Unite Community Practitioners' & Health Visitors' Association (CPHVA)

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Unite Community Practitioners' & Health Visitors' Association (CPHVA)

Welcome to the page of Unite/Community Practitioners' & Health Visitors' Association. We've done this since 1896.

CPHVA is the UK's leading professional organisation representing health visitors, school nurses, nursery nurses and other community nurses working in primary care. CPHVA is a section of Unite the Union which is the largest union in the UK.

12/08/2025

Are you coming to our CPHVA Conference 2025 in Bristol?

Remember if you are thinking about joining us the early bird promotion finishes at the end of this month.

Book Now - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/unite-cphva-annual-professional-conference-5th-6th-november-2025-tickets-1286437251449

17/07/2025

🎤 We’re thrilled to welcome Derek Mowbray, expert in organisational health & creator of the Manager’s Code, to ! Get ready to be inspired on resilient leadership & workplace wellbeing. 💼🧠

Sign up to the conference here - https://bit.ly/cphva2025

03/07/2025

🎉 CPHVA Annual Professional Conference 2025 – Tickets Now On Sale! 🎉
📅 5–6 November 2025
📍 Novotel Bristol Centre

Join us for two powerful days of learning, networking, and inspiration at . This year’s theme:
“The Importance of Public Health – Early Steps to Strong Futures” 💬

👩‍⚕️ Connect with health visitors, school nurses, and public health professionals from across the UK.
🎤 Hear from leading voices in policy, practice, and research.
📚 Earn CPD and gain practical insights to shape the future of community health.

🎟️ Early Bird tickets available until 31 August – don’t miss out!
📲 Book now: https://bit.ly/cphva2025

Let’s shape stronger futures together.

06/06/2025

🎉 CPHVA Annual Professional Conference 2025 – TICKETS ON SALE NOW! 🎉
🔗 Book now: https://bit.ly/cphva2025

📍 5–6 November | Novotel Bristol Centre

🎟️ Early Bird Rates (until 31 Aug):
👩‍⚕️ Members: £75 single | £150 both days
🙋‍♀️ Non-Members: £120 single | £240 both days
👶 Community Nursery Nurses: £50 | £100
🎓 Students: £20 | £40

📣 Standard rates apply after 31 August
💬 Theme: The Importance of Public Health – Early Steps to Strong Futures

🔗 Book now: https://bit.ly/cphva2025

Community Practitioner

12/02/2025

episode 173 - Substance use in nurse education
On this weeks we're joined by guest Dr Natalie Finch. Natalie is talking about substance use in nurse education.
You can join in the discussion by commenting on the Facebook Live chat or by tweeting and including the hashtag .
NF: Natalie is a registered mental health nurse. Her clinical background is in co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders. Natalie currently works as an Assistant Professor at the University of Bradford and is the field lead for undergraduate mental health nursing. Natalie has a special interest in embedding substance use into nurse education. Her masters degree focused on substance use, and her related research on supporting students to care for people with mental illness who use drugs was awarded an impact prize by the Society for the Study of Addiction. Natalie is passionate about partnership working in education to enhance learning opportunities and ultimately improve patient care.

23/10/2024

episode 171 - Physical and mental health - Nutrition, sleep and hydration
On this weeks we're joined by guest Linda Pert to talk about Physical and mental health - Nutrition, sleep and hydration

You can join in the discussion by commenting on the Facebook Live chat or by tweeting and including the hashtag .

LP - I qualified as a mental health nurse in 1994 in Plymouth. From 1997 I spent over 20 years working in high secure forensic services at Rampton Hospital, I moved to the community setting in 2018 and worked in Bed Management, Crisis Team, Street Triage and a Community Mental Health Team within Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. I have just reached the end of my training to be an Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) with Sheffield Hallam University, whilst working in a Community Mental Health Team for Notts Healthcare. I have a new challenge ahead as I am about to return to the ward environment with a new role as an ACP on a psychiatric intensive care unit with Solent NHS Trust.
I have a passion for research and sit as Vice Chair on the Chief Nursing Officers Shared Professional Decision Making Council for Research. My specific interest is identifying service gaps and developing ways to address them in my work and that of my team. I have recently written and delivered a training package for my masters dissertation with the aim to improve the physical health of those under our care. My idea is for a bottom-up approach where mental health practitioners engage with patients in such a way as to start to address the real fact that SMI patients die an average of 20 years too soon. Mental and physical health are inextricably linked and I believe we need to have this holistic view in all our patient interactions. It doesn’t require much of a change in our approach, just a little extra knowledge and confidence and a curiosity about all aspects of our patients life and lifestyle.

Some X links to follow are:
VG - https://x.com/VanessaRNMH
NL - https://x.com/niadla
DM - https://x.com/davidamunday

Credits:
Presenters: Vanessa Gilmartin, Nicky Lambert & David Munday
Guest: Linda Pert
Theme music: Tony Gillam
Production & Editing: David Munday

16/10/2024

episode 170 - Restraint Reduction Network

On this weeks we're joined by guest Alexis Quinn to talk about the Restraint Reduction Network.

You can join in the discussion by commenting on the Facebook Live chat or by tweeting and including the hashtag .

AQ - Alexis Quinn is a former schoolteacher, professional athlete and author of two books: her ground-breaking memoir, Unbroken, and Autistic & Expecting, a guide for autistic parents to be. Alexis speaks on neurodivergence, trauma, restraint, solitary confinement and mental well-being. She is a psychotherapist and works as Manager of the Restraint Reduction Network.

