Provided by specialist community public health nurses who lead and coordinate the universal Healthy Child programme, which offers expert health assessments, advice, support and interventions to children and families as required in their first years of life.
Our Health Visitors sit at the heart of children’s services and work in close partnership with parents and carers from the antenatal period until school entry.
The team encourages and supports parents and carers to develop life-long skills to enable them to make informed choices that affect their future health and wellbeing.
Our contact details
To see Health Visiting teams and their contact details in your area, click on the links below:
Halton 0-19 Service Update in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic
We have taken advice from the Government, NHS England and Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust which means we are temporarily providing a reduced service. Unfortunately we have therefore had to temporarily suspend all our clinics, developmental reviews, adolescent ‘Drop In’s, group sessions and screening.
Home visits with your Health Visitor, Family Nurse and School Nurse will be undertaken if necessary as long as everyone in the family is well. They will however telephone you before the visit to check that you and every member of your household are free from Covid-19 symptoms. Please also be aware that the member of staff may be wearing personal protective equipment for your safety and that of our staff.
All other contacts will be completed by telephone where possible and we have also introduced two dedicated phone lines for you to ask for advice and support.
01928 593056 for Runcorn clients
0151 495 5200 for Widnes clients
If you are currently supported by one of our Family Nurses and you need to speak to them, we would ask you to contact them as normal on their mobile phone.
We have also set up dedicated email addresses to enable you to contact your 0-19 Teams so we can provide advice and support:
Please also access our Facebook page and our Twitter feed for regular health and well-being information and updates.
Covid-19 and Mental Well-being
Looking after your mental health during the Covid-19 crisis if you are pregnant or a new parent
What we do
Health Visitors are highly skilled in the assessment and coordination of support tailored to individuals and family needs.
Targeted support is also offered for families in special circumstances, e.g. homelessness, domestic violence, travelling families, families who have lost a child through sudden infant death syndrome (cot death), and children with additional needs.
Working closely with a range of partners, the team supports families to seamlessly engage with other health, social and voluntary care services e.g. onward referral to Speech and Language teams.
The team is community based and is accessible across a range of different venues, including the family home, health centres, children’s centres or GP surgeries.
A key focus for the team is to build community capacity by working collaboratively with health, social and voluntary care partners to deliver local public health campaigns and events.
Our local offer for children
Read about our local offer for children, including information on how you can access our Health Visiting Service.
Early years services
The team works with all early years services across Bridgewater’s areas to:
- Promote secure attachment and bonding, positive maternal mental health and parenting skills using evidenced based assessments and effective interventions.
- Lead and coordinate the Healthy Child programme requirements and delivering a comprehensive universal preventative health service for children and young people aged 0-5 years e.g:
– Promoting breastfeeding and safe sleep
– Prevention of childhood obesity
– Improving school readiness
– Accident prevention education
– Advice and support on immunisations - Early identification of developmental and complex health needs referring on for investigation, diagnosis, treatment and support.
- Work in partnership with other key stakeholders to safeguard and protect infants and young children at risk of harm.
Referral route
The service accepts referrals by telephone, email or face to face from:
- Midwifery services
- GPs and other professionals
- Self-referral from parents/carers
- Other statutory and voluntary agencies.
Healthy start vitamins
Warrington
Warrington Healthy Start vitamins tokens can be redeemed at the following venues:
- Bath Street Health and Wellbeing Centre, WA1 1UG
- Birchwood Clinic, Spencer House, 81A Dewhurst Road, WA3 7PG
- The Child Development Centre, Sandy Lane, WA2 9HY
- Penketh Clinic, Honiton Way, WA5 2EY
- Grappenhall Clinic, Springfield Avenue, WA4 2NW
- Great Sankey Children’s Centre, WA5 1SB
- Little Stars Children’s Centre, WA5 0JG
- Sandy Lane Children’s Centre, WA2 9HY
- Sunshine Childrens Centre, WA2 7RQ
- The Orchard Children’s Centre, WA2 0JP
- Westy Children’s Centre, WA4 1RE
Decision tree for healthy start vitamins.
Our leaflets
Healthy eating advice for parents and carers of children aged one to four
Health Visiting’s top six tips to prevent injury
Pregnancy and postnatal mental wellbeing leaflet
Additional leaflets
My pregnancy & post-birth wellbeing plan
Healthy Start vitamins and why you need them
Safe sleep for Babies: a parent’s guide
Useful websites
Bridgewater Family Nurse Partnership
Breastfeeding and Infant Feeding support
Breastfeeding support in Halton
Give us your feedback
Your feedback is important to us and helps us to improve our services here at Bridgewater.
Please tell us about your recent visit or appointment by completing our online Talk to Us form.