NELFT NHS Foundation Trust – Early Years Nutrition

This course is AfN certified as suitable for those working or volunteering in a Level 3 or 4 role within Health & Social Care. (NB. Completers of this course are not eligible for an AfN certificate, as course certified under previous scheme)

At the end of the training trainees will:

• Have a basic understanding of why current guidelines recommend the introduction of solid foods at 26 weeks (6 months) and how to tell whether a baby is ready for solid foods.
• Have a basic understanding of the types and texture of food to introduce to babies when they start  on solids and as they grow older.
• Feel more confident in giving advice around: appropriate age to introduce solid foods, healthy eating and drinking from 6 months to 4 years, first line tips to handle fussy eating and to know what the recommendations are in relation to vitamin supplements.
• Have a greater understanding around children who are above a healthy weight, what the contributing factors/reasons are, what the trends are locally, what support is available and what we can all do to help families we come across who have children who are above a healthy weight.
• Know in relation to physical activity, why your role as a frontline member of staff is of key importance in spreading the message to families and actively encourage physical activity.
• Know what the recommendations are for adults and children, understand why it is important for us all to be active and how we can encourage all those that we work with to be more active.
• Know what services the Redbridge Healthy Eating team and Vision sport and health team offer in Redbridge and which sessions parents/carers can be signposted or referred on to.
• Know when to refer a child to the Redbridge Healthy Eating team to get further support and how to do this.
• Know that we all have a responsibility in being good role models to promote healthy eating and physical activity in Redbridge to the families we work with as well as to staff too.

Aims of the training: 

To ensure that all trainees have a good basic understanding of healthy eating for children under 5 years of age, (including information around starting solid foods, fussy eating, weight and physical activity). The training aims to build trainee confidence in being able to give key healthy eating advice to parents/carers with children under the age of five years, that is up to date, evidence based and age appropriate and to be able to signpost to appropriate sessions and know how to refer. It also aims to encourage staff to be positive role models in their places of work with staff and parent/carers.