Some X links to follow are:
VG - https://x.com/VanessaRNMH
NL - https://x./com/niadla
DM - https://x.com/davidamunday
AQ - https://x.com/AQuinnUnbroken

Credits:
Presenters: Vanessa Gilmartin, Nicky Lambert & David Munday
Guest: Dr Michaela James
Theme music: Tony Gillam
Production & Editing: David Munday

19/06/2024

epsiode 166 - Children's wellbeing though their own voices

On this weeks we're joined by guest Dr Michaela James to talk about Children's wellbeing though their own voices.

You can join in the discussion by commenting on the Facebook Live chat or by tweeting and including the hashtag .

MJ - Dr Michaela James is a research officer at Swansea University’s Medical School. Her main research areas include the health and wellbeing of young people, in particular physical activity. She manages HAPPEN Wales, a national network aimed at improving the health, wellbeing and education outcomes of primary school children across Wales. A lot of her research involves advocating for the wants and needs of young people in their local communities to improve physical activity using citizen science, self-report surveys and data linkage.

12/06/2024

episode 165 - How risk management practices can impact on patient recovery

On this weeks we're joined by guest Kris Deering to talk about How risk management practices can impact on patient recovery.

You can join in the discussion by commenting on the Facebook Live chat or by tweeting and including the hashtag .

KD - Kris Deering: Senior lecturer in Mental Health Nursing and Evidence Based Practice lead at the university of Exeter. 12-year experience in acute mental health care including senior practitioner in a crisis team. Currently researching ways to improve the quality of service user care within inpatient settings with a focus on making risk management more focused on a personalised recovery.

22/05/2024

episode 163 - Looking for improved patient safety: Designing effective Search training in mental health inpatient wards

On this weeks we're joined by guests Marie Ash, Samantha Blake, Stephen Haupt & Karia Wilson-Palmer to talk about Looking for improved patient safety: Designing effective Search training in mental health inpatient wards.

You can join in the discussion by commenting on the Facebook Live chat or by tweeting and including the hashtag .

MA - My name is Marie, I am the Senior Peer Support Worker in the Safe from Su***de Team, a Peer Support Worker uses their lived experience of using services to support others in their Recovery Journey, Moorland View is the ward I was often a Patient on and being part of the training offered hope to all that recovery is possible.
I love listening to Westlife and have a collection of 23 pairs of Brogues!

SB - I started my career as a Graduate Mental Health Practitioner working in Primary Care and I went on to work as a practitioner in a Community Mental health Team, and now work in the Safe from Su***de Team as a clinician in quality improvement. I am interested in patient safety and enabling all to participate in improving healthcare. I have two children a son and a daughter, I am a Christian and I have started learning Greek and will be going to Zakynthos this summer.

SH - Registered mental health nurse, currently working as the simulation lead for DPT creating various types of simulation training for improved patient and staffing outcomes in DPT.
My hobbies are around travelling, skiing and I’m currently learning Italian! I have no kids, thankfully as I would make a terrible parent!

KWP - Dual qualified nurse, currently working as a Clinical Lead with the Su***de Prevention Team Devon Partnership Trust
Semi-retired, wife- and mother to 3 grown up boys, keen gardener and lover of dogs.

01/05/2024

episode 161 - Journey into academia - transferring skills

On this weeks we're joined by guest Tegan Blackhurst to talk about the Journey into academia - transferring skills

You can join in the discussion by commenting on the Facebook Live chat or by tweeting and including the hashtag .

TB: Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing at De Montfort University, Leicester since November 2023. Qualified as an RMN in 2018 and specialised in Perinatal Mental Health Nursing (inpatient and community.) Trained in EMDR and CBT skills.

24/04/2024

episode 160 - How we see nurses matters: Angels, sexpots or professionals

On this weeks we're joined by guests Jane Fisher and Lucy Judge to talk about How we see nurses matters: Angels, sexpots or professionals.

You can join in the discussion by commenting on the Facebook Live chat or by tweeting and including the hashtag .

JF - Jane Fisher is a mental health nurse lecturer and service user. Jane has worked across a variety of clinical settings with over fifteen years front line NHS nursing experience. After developing her own mental illness, Jane's passion for mental health nursing and desire to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness became a lifelong mission. Jane entered the field of mental health nurse academia to bridge the gap between personal experiences and professional expertise. Her unique perspective has enriched her teaching and clinical practice in profound ways. As a mental health nurse lecturer, Jane has a deep-seated passion for nurturing the next generation of mental health nurses. Her teaching style is not limited to textbooks and theory; it encompasses the lived experiences that have shaped her understanding of mental health. Jane is an internationally published mental health academic and has also authored a children's book exploring maternal mental health. Jane is a living testament to the transformative power of embracing one's past and channelling it into a passion for education, advocacy, and writing. Her academic biography reflects her unwavering commitment to the field of mental health nursing and her dedication to breaking down barriers and stigma surrounding mental illness.

LJ - Lucy Abigail Judge (BSc & BA Hons) is a recently qualified Mental Health Nurse who is a practitioner in the Urgent Care Pathway. Lucy has experience working on inpatient units, particularly acute wards and also in the community within urgent care. Lucy has been published in the British Journal of Mental Health Nursing and is in the process of another publication discussing the prospective use of animal therapy on acute wards.

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http://www.unitetheunion.org/cphva

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