Perceptions of the purpose and value of health visitor baby clinics
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Lay and professional perceptions of the purpose and value of health visitor led child health clinics: How do baby clinics promote positive outcomes for pre-school children?
IRAS ID
219318
Contact name
Joanne Webb
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of The West of England
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 1 days
Research summary
Title: Lay and professional perceptions of the purpose and value of health visitor led child health clinics: How do baby clinics promote positive outcomes for pre-school children?\n\nWhy?\n\nDespite the widespread presence of Health Visitor led Child Health Clinics (also known as ‘Baby Clinics’) across the UK, there is little published research about the service model, its purpose or effectiveness and no national or professional guidance currently exists on their model of delivery (Webb,2016).\n\nThis research therefore aims to address this gap, exploring through semi-structured, individual interviews, both lay and professional perceptions of the purpose and value of baby clinics. \n\nWhat? \n\nIt aims to identify how community based family support at baby clinics promote the health and well being of pre-school children and suggest potential models of delivery which research could focus on in the future, to explore their effectiveness.\n\nWho?\n\nTwo sets of exploratory interviews will be conducted with health professionals and practitioners delivering the clinics and with parents and carers who utilise the baby clinic services. All participants will be recruited through services being delivered by Sirona Care & Health. \n\nWhere?\n\nAll interviews with parents will be conducted in a private room in a mutually agreed local Children’s Centre, with the consent of the centre manager (this will usually be where their baby clinic is delivered. Interviews with staff members will be conducted in a mutually convenient private meeting point, in or near the base they work from.\n\nHow?\n\nData will be collected using informal, semi structured interviews, lasting approximately 30 minutes to one hour, using broad open ended questions in order to encourage the participants to share their own thoughts, definitions and reflections. All data will be anonymised.\n\nReference\n\nWebb, J.M. (2016) A systematic review of the effectiveness of health visitor led child health clinics Journal of Health Visiting 4,9 pp462-471\n
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NW/0073
Date of REC Opinion
9 Feb 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion