Service detail

Health visitors are registered nurses or midwives with a specialist qualification in public health. They work with families who have children between the ages of 0-5. 

Our health visitors are based across five hubs in the community: Downham Health and Leisure Centre, Honor Oak Health Centre, Sydenham Green Health Centre, Bellingham Children’s Centre and Lee Health Centre.

We see families that live in the Lewisham borough. Services for families that live in the Royal Borough of Greenwich are run by Bromley Healthcare.

We support families with children from birth until five. As part of the Healthy Child programme, our first contact to all families is around 28- 30 weeks to offer an online antenatal contact, followed by a home new birth visit between seven and 14 days following the birth of their baby.

We offer four follow-up contacts with all families, which may be provided by our team;

• A clinic contact at 6-8 weeks
• An online health promotion contact at 4-6 months
• A universal child health development review at 7-11 months
• A further health development review at  2-2 ½ years.

If families require extra support, we provide a more intensive targeted service or they may be offered our Maternal early childhood sustained home visiting service (MECSH).

Our service runs Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Where we are based

We run community child health clinics in children’s centres, health and leisure centres and GP practices across the borough.

At these clinics, we weigh under-fives and provide advice and support for families on all aspects of healthy living and parenting. Additional groups include breast feeding hubs and domestic violence ‘Freedom’ programme groups.

Safeguarding children

Some families may require additional support and our aim is to ensure families receive the right support at the right time to protect children from any harm.