The Institute of Health Visiting is excited to offer the iHV Genomics Ambassadors training programme; designed to improve health visitor knowledge and understanding of genomics when delivering universal health visiting services.

Why Genomics?

Genomics is a rapidly growing area of medicine and has become an important part of mainstream healthcare. It is increasingly important that health visitors use knowledge of genomics when supporting families in their care. The need to apply knowledge and understanding of genomics in health visiting practice and demonstrate continued professional development is set out in the NMC 2022 standards of proficiency for specialist community public health nurses (SCPHN). SCPHNs are expected to demonstrate a commitment to these standards (in addition to the NMC Code) when applying for revalidation of SCPHN health visitor NMC registration.

The iHV is partnering with the NHS England Genomics Education Programme team (formerly Genomics Education Programme GEP) to support health visitors to embed genomics into their daily roles of prevention and early intervention while working in partnership with families to positively influence and improve outcomes for babies and children.

Ambassadors training

Aim

To enable health visitors to become iHV Ambassadors in genomics, equipped with knowledge and understanding to become place-based leaders in raising awareness of genomics.

Learning outcomes

To equip health visitors with relevant knowledge and understanding of genomics
Enable health visitors to apply and promote genomics in their everyday practice
Support health visitors to become place-based leaders, with tools and learning resources to:
- raise awareness of genomics within health visiting localities
- connect with wider genomic provision in the NHS
- continue professional development in genomics.