Early Years

The Gold Standard Healthy Snack Award is open to day nurseries, Flying Start groups, playgroups, meithrins, childminders and after school clubs. This award recognises and celebrates a quality snack provision within settings and being part of the scheme shows a commitment to children’s health and encouraging good eating habits.

It shows that a setting is putting recommendations from the Welsh Government’s Food and Nutrition in Childcare Settings Best Practice Guidance in place.

To achieve the award, there is set criteria around the following: the provision of healthy snacks and drinks, a positive eating environment, food hygiene and safety. The scheme includes a higher level of the award called the Gold Standard Healthy Snack Award Plus (see below). This recognises that a minimum of one member of staff has completed and achieved the Community Food and Nutrition Skills for the Early Years Course or the Community Food and Nutrition Skills Course.

The scheme includes a higher level of the award called the Gold Standard Healthy Snack Award Plus (See below).

Click on the leaflet for further information about the award.

The scheme is a higher level award for settings that have already achieved the Gold Standard Healthy Snack Award.

This recognises that a minimum of one member of staff has completed and achieved the Community Food and Nutrition Skills for the Early Years Course or the Community Food and Nutrition Skills Course.

This Award is supported in a number of health board areas – for more information visit the ‘What’s on near me?’ section.

Boliau Bach / Tiny Tums is a Best Practice award for Early Years childcare settings in North Wales, which is managed by the BCUHB Public Health Dietetic Team. The award recognises and rewards these settings for achieving best practice in their food and drink provision for 1-4 year olds, in line with Welsh Government guidance (2018).

To be eligible for the award each setting is required to have at least one member of staff who has successfully completed Community Food and Nutrition Skills for the Early Years (level 2) After this, settings are eligible to apply for the Tiny Tums award which involves submitting their menus, food policy and a Tiny Tums menu checklist to the dietetics team.

Constructive feedback and advice is provided to support settings to achieve the award. Successful settings are awarded with a Tiny Tums Best Practice certificate and window sticker, which is valid for 3 years. Settings are encouraged to proudly display their certificates and to share the success of their award with parents and children.

Tiny Tums & feedback from settings and parents:

“I like how the children have a range of ‘adult meals’ to help them grow with a varied taste range”

Parent of a child in a Tiny Tums setting

“I feel strongly about children’s diets, it’s important for their growth and development. The new menu is full of different colours and textures which the children enjoy eating and exploring”

Assistant manager at a Tiny Tums setting

With the help of the Dietitians we are confident that our menu meets the needs of our children whilst still being tasty”

Nursery Manager

We can provide training and practical support for childcare settings to help them to implement the best practice guidance. Further information about the guidance can be found here.

Website design by Celf Creative

Skip to content