INVERCLYDE’S health visiting team has developed an innovative app to make life easier for new parents.
The resource has all health information given to parents on a user-friendly platform. It also cuts down on the amount of paper given to new parents and means they can access advice and support day and night.
‘Happy Healthy Tots’ is available through the Right Decisions app and is tailored to give information depending on their postcode. Like the health visiting team, it has information to support babies from 10 days old through to starting school.
The idea was pursued and developed by Laura Gordon, Inverclyde health visiting team leader, and has been adopted by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, with input from all six local authorities covered by the health board.
Parents and families can download the app and access it when needed without needing to be online. Users can input their postcode to see information on services, groups and support in their area.
It has useful information on a range of subjects such as the health visiting service, feeding children, parental health and wellbeing and children’s emotional wellbeing. The app is written so that the information is easy to understand and it includes videos. It’s safe and secure and can be updated easily. It can also be translated into 12 different languages and the text made bigger.
Councillor Robert Moran, leader of Inverclyde Council, said: “I’d like to congratulate Inverclyde health visiting team on this innovative piece of work.
“This is available to all parents and families across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde but the idea and development came from our team in Inverclyde.
“It’s a clever idea and means parents can get information as and when they need it, whether that’s in the middle of the night feeding their baby, or when they’re out and about and don’t have the leaflet to hand.
“Other family members can also access it to get the most up to date information as we know these things are always changing.
“I’m sure this app will make a big difference to new parents and I wish it every success.”
Inverclyde health visiting team has pioneered sharing information over its Facebook, X and Instagram accounts for the last four years and have more than 5,000 followers.
Initially developed as a priority during the covid pandemic to provide parents and carers with reliable and safe information, their social media feeds have posts to support mental health, the health and development of children, community engagement and safety of children.
