Introduction
Family life and bringing up children can be rewarding, but it can also be challenging. Your child’s early years are important and influence their development and future achievements.
Health visitors are nurses or midwives who promote healthy lifestyles and prevent illness. They support families from pregnancy until a child’s fifth birthday. They help you adjust to parenthood and offer advice and reassurance to support your child’s health, wellbeing and development.
Health visiting is a free service. Each family has a named health visitor, although you may sometimes see another team member. Health visitors may work with other professionals and offer extra support if your family needs it.
How Health Visitors can help
Health visitors can support you to make healthy choices for yourself and your family. They work in your local area and may visit you at home or see you in a clinic.
They use the Personal Child Health Record, known as the Red Book. Parents receive it at birth. It includes information on immunisations, developmental checks and general child health. Any health professional involved in your child’s care can record information in it.
Health visitors can help with:
- infant feeding and breastfeeding advice
- child development
- immunisations
- healthy weight and physical activity
- emotional health and wellbeing
- parenting and local support groups
- behaviour
- sleep
They can also signpost you to advice on:
- safeguarding children
- access to education and employment
- smoking, drug and alcohol misuse
- access to housing
- sexual health and contraception
SEND information - part of our Local Offer
Autism and ADHD Pathway Assessments
View the pre-assessment pathway documents for Autism and ADHD .
These documents have been developed in collaboration with education, health and care colleagues as well as parent carers, children and young people. They have been developed to support education settings, practitioners, and parent carers so that everyone better understands the pre-assessment pathway.
Contact the team
ChatHealth – confidential help and advice for parents and carers of under 5s. A safe and easy way to contact your Health Visiting team. Send a text to 07480 635 514.
West Somerset and Taunton
For Taunton, Minehead, Williton and Wellington phone 0300 323 0115 or email tauntonandwestHV@somerset.gov.uk
Sedgemoor
For Bridgwater phone 0300 323 0116 or email DutyBridgwaterHealthVisitor@somerset.gov.uk
North Sedgemoor and West Mendip
- For Glastonbury, Street, Wells, Axbridge and Highbridge phone 0300 790 6836 or email NorthSedgemoorWestMendipHV@somerset.gov.uk
- For Shepton Mallet, Frome, Coleford and Wincanton phone 0300 323 0118 or email EastSomersetHV@somerset.gov.uk
South Somerset
- For Yeovil phone 0300 323 0119 or email YeovilHealthVisitor@somerset.gov.uk
- For Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster phone 0300 790 6839
- For South Petherton and Langport phone 0300 790 6838 or email SouthSomersetHV@somerset.gov.uk