Community Food and Nutrition Skills for the Early Years
Level 2
This course is for you if you work in the community with young children and their families e.g. childminders, play workers, childcare practitioners, those who train and support childcare settings and Flying Start staff. This course will develop your knowledge and skills in food and nutrition for young children and it is particularly relevant to those who prepare meals or snacks and are involved in menu planning. By the end of the course you will be able to pass on consistent, evidence-based nutrition information to the families and children you work with.
There are 6 sessions, usually delivered as one session per week for 6 weeks. However, courses can be delivered in a number of different ways as per need,
for example; 2 ways, either:
- face to face as a 2 hour group teaching session in a community venue each week with one hour of homework, or
- virtually as a 2 hours self-directed digital learning session and a 1-hour virtual face to face group session with a dietitian each week.
The sessions cover the following topics
| Session | Content |
|---|---|
| 1 | Understand the principles of a balanced diet |
| 2 | Understand the benefits of good nutrition and hydration in the early years (Part 1) |
| 3 | Understand the benefits of good nutrition and hydration in the early years (Part 2) |
| 4 | Nutrition in the first year of life and introducing solid food |
| 5 | Understand how to implement good nutrition and hydration in the early years and menu planning |
| 6 | Promoting nutrition and hydration as part of own role |
The Community Food and Nutrition Skills for the Early Years course is set at a level two and is worth two credits (20 guided learning hours). Accreditation demonstrates the level of learning you have achieved and to be awarded credit you must be able to demonstrate that you have met all the assessment criteria for the unit. No prior nutrition knowledge is required, there are no exams or essays to worry about, but to prove that you have met the assessment criteria you will be required to complete a portfolio of evidence for assessment. Attendance at the sessions is also an important part of the assessment.
The course tutor will support you with all aspects of the course and there will be support available after the course for those who want to put their learning into practice e.g. to implement the Gold Standard Healthy Snack Award and Tiny Tums/Boliau Bach Best Practice Certificate; to develop a food policy for their setting; to meet the requirements of the Gold Standard Healthy Snack Award Plus; to meet the nutrition and oral health criteria of the Healthy and Sustainable Pre School Scheme or to implement the Food and Nutrition in Childcare Settings Best Practice Guidance.
Feedback from participants
“This training has been very beneficial and staff came back from it full of ideas.”
“We have used the information to change our menus in nursery and to update our food policy. I would definitely recommend this course to colleagues who have not yet undertaken it – Diolch!”
“I really enjoyed the course. I can’t stop looking at food labels now!”