The iHV is committed to raising the profile of health visiting and supporting excellence in practice – and this includes strengthening health visiting leadership. The evidence is profound that good leaders are the backbone of great services – in a changing world, they provide direction, shape culture, build trust, and help teams navigate challenges and opportunities with purpose. Great leaders are inclusive, they take others with them, foster belonging, amplify voices and turn shared hopes into action.
Applications are now closed for our new and prestigious The Dame Elizabeth Fradd Leadership Programme: iHV Fellows 2025/26 cohort. The next cohort of this 12-month programme is scheduled to start in autumn 2027 (with call for applications expected to commence in early 2027).
This programme offers the only UK-wide fellowship training dedicated to investing in health visitor leadership.
Becoming a Fellow of the Institute of Health Visiting provides:
- Well-deserved recognition of an individual’s achievements as a health visiting leader
- A fantastic programme to support further leadership development
- The opportunity to join a vibrant Fellows’ community of changemakers and aspirational health visiting leaders from across the UK
- All successful candidates with a scholarship award which covers 75% of the costs of the Fellowship programme
Successful Fellows will proudly represent the best of health visiting and, in doing so, do justice to the legacy of Dame Elizabeth Fradd, one of the most influential senior nurse and health visitor leaders in recent times.
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In a changing world, we need strong health visiting leaders more than ever to lead our profession now, and in the future – if you are a changemaker and want to develop yourself, learn from others and be part of shaping the future of health visiting, I strongly encourage you to apply!
Alison Morton OBE, iHV CEO
⌛ Duration: 12 months
▶️ Start: September 2027
📌 Delivery: Blended
📃 Applications: due to open early 2027
The iHV is the UK’s leading professional organisation for health visitors. Training developed and provided by the iHV is specific to the needs of the health visiting workforce and their roles with babies, children, families and communities. The Dame Elizabeth Fradd Leadership Programme: iHV Fellows is no exception. It provides a unique experience in leadership for health visitors – focused on each candidate’s potential, so they can equip themselves and be ready to realise their ambitions as health visiting leaders.
This Programme has been developed in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders who share a vision of strong health visitor leadership, focused on supporting the wider workforce and its responsibility to babies, children, families, and communities. While it invests in individuals, the Programme’s aim is to strengthen collaborative leadership across the system. Fellows will remain based in their home organisations and will design development plans tailored to their organisation’s current and future needs.
The Programme is aimed at aspirational health visitors with an ambition to realise their potential as leaders and advocates for the profession, ready to ‘make waves’.
Successful candidates will need to demonstrate their leadership qualities and achievements in their career so far, providing evidence of the significant and ongoing contribution that they have personally made to the advancement of excellence in health visiting. They will be committed to their own personal development and strengthening health visiting in the UK – proactive in seeking solutions, navigating complexity using evidence, innovation and creativity.
This Programme is for individuals who are excited about the power of health visiting services based on the principles of proportionate universalism, reaching all families with babies and young children to improve health and reduce inequalities.
Those eligible for The Dame Elizabeth Fradd Leadership Programme: iHV Fellows programme need to be:
- iHV members
- NMC registrants as SCPHN – health visitors
- Able to meet the criteria for the Programme (these are published with the launch of the programme).
By joining the Programme, candidates will be supported to build confidence and leadership capability with three programme phases focused on: “Understanding my potential”, “Equipping myself” and “Realising my ambition”. Candidates will have access to experts in health visiting, will meet inspirational leaders, and work with professional coaches dedicated to aid their development.
The 12-month Fellowship Programme will include a number of in-person workshops (including 2 days residential), online sessions and guided study exercises.
There will be opportunities for coaching, mentorship, shadowing and skills development for collaborative leadership practice. Time will be given to explore personal capabilities and development plans, as well as expanding knowledge and skills for shaping policy and infrastructure for health visiting.
This new Fellowship Programme has been made possible with thanks to the generous funding from the Dame Elizabeth Fradd Memorial Fund, overseen by the Worshipful Company of Needlemakers, the KPMG Foundation’s 25@25 special grants initiative, and the Institute of Health Visiting.
All successful applicants will be awarded a scholarship to cover 75% of the programme fees. Candidates will need to provide evidence of support from their executive sponsor for the duration of the programme and beyond, including confirmation of their commitment to fund the remaining financial costs, plus additional personal travel and accommodation costs outside the 2-day residential retreat.