Health visitor : Salary and conditions

• Health visitors are paid on Band 6 of the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale . Newly qualified entrants normally start at £25,528 rising to £34,189 with seniority.
• Team managers and health visitor specialists can earn up to £40,157 per year on Band 7 of the NHS pay scale.
• High cost area supplements are payable for inner London (20% of basic pay), outer London (15%) and fringe areas (5%), subject to minimum and maximum payments.
• Extra allowances can sometimes be earned for additional responsibilities and length of service.
• Working hours are usually 9am to 5pm. However, the job can involve some evening work at clinics, drop-in centres and support groups. Health visitors involved with project work and development activities are required to work the hours dictated by the project.
• The job generally involves home visits to see clients.
• Opportunities exist for career breaks, part-time work and job-sharing as well as bank work.
• At present, men are under-represented in this area of work. The workforce is mainly female.
• Posts are available throughout the UK. There is currently a shortage of NHS health visitors, which has led to a drive to recruit 4,200 more by 2015. Flexible patterns to recruitment and training are being introduced to encourage this. More information is available directly from the NHS Primary Care Trusts .
• Health visitors usually visit clients within a specific geographical area of a primary care trust. They also hold clinics and support groups in regional surgeries, medical centres and community venues such as children's centres, so mobility and a driving licence are essential.
• There is no uniform, but there is a dress code. Most health visitors wear appropriate and comfortable clothing, but casual items such as jeans, trainers and shorts are discouraged.
• Working with families and young children, including those at risk, means that the job can be stressful and challenging. Risk to personal safety may be an issue, depending on the role.
• Travel within a working day is frequent, but absence from home overnight and overseas work or travel is uncommon.

Further information on working conditions can be found at The Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association (CPHVA) and the Nursing Times .