southwest we are committed to ensuring you can make an informed choice about the way you choose to feed your baby.

Our Trust are proud to have achieved the Unicef Baby Friendly Initiative full accreditation. This signifies that our health services have successfully implemented the Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) standards, demonstrating excellent practice in supporting infant feeding and parent-infant relationships through rigorous, staged external assessments that include interviewing mothers about their care experiences.

All our Health Visiting staff are trained to support you with feeding, but sometimes new parents need additional support with feeding. So we have a Specialist Infant Feeding Team who have received additional training to support you with more complex issues.

Please click here to view the infant feeding page.

Child health clinic

Our Child Health Clinics provide a welcoming space for parents and carers to speak with a member of our Health Visiting Team about their child’s health, growth, and development.

Whether you have questions about feeding, introducing solid foods, sleep, behaviour, toileting, emotional wellbeing, or your child’s development, we’re here to offer advice, support, and reassurance. We can provide growth reviews, discuss any concerns you may have, and help connect you with additional services and support where needed.

Some of our Health Visitors are also qualified to prescribe treatments for conditions such as eczema and other minor childhood ailments, helping families access timely support when they need it.

Many of our clinics run alongside Latch On infant feeding groups and Family Hub Chatterbox sessions, giving families the opportunity to access support, meet other local parents and carers, and enjoy play and learning opportunities for children in a friendly community setting.

SEND

Additional Needs Pathway

This pathway has been developed to provide a robust offer to parents/carers and children within the Public Health Nursing service who require additional support.  It has been underpinned by the iThrive model and the principles of the graduated response.

  • Graduated Response
  • We identify a lead practitioner.
  • Work in partnership.
  • ‘Getting Help’: A family health worker can offer up to 6-targeted support visits.

Children who are identified as requiring additional support may be offered:

  • Growth reviews.
  • Developmental reviews.
  • Requests for help to specialist services.
  • Requests and support via the SEND pathway.

Resources/information: your health visitor or school nurse can provide helpful resources and information.

Review: reviews will take place if required. This may include an integrated review with the nursery or pre-school.

Communication: we will communicate with families and professionals each step of the way.

Family Nurse Partnership

The Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) is an intensive support programme for girls and women up to age 19 who are pregnant and are sometimes facing a range of difficult circumstances, such as homelessness, social isolation, mental health issues, or unhealthy relationships.

Our Family Nurses build a therapeutic relationship with clients in order to support their transition to parenthood and help young people become the best parents they can be. They focus on every aspect of parenting, from what to expect in pregnancy, infancy and toddlerhood to breastfeeding, smoking cessation, healthy relationships, managing minor illness and reducing accidents, and supporting child development.

The six nurses, a supervisor, and a co-ordinator work with colleagues and agencies across the city including GPs, health visitors, midwives, children’s centres, Incredible Years and more, to give the new mums unprecedented one-to-one support until the child is two.

The FNP programme is delivered by the same nurse throughout, she visits every week for the first four weeks in pregnancy, then fortnightly visits until the baby arrives. Following delivery visits happen weekly for six weeks then fortnightly until baby reaches 21 months. At 21 months, visits are reduced until the child reaches its second birthday.

FNP benefits the wider community by supporting healthier, more resilient families, reducing inequalities, and helping children get the best possible start in life.

You can find out more on our Family Nurse Partnership page or you can follow the team on Instagram @plymouthfnp.

School-based drop-in sessions for 11-19 year olds

We offer confidential 11–19 drop-in sessions with School Nurses in a small number of local schools. These sessions provide a safe space for young people to talk about their health, emotional wellbeing, or any worries they may have. School Nurses can offer advice, reassurance, and practical support, as well as signposting to other services when needed. Availability is currently limited to selected schools, so please check with your school to see if this service is offered.

 

The National Child Measurement Programme

Height and Weight Checks for Reception and Year 6 Children

Each year, schools across England take part in the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP), where children in Reception and Year 6 have their height and weight measured. We understand how important your child’s health is to you, and these measurements help provide a fuller picture of their growth and well-being. This information also helps us support children’s health in the best possible way.

What Happens During the Checks?

Trained health staff from the Plymouth School Nursing Service will carry out the measurements. Your child will be measured fully clothed, but without coats and shoes. We respect every child’s choice, so if your child doesn’t want to take part, they won’t be forced to.

The measurements are done carefully and privately, following your school’s safety guidelines and national health standards. Your child’s information will be confidential; no teachers, other children, or parents will see their results.

What Happens Next?

Your child’s height and weight will be added to their health record, which their GP and other health professionals can access. After removing personal details, the information will be used for national health monitoring.

You will receive a letter with your child’s results and helpful advice on supporting healthy eating and physical activity. If your child’s weight is in a healthy range, no further contact will be made.

If your child’s weight falls outside a healthy range, you might be offered a follow-up phone call to check if you require additional support. It’s entirely up to you whether or not to share this information with your child.

What Can You Do Now?

Health is about more than just weight—many factors influence it. Still, there are simple ways to encourage good health, such as balanced meals, caring for teeth and gums, and keeping active every day.

For helpful tips and local support, please visit the Plymouth NCMP webpage:
https://www.plymouth.gov.uk/national-child-measurement-programme-ncmp

Here you’ll find:

  • Easy ways to eat well and be active
  • Advice on healthy teeth and preventing tooth decay
  • Information on local services for children, young people, and families

Need to Talk?

If you’d like advice or support about your child’s health and growth, please get in touch with your school nurse or GP. You can contact the School Nursing team at 01752 434008 (Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm), use the Chat Health text service, or visit:
https://plymouthonlinedirectory.com/healthandwellbeing/childrenhealthservices/schoolnursingservice

What You Need to Do

  • If you are happy for your child to take part, you don’t need to do anything.
  • If you do NOT want your child to participate, or if your child has a medical condition affecting their height or weight, please let your school know as soon as possible. You can complete an opt-out form.

Thank you for your support with this important programme.

 

iThrive Framework

The Public Health Nursing Service in Plymouth is underpinned by the iThrive framework. iThrive is based upon identifying needs early, being responsive to families and providing help and support where needed.

Families are encouraged to be actively involved and make decisions about the care and support they need.

Contact the team 

 

If you would like to contact a member of our Public Health Nursing team, please phone 01752 434008 or email: [email protected]. 

Alternatively, you can contact us on our confidential text messaging service, Chat Health, details can be found below.