Supporting your emotional wellbeing is vital when working with babies, children, and families. The nature of caring for others can bring both fulfilment and strain, making self-care an essential part of sustaining your ability to help others. Here, you’ll find a range of resources, tools, and support services developed to help health visitors and other professionals reduce stress, build resilience, and nurture their emotional health.
Asking for help
Don’t be afraid to seek help if negative emotions and thoughts are consuming you. It’s the right thing to do. Talk to someone you trust - either a family member, colleague, manager, Occupational Health, The Samaritans or your GP.
iHV Resources
📃 Good Practice Points and Parent Tips
Developed in collaboration with topic experts, health visitors, and other professionals, our resources draw on the latest available evidence at the time of publication. Each resource is produced through a robust quality assurance process and peer reviewed to ensure accuracy, relevance, and strong alignment with health visiting practice.
🎧 Audio Files
Use these clips to give yourself a mindful break in your day to support your emotional wellbeing. Follow the gentle instructions in a quiet place for maximum benefit.
🎧 Introduction to Mindfulness – 4 mins 57 secs | Download here
🎧 Mindfulness for difficult emotions – 8 mins 19 secs | Download here
🎧 Mindfulness for the end of the day – 5 mins 56 secs | Download here
📖 Journal papers:
🔗 The iHV Emotional Wellbeing at Work Champions Programme: Building capacity to protect and enhance the emotional wellbeing of the health visiting workforce in the UK (June 2022) | Access here
🔗 Evaluation of an emotional wellbeing at work programme for supporting health visiting teams during COVID-19 (October 2021) | Access here
🔗 Development of the Emotional Wellbeing at Work Virtual Programme to support UK health visiting teams (December 2020) | Access here
External Resources
Cavell – Supporting the Nursing and Midwifery family through tough times
iHV is delighted to be an official referral partner for Cavell’s Wellbeing Conversations service for nursing and midwifery professionals.
Cavell’s Wellbeing Conversations service offers an impartial, honest and safe space for nursing and midwifery professionals to access non-judgmental, emotional wellbeing support. Through a blend of reflective listening, coaching-style questions, wellbeing guidance and signposting they will be supported to navigate times of stress, uncertainty or overwhelm.
Individuals will be supported by experienced nurses who specialise in Wellbeing support. Access the Wellbeing Conversations Referral Form.
The Cavell’s Wellbeing Conversations service is suitable for:
Nurses, Health Visitors, Midwives, Maternity Support workers and Nursing Associates who:
- Are stressed and would like compassionate, confidential emotional support
- Are willing to explore, and reflect on, current challenges in their personal life and/or work life. This may include remaining in, or returning to, work following illness, stress or life events.
- Would like to find ways to manage stress and improve their wellbeing
- Can commit to 1-hour sessions via Microsoft Teams or telephone (up to 6 sessions)
- Might benefit from signposting to national and local organisations for specific support and advice.