Food and Drink Policy

It is my policy to provide children with healthy, balanced and nutritious meals, snacks and drinks.

I do Level 2 Basic Food Hygiene training every 3 years and completed my last training on 24 April 2022.  My setting is registered with our local authority as a food business.  I follow the Food Standards Agency guidelines documented in “Safer Food Better Business for childminders” which is stored on my computer and which I regularly update when doing kitchen and food checks and whenever new food laws come into force.  I am happy to send digital copies to families if required.  I also follow guidance in the Early Years Foundation Stage document “Eat Better, Start Better”.

I have also completed the Eat Well Start Well Award through Surrey County Council.  The award was developed to support Early Years Professionals to ensure that the food that we offer, provides appropriate amounts of energy and nutrients and encourages children to make healthy choices.  I renew this award every 2 years.

Procedure

I collect, record and act on information from parents about a child’s dietary requirements, preferences, food allergies and intolerances and any special health requirements.  These records are collected before the child begins at my setting, the information is stored in their personal folder and updated regularly through discussions with the parent/carer.  I make sure that the food being provided at each meal meets all the requirements for each child.

If a child has allergies or special health requirements I have ongoing discussions with parents/carers and where appropriate with health professionals to develop allergy action plans for managing known allergies and intolerances.  This information is kept up to date and I expect families to notify us when new information comes to light.  I keep up to date on advice on food allergies and the treatment of anaphylaxis.

I provide children with clean and age-appropriate crockery and eating utensils and a suitable environment in which to eat. Crockery and cutlery is cleaned after every use.  Children sit in age appropriate seating around the table and I sit with the children and we eat together so that the children are always in sight and hearing during meals.

I respect the diversity of practice around mealtimes e.g. use of chopsticks or fingers for eating and include foods from the diet of each of the children's cultural backgrounds, providing children with familiar foods and introducing them to new ones.

I provide children with healthy meals, snacks and drinks as appropriate which are recommended by the Food Standards Agency literature.  Children are encouraged to get involved in preparing and serving food.

I provide children with home prepared balanced nutritious meals that encourage healthy teeth, healthy weight, and give children’s bodies all the nutrients they need to work well every day.

I discuss introducing solid foods with parents and carers and make notes of textures and foods that have already been introduced to the children.  It is always best if new foods are tried at home with parents/carers first.

I prepare and present food  in a way to prevent choking and follow guidance in the government’s document Food Safety – Help for early years providers which can be found here Help for early years providers : Food safety.  If a choking incident occurs, I record details of where, when and how the child choked.  I make parents/carers aware immediately and review my records periodically to see if any trends or common features occur.  I address these common features if noted.

I plan menus in advance with the children, and these are displayed in our kitchen for parents to see.  There are 14 allergens currently listed under food law and we have a poster listing these on the wall in our kitchen. Further information can be found at www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/caterers/startingup/childminders.  The food that we freshly prepare at home may contain any of these 14 allergens.

I ensure that fresh drinking water is always available, both in and outside our setting.  I make sure that children do not drink from each other’s cups/bottles.  Each child has their own cup or bottle which is regularly topped up with fresh drinking water in an easily accessible area so that they can help themselves whenever necessary.

When I take children out to eat, I make sure I know what allergens are in each food item.  I will only eat at registered food businesses who must comply with legislation.

I provide formula milks of parents’ choice and follow the correct sterilisation processes and the manufacturer’s instructions when making the milk.  I provide and use suitable sterilisation equipment for babies food.

I am aware of my responsibilities under food hygiene legislation and am registered with the Woking Borough Council Environmental Health Department on 8 June 2010. At some future stage a food safety officer may visit to discuss general food hygiene practices to ensure food is being prepared safely.

I always keep pets out of the food preparation area. If a pet does gain access to this area, then I ensure that all work surfaces and cooking utensils have been thoroughly cleaned before any food preparation or food handling takes place.

Baby changing facilities are not near food preparation areas.

I ensure that I am aware of good hand washing procedures, and we wash our hands appropriately.

If there is an outbreak of food poisoning affecting two or more children on my premises, I will notify Ofsted as soon as possible within 14 days of the incident occurring to comply with regulations. I keep all food receipts, so that if there is an outbreak of food poisoning on our premises, I can trace the outlet where the food was purchased.

Food brought in from a child’s home

I discuss the dietary needs of each child with their parent/carer see if I can cater for them in the first instance. If a parent/carer would particularly like to provide their child’s food, I will facilitate this wherever possible.

I will find out what type of food will be provided, what containers it will be in during transport from the child’s home to mine, what storage requirements will be need once at my house, ingredients of each meal (in case of allergies) and how the food should be prepared for presentation. I would recommend the parent/carer transport all food in labelled containers within a small cooler bag which can then be transferred to my fridge upon arrival. Name of meal plus ingredients, preparation and freezing dates should be written onto each meal provided.  I will also advise the parent/carer of allergens to be avoided so that no foods brought from home contain dangerous foods for anyone at my setting.

Policy Written by: Ilana Hill Date: 17 January 2011       

Last updated and reviewed:    3 March 2025