The …early intervention in practice

FFLP Development 2007Lottery-funded for 5 years 2012Part Lottery-funded Transition year Commissioning model 2013Part Lottery-funded 10 commissioned programmes Innovation and partnerships – new national partner, expansion into new settings Continued development of SA ‘Good Food For All’ strategy - Sustainable Food Cities

FFLP - Awards Criteria Criteria cover four areas: –Food Leadership and School Food Culture –Food Quality –Food Education –Community and Partnerships

FFLP Schools Schools in non-commissioned and commissioned areas can enrol for free on an individual basis 4,641 schools enrolled in England 709 schools 149 schools 19 schools

Support for Schools Schools enrolled in non-commissioned areas receive welcome pack, can access free online resources, and receive telephone/ support Schools within commissioned programmes receive additional support in the form of: –Training for school staff and caterers –Local Programme Manager –Face-to-face support for schools –Launch and awards events –Monitoring and evaluation

Positive impact on health, education and economy Food growing skills Cooking skills Connection with food Healthy, sustainable school food Positive impact on health, education and economy Food growing skills Cooking skills Connection with food Healthy, sustainable school food Greater than the sum of its parts

Increasing opportunities Increased participation in skills-based food education… …and subsequent positive healthy eating behaviours. (Orme et al., 2011)

Impact Free school meal take-up increased by an average of 13% points in Food for Life Partnership schools twice as many primary schools received an Outstanding Ofsted rating after working with the Food for Life Partnership. The number of children eating five or more portions of fruit and veg increased by 28% in Food for Life Partnership Primary Schools parents report eating more vegetables as a result of the Food for Life Partnership programme. 45% of For every £1 invested in Food for Life menus, the social, economic and environmental return on investment for the local authority is £3

Thanks to Big Lottery Wellbeing Fund Good food for all: FFLP innovation Already a wide and growing take-up of the Soil Association’s Catering Mark accreditation scheme for food in workplaces, hospitals, care homes and universities Responding to demand from public health colleagues wanting a life course approach Building on evidence base from successful schools programme – incorporating ‘whole settings’ approach to food culture in new settings

Food for Life Partnership Early Years Award Criteria cover same four areas as the schools’ awards: –Food Quality Catering Mark standards will be integral to an award –Food Leadership and Food Culture –Food Education: supporting DfE’s EYFS –Community and Partnerships

Poor nutrition in the first 1000 days The 9 months in the womb and the first 2 years of life are critical periods for determining later health and well-being Impacts of poor nutrition during the first 1000 days will also impact on the next generation

Unfit for pregnancy? Many young women in the UK entering pregnancy are malnourished They typically have low status of a wide range of nutrients, some are too thin and many too fat, they eat too few fruits and vegetables and often skip meals, eat too little and some smoke and drink alcohol to excess. This will have long term implications for the population

Eating well for young women in pregnancy

Early Years Nutrition First Year of Life Department of Health Early Years Settings Department of Education/School Food Trust

Infant feeding All infant feeding guidance is consistent: exclusively breast feed for about 6 months then continue breastfeeding alongside complementary foods for as long as mother wishes Early Years settings must support this pro- actively

Food before 6 months? We have significantly moved age of introduction of complementary foods and most parents now wait until after 4 months of age to offer food complementary to milk. Many parents do offer food between 4-6 months and if they do, we have specific guidance on foods to avoid before 6 months Policy and practice do not always merge

Simply: Between 6 months and 1 year babies need to get used to lots of different flavours and textures and learn to feed themselves Ordinary ‘family’ foods low in salt and sugar are fine – meat, fish, pulses, fruits, vegetables, starchy roots, cereals should be main components of meals Milk or water to drink New tastes take time Children learn to like new food if they are exposed to it

Good nutrition in the early years Babies who start complementary foods later are more likely to be fussy eaters as toddlers Poor nutrition in toddlerhood linked to –limited food variety –over-reliance on milk –high intake of sweet foods –small portions at mealtimes –high intakes sweet drinks –slow development of chewing (and then speaking) –lack of independence in eating

Why does it matter? Data from the large longitudinal study in Bristol running for many years showed that what children eat from their earliest years matters more than their diet later on in childhood in terms of later performance. Even when their diet subsequently improved, those who had eaten the most poor quality and processed food at the age of 3 still tended to do less well at school than more healthily fed children. Feinstein L, Sabates R, Sorhaindo A, Rogers I, Herrick D, Northstone K, Emmett P, 'Dietary patterns related to attainment in school: the importance of early eating patterns.', J Epidemiol Community Health 2008; 62 (8): 734-9

What are the consequences? Data from the Southampton Initiative on Health found that poor early diets in children were linked to:  Higher fat mass and lower lean mass at 4 years  Poorer learning and reasoning at 4 years even taking into consideration mother’s intelligence and home circumstances  They also showed that dietary patterns track from mother to child

Nutritional status of under 5s Almost a quarter of pre-school children in the UK are overweight or obese Underweight is suggested for about 10% children – but focus is much greater on overweight Both are related to inequalities of health and deprivation 30% of children in the UK live in poor households, many of whom are food insecure

Overweight Activity alone is unlikely to lead to normal weight – young children are naturally active – overweight children become less active Children need energy for BMR, growth and activity – and under 5s need regular meals and nutritious snacks (‘mini-meals’) Children are unlikely to eat too much energy if they follow guidance on healthy meals and snacks and avoid regular intakes soft drinks, confectionery, biscuits, savoury snacks, take-away foods

The importance of eating well Iron needs are greatest between 1-3 years Cows milk is not a good source of iron! Intakes of zinc often low and vitamin A intakes are also often low

Early Years Food and Nutrition Advisory Committee Set up in February 2010 Aim was to consider the case for improved standards or guidance on food and nutrition for early years and make recommendations to the DfE to inform the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Voluntary food and drink guidelines for early years settings in England

FFLP Early Years Award We provide freshly prepared, nutritious and safe food that respects animal welfare and the environment. We encourage children to eat well through teaching where food comes from and how to grow and cook food

Activity & Discussion Delegates to discuss and feedback what they can do within their roles to improve early intervention in the early years.

Any Questions? Diana Hawdon Food for Life Partnership Clare Messenger Early Intervention Foundation