The information, support and training available on this page is to enable the organisation and named health and safety competent person to meet their legal responsibilities around food safety.
A healthy balanced diet and regular exercise are essential for young children's health and wellbeing. Eating habits are developed early in life so healthy eating at childcare setting and home is very important for young children.
Where children are provided with meals, snacks and drinks, they must be healthy, balanced and nutritious.
Fresh drinking water must be available and accessible at all times.
The DfE has published a Healthy eating guidance for the early years sector which includes example menus and useful information for early years settings to help show how they can meet the Early Years Foundation Stage welfare requirement to provide ‘healthy, balanced and nutritious’ meals for children aged 6 months to 4 years.
Access the DfE’s Healthy eating guidance which has example menus developed with nutrition experts to support early years providers.
Healthy Start is a NHS means-tested scheme for low- income pregnant women and young children, providing vitamins and a pre- paid card with money which can be used to purchase healthy foods (fruit, vegetables, milk) to support basic nutrition. It is available to pregnant women and children under 4 years old who are in receipt of qualifying benefits. Pregnant women are entitled to £4.25 / week in pregnancy and parents receive £8.50 per week for children under 12 months and £4.25 per week for children under 4. Families that have a healthy start card can also collect free vitamins for their child from any of the family hubs in Waltham Forest.
More details of the scheme: Healthy Start | London Borough of Waltham Forest
To apply for the scheme please visit: Get help to buy food and milk (Healthy Start) - NHSBSA
Before a child is admitted to the setting, the provider must also obtain information about any special dietary requirements, preferences, and food allergies that the child has, and any special health requirements.
Providers must record and act on information from parents and carers about a child's dietary needs.
Allergen labelling law changed in 2014. With the law, there are 14 major allergens which must be identified to parents/carers if they are provided in the food you offer to children. For more information and guidance, as well as free online allergen training, please visit the Food Standards Agency's website.
The Allergen checklist for food business provides advice on providing allergen information and avoiding cross-contamination in a food business for managers, kitchen staff and front of house servers
As a childcare provider, if you choose to provide food on premises (which includes preparing food such as sandwiches, fruit and snacks), then you will need to register as a food business with LBWF. Registration is free and includes a visit by the Environmental Health Officers from the Food Safety Team to ensure your premises meet the requirements issued by the Food Standards Agency.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has produced a Safer food, better business guidance, a Food safety management procedures and food hygiene regulations for small businesses.
If you are planning to start up a childminder business that provides food as part of your service, you do not need to register separately as a food business with your local authority as this will happen automatically when you register with Ofsted.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has produced a Safer food, better business for childminders, a food safety management pack for registered childminders or child carers on domestic premises who usually provide meals and drinks for the children in their care for.
Providers will also find the Safer food better business for caterers which provides food safety management guidance for small catering businesses.
Early Years & Childcare providers can find further FSA guidance and resources on registering/setting up as a food business below:
Registered providers must notify Ofsted of any food poisoning affecting two or more children that are looked after on the childcare premises.
Notification must be made as soon as is reasonably practicable, but in any event within 14 days of the incident. A registered provider, who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with this requirement, commits an offence.
If you prepare food in your childcare setting it is important that you have a food safety and hygiene qualification.
Here are some training providers that offer Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene Course which supports early years practitioners providing food for children in their setting
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) also offers free online food safety training courses for businesses which includes:
Here, providers can access downloadable guidance documents and links to resources.
Inspections are undertaken by Environmental Health Officers from the Food Safety Team. The frequency of inspections depends on the nature of the business and the condition of the premises at the last inspection. Inspections are carried out without prior notification.
The Environmental Health Officers will visit your premises to check if your business is complying with food law and producing food that is safe to eat.
Childcare providers can find out what they need to know about inspections, paid re-visits, guidance and enforcement via the Local Authority’s food safety business guidance. The FSA has also produced a guidance on Food safety inspection and enforcement which provides guidance on how to prepare your business for food safety inspections and avoid enforcement action.
Food Hygiene Rating Scheme are provided following inspections, from 5 (very good) down to 0 (urgent improvement necessary), in accordance with the FSA Brand Standard.
Following an inspection, ratings are then published so that customers can make informed decisions. The rating scheme gives businesses a rating from 5 to 0 which is displayed at their premises and online. The rating scheme is as below:
5 – hygiene standards are very good
4 – hygiene standards are good
3 – hygiene standards are generally satisfactory
2 – some improvement is necessary
1 – major improvement is necessary
0 – urgent improvement is required
Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE) early years and childcare providers who are given a Food Safety Rating of less than 2 will be seen as failing to comply with their contractual obligation to meet the statutory requirements of the EYFS 2021. This is important in securing the wellbeing of the service users.
As a result of a Food Safety rating less than 2, the childcare provider must satisfactorily complete a Team Around the Setting (TAS) process.
Failure by the Provider to provide evidence of Food Safety Agency rating of 2 or above by the required TAS process deadline, this may result in the LA’s suspension/cessation of the providers FEEE contract with the Local Authority to provide FEEE places for eligible 2, 3 & 4 YO children.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has produced a range of videos to support childcare providers in delivering a high quality and safe food hygiene practices at their settings.