Pre-birth and newborn (0-6 weeks)

• Contact and support from your General Practitioner (GP). Register with a GP on this link.

• Information and access to Healthy Start vitamins will be provided where eligible.

• You will receive support from your midwife during pregnancy, including planning appointments and important health checks and screenings.

• A Health Visitor will be in touch to offer guidance, answer questions, and support you and your baby.

• Your GP, Health Visitor and Midwife will work with you to understand any additional needs or challenges, such as emotional wellbeing around pregnancy and birth, family circumstances, or any safety concerns, so the right help is offered early.

• Where extra support would be helpful, we can make early referrals to:

  • Your local Early Help Best Start Family Hub for practical and emotional support
  • Specialist services, if needed, to ensure you and your family get the right care at the right time

• Support with feeding, weight, sleep, and your baby’s home environment

• Checks on your baby’s physical development and routine health screenings

• Early observation for any signs that may need extra attention, such as tone, feeding, seizures or reflexes.

• A look at how you and your baby are interacting, to support bonding and development

• A first check‑in on mum’s emotional wellbeing

• Signposting to the Early Help Family Hub for extra support if needed

NO: Continue to access universal Health Visiting and Early Help Family Hub services

YES: Access to targeted services listed below:

• Referral to the Early Support team if extra help with development is needed

• Support to see a paediatrician via your GP if there are concerns about development, movement, feeding, or responsiveness

• Babies born before 37 weeks will be supported through the premature baby care pathway

• Referral to Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) for any feeding or communication concerns

• Referral to Audiology if there are any concerns about hearing

• Referral to the Family Hub Early Help service for social or environmental support

• Support from a Special Needs Health Visitor, where available locally

• Early access to Portage services to support learning and development at home, where available

 From 6-8 weeks to 3-4 months