We are absolutely delighted to be presenting our fourth evidence-based practice conference for health visitors and those who work with them, and our first online conference. These are challenging times but we didn’t want you to lose out on all the wonderful content we had pulled together for our conference in May. We have invested heavily in special conference software so that we can offer you all the elements of an enjoyable conference experience. You will have access not only to national speakers, but to a raft of great poster presentations, a conference exhibition, and networking opportunities and more throughout the day. The advantage of going online is that we are not restricted by room size. All our recent conferences have sold out well in advance, but this time we can accept applications from all who would like to participate. We know that one of the challenges of watching things online is maintaining concentration, so the programme has been designed to help you to stay engaged with a full one-day programme spread over two days.
This has been a very challenging year for the country, and for health visiting, as we have all had to change our ways of working to work with the restraints imposed by a pandemic. However, it has also marked 200 years since the birth of Florence Nightingale, a nurse whose practice was grounded in public health. Over the course of the conference, we will embrace both of these significant events. Speakers will share with you new research into the impacts of COVID on your work, and on families, and we have a guest presenter who has researched the links between Florence and early health visiting. But there is much more besides, including papers on innovative health visiting practice.
The Institute is now in its eighth year, and has become a powerful voice for health visiting practice across the UK. Join us on 22nd and 23rd September 2020 and we promise you will leave rejuvenated, well informed with new strategies for practice, and very glad that you decided to take part. After the challenges of the past few months, I know this event will offer you essential time out to reflect and restore. We have a few surprises up our sleeves too which will be revealed later.
Cheryll Adams
Executive Director
Institute of Health Visiting