Early Years settings, such as nurseries and pre-schools, are being offered support from the Council to promote a healthy start for babies and young children.
The Council’s Director of Public Health Award recognises and rewards Early Years settings that deliver health and well-being outcomes.
It enables them to identify and tackle health issues and inequalities in their own communities.
To gain the prestigious Director of Public Health Award a nursery, preschool, childminder, reception class or Children’s Centre has to complete two certificates:
- The Healthy Early Years Certificate – which gives evidence that a setting is a healthy place.
- The Healthy Outcomes Certificate for Early Years – which shows that a setting has improved the health and well-being of young children and families.
Grants of up to £1,000 are available for eligible settings to apply for to help them work on initiatives to achieve their chosen outcomes around healthy eating and physical activity which make up the Healthy Outcomes Certificate for Early Years.
This can include activities aimed around healthy eating for the under-fives – such as more gardening and cooking experiences for children in the early years setting as well as supporting families to cook more confidently at home together.
To encourage more physical activity, settings are focusing on encouraging more active travel – such as walking and cycling – as well as regularly visiting woodland and other outdoor spaces in the local community.
Councillor Simon Allen (Lib-Dem, Radstock), Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, said: “Establishing good habits early on is the best way to help prevent unhealthy behaviours later in life and ensure babies and young children get off to the best start.
“Bath & North East Somerset Council is keen to work with Early years settings as they are well placed to encourage our Public Health messages and use their positive relationships with parents and carers to support the whole family to adopt and sustain healthier habits.”
Councillor Dine Romero (Lib-Dem, Southdown), Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children & Youth, said: “The Director of Public Health Award enables early years settings to have additional training, resources, access to events, and the latest information and guidance; this helps to provide even better support for children and families in our local community.”
Early years settings also have to reflect on their provision of healthy snacks and meals, following the Children’s Food Trust Eat Better Start Better guidelines as well as ensuring they provide a challenging environment that encourages varied physically active play to ensure children are working towards the recommended UK Physical Activity Guidelines for the under-five of three hours a day.
For more information on how the Director of Public Health Award can help your local early years setting, visit www.directorofpublichealthaward.org.uk.
