Health visitor

Career path and progression

With experience you could:

• specialise in an area like working with teenage parents or people that need mental health support
• progress to team manager, community matron or a healthcare management role
• move into education, training or academic research

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

• sensitivity and understanding
• active listening skills
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to understand people’s reactions
• knowledge of psychology
• the ability to use your initiative
• to be flexible and open to change
• administration skills
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks

Related subjects

Most relevant

• Biology - Health visitors need a thorough understanding of child development, nutrition, and how the human body grows and changes in the first five years of life. They advise parents on topics like feeding, immunisation, and illness prevention, all of which are grounded in biological knowledge.
• Psychology - Health visitors assess children's emotional and behavioural development and support parents who may be struggling with their mental health. Understanding attachment theory, child psychology, and how to recognise signs of distress is central to their daily work.
• Sociology - Health visitors work with families from diverse backgrounds and need to understand how factors like poverty, housing, and social inequality affect health outcomes. They also work alongside social services to safeguard children, which requires an understanding of how communities and social structures function.
• English Language - Health visitors communicate complex health information to parents in a way that is clear and reassuring. They also write detailed reports, keep accurate records, and liaise with other professionals – all of which require strong written and spoken communication skills.

Also relevant

• Food Preparation and Nutrition - Health visitors advise parents on infant feeding, weaning, and healthy eating for young children. Understanding nutrition – including what nutrients children need at different stages – helps them give practical, evidence-based guidance to families.
• Physical Education - Health visitors promote healthy, active lifestyles for families with young children. Understanding how physical activity supports children's growth, motor development, and overall wellbeing helps them encourage parents to build movement into daily routines.
• Chemistry - Health visitors need to understand how medicines, vaccines, and common household substances interact with the body. A foundation in chemistry supports their knowledge of immunisation programmes and helps them advise parents on safety around chemicals in the home.
• Mathematics - Health visitors use maths when interpreting growth charts, tracking developmental milestones against expected ranges, and understanding health statistics for the communities they serve. Accurate measurement and data interpretation are part of their routine assessments.