Who we are – Our Purpose
As an independent charity and professional body, the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) leads excellence in health visiting to improve health outcomes, and works with others to reduce inequalities for babies, children, families and communities.
Need, Vision and Values
In the context of deteriorating child and family health, widening health inequalities, and increased demand for health visiting support outstripping supply, we are committed to achieving the urgent change needed to turn this around.
We believe in a better future and that change is possible – underpinned by global evidence on the importance of prevention and early intervention in the earliest years and a deep-rooted belief that health inequalities are not inevitable.
We work with partners to influence policies affecting health, drive lasting improvements and act as a voice for our profession – driven by our shared vision that every baby and child in the UK has the best possible start in life, supported by a universal, accessible and high-quality health visiting service. And we won’t stop!
We believe that health visiting is an important part of the solution to improving public health outcomes for babies, children, families and communities. When appropriately resourced and well-led, health visiting provides a vital infrastructure of support that is central to improving health and reducing inequalities.
We are committed to ensuring the highest standards of education, learning and development, innovation and research, and professional leadership, to support evidence-driven practice and enable world-class health visiting. We know that health visiting leaders flourish in an environment of academic and professional excellence.
We are committed to the active promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion in everything that we do. We want to enable an organisational culture that values diversity and we are committed to eliminating unlawful discrimination.
Our Strategic Priorities
Our work encompasses the full spectrum of health visiting policy and practice, learning and development, and innovation and research - giving us a unique and distinctive understanding of the strategic context for health visiting as it stands today and as it evolves for the future. We direct our efforts where they can create the greatest impact, guided by a business plan built around four core priorities:
- Influence policy to improve health, reduce inequalities and strengthen health visiting
- Support innovation, research and quality improvement in health visiting
- Build professional skills and knowledge to enhance health visiting workforce capability and leadership development
- Grow, sustain and support our membership and meet their needs.
We are committed to bringing our vision and values to life in everything we do. This means embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our work; championing sustainability for a better future; upholding the highest standards of governance; and fostering a culture where people feel valued, supported, and inspired. By doing so, we aim to create an organisation that not only delivers on its strategic priorities but is also a truly great place to be part of.
