Our aim is to improve the health and well-being of North West people through 
better food and nutrition.
Some of our current work
North West Food & Health Action Plan outlines the links between food and health. The Plan is being updated in January 2009. It highlights priorities being met, any new activity in the region and also reflects new and emerging policies. (Can the title of the document be clickable to the document itself?)
Food Partnership
The Food Partnership is part of the Food in Schools Programme involving the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (Food in Schools, 2008).
‘The aim of the partnership is to develop food and nutrition education, specifically practical work with food, as a key learning activity.’ Department of Health [DH] and Department for Children, Schools and Families [DfES], 2006/7
Regional Healthy Schools and DH Northwest are working with The Design and Technology Association funded Food Partnership to provide training for 110 primary school teachers to inspire them to carry out lots of practical food activity. This will be evaluated in March 2009.
Commissioning Healthier Catering Guidelines
The workplace can make a valuable contribution to supporting healthier lifestyles. 
Employers have a role to play in promoting the health and well-being of employees, colleagues and guests, through ensuring a healthy environment. Offering healthier food options at meals, refreshment times and at events, and promoting active travel options should be standard practice.
Training on Healthier Catering and Active Travel is planned for admin and support staff in DH North West, SHA (Strategic Health Authority) and CSIP (Care Services Improvement Partnership), to ensure that these healthier options are included in any events we organise or commission. View Commissioning Healthy Catering & Hospitality 2008
Early Years
There is growing evidence that factors in the early years of life are important determinants of risk of obesity in later life. “The pre-school years are an ideal time to establish the foundation for a healthy lifestyle. Parents are primarily responsible for their child’s nutrition during these years but child care providers also play an important role (NICE, 2006)¹.”
We are working with childcare providers across the North West to help improve the standard of food they serve the under five’s. One of our priorities is to provide training for Ofsted inspectors so they have the knowledge to challenge the nutritional quality of the food served in the establishments they inspect.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is the best form of nutrition for babies and exclusive breastfeeding is recommended by the World Health Organisation and the Department of Health for the first six months of life.
However, breastfeeding rates in the North West are the second lowest in the country. Nationally around 78% of women begin breastfeeding but in our region that figure is only 60%.
Improving rates of breastfeeding
We have a regional framework which sets out an overall plan for increasing the numbers of mothers who breastfeed.
The regional breastfeeding strategy group is this year focusing on:
- Ensuring that accurate and appropriate information about formula milk is shared with frontline staff in the most effective way.
- Promoting the principles of UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative to all North West educational establishments that provide training for health practitioners.
Infant feeding
The infant feeding programme covers Breastfeeding, Healthy Start and Weaning and is led by Sue Kardahji, Regional Infant Feeding Coordinator.
Useful links
View NHS Breastfeeding website
Addressing Health Inequalities; a Breastfeeding Framework for Action
The Healthy Start programme
What is Healthy Start?
Healthy Start is the national programme that replaced the Welfare Food Scheme in 2006. The aims of Healthy Start are to:
- Provide a nutritional safety net
- Improve nutrition among low-income families
- Give children the best start in life
- Reduce health inequalities
Entitlement to Healthy Start benefits is aimed at pregnant women and children under four in a family who are receiving benefits for example:
- Income Support
- Income Based Jobseekers’ Allowance
- Income related Employment and Support Allowance
- Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) with an annual family income of £15,575 or less (2008/9)
- All pregnant under-18-year-olds
The main focus of activity is to ensure that:
- Healthy Start vitamins are distributed to those in need.
- Awareness of the scheme is raised amongst health and social care professionals and the public.
A regional Healthy Start conference will be held in February 2009 with a particular focus on vitamin deficiencies.
View further information about Healthy Start
Food and Health Website is a resource for those with an interest in public health issues associated with food and diet; aiming to provide relevant information to individuals and agencies in the North West and beyond. We also produce a quarterly newsletter which keeps all network members updated with food and health activity within the region.
¹ NICE Obesity: the prevention, identification assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children. 2006.
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Resources
Commissioning Healthy Catering Hospitality 2008