National Competency Framework for Health Visiting Teams (Ages 0-5)

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) seeks to develop a national competency framework for Specialist Community Public Health Nurses and skill-mix teams delivering the Healthy Child Programme to children aged 0-5 years. Currently, there is no standardized framework that clearly defines the knowledge, skills, and professional behaviours required across different roles and service levels, leading to inconsistent interpretation and quality assurance of competence across the country. This framework will provide a practical, evidence-based tool that translates national guidance into consistent competency standards, enabling better workforce development, quality assurance, and service commissioning. The successful delivery will establish a shared foundation for managing and improving health visiting services nationally.