Nottinghamshire County Council plans to build on their broader whole system approach around the community food environment, to develop food skills, access and support for families with children in the early years.
The Childhood Obesity Trailblazer Programme is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and administered by the Local Government Association. Public Health England also providing expert support and advice.
Progress
- The Healthier@Home meal kit has been delivered. Evaluation now taking place with the aim of writing a business case to share more widely highlighting good practice and key lessons learned
- Recent launch of more FOOD clubs brings the total to 13 now up and running. Schools returning in September will see work pick up. Aim to have up to 30 FOOD clubs operational (mostly in Children’s Centres) by March 2022. Feedback has been very positive from users and staff, reporting improvement in wellbeing. Evaluation work taking place with the plan to produce a series of mini reports in the autumn. Interest in FOOD club work has led to achievement of a 3 year fully funded model for FOOD club roll out
- Community of Practice going well, with members reporting gaining value from being CoP members. Evaluation will incorporate county wide perspective
- New Health & Wellbeing Board Chair very supportive of trailblazer work
- The team are working with Nottinghamshire’s Children’s services colleagues to more closely align the childhood obesity work with the children’s services agenda
- Working closely and collaboratively with other trailblazer councils
Learnings
- Test and learn approach has been invaluable
- Committee meetings now being recorded and available to view – very useful
- Food insecurity highlighted as a consequence of Covid
- Good case studies being produced around childhood obesity and highlighting how people have been able to access food during the finance downturn. Notts looking at how to capture learnings in their narrative
- Establishing local and sustained relations has been very important and helped to support the work in the community
Challenges
- Project team staff changes may delay work
- On-going effects of COVID restrictions
- Looking at language used around childhood obesity to ensure the work and its benefits are seen as an entitlement
Next steps
- Working more closely with partners – governance and children’s teams, particularly to ensure sustainability of trailblazer work
- Closer engagement with elected members to share knowledge and align them more closely to trailblazer work and goals
- Continue evaluation work
- Liaising more closely with communications team to promote trailblazer work