Hungry for Success - Further Food for Thought: page 4

Hungry for Success - Further Food for Thought

Principle 2: Partnership Working

3.1 Partnership groups had developed across authorities as a result of Hungry for Success. Membership often included staff who had similar roles within an LA, such as responsibility for menu planning or development of resources. Groups met regularly to discuss common issues and share practice and some had input from HMIE, the Scottish Health Promoting Schools Unit (SHPSU) and the Food Standards Agency Scotland (FSAS). The Association of Public Service Excellence also continued to discuss key issues at their quarterly meetings, and had close links with SHPSU, FSAS, HMIE and the Scottish Government.

3.2 Successful partnership working was a key feature of effective implementation of Hungry for Success. Most LAs continued to implement Hungry for Success recommendations through strategic groups comprising representatives from catering, education, health and, occasionally, finance. The most successful partnerships were those where communication between catering and education staff was positive and mutually supportive.

3.3 Many schools worked with a range of partners, including their associated primary or secondary schools, to support their health education curriculum and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. They often benefited from regular input by a range of health professionals. Increasing numbers of schools used productive links with a diverse range of partners to support health promotion. Parents continued to participate in School Nutrition Action Groups (SNAGs) in a few schools, and to offer practical support for healthy eating initiatives. In some cases, discussion of Hungry for Success at parent-teacher association meetings had led to improvements in food and drink provision at events organised by parents. Partnership working in some schools had generated innovative opportunities to further the implementation of Hungry for Success. Examples included the following.

Pupils and parent-teacher associations worked together to encourage parents of children in primary schools to provide only fruit for snacks.
To encourage practical cookery skills, one school worked with a local pizzeria where pupils learned about food hygiene and preparing food. They experimented with different toppings to make their pizzas a healthier food choice.
One school cook worked with pupils to investigate sandwich fillings, some of which were tested in the dining room for inclusion in the lunch menu.

The potential remained, however, for many schools to increase the effectiveness of their partnerships. The composition, function and effectiveness of health promotion groups in secondary schools, for example, varied widely. Groups worked well when membership was wide-ranging and included pupils and parents, and when action plans were developed and implemented according to agreed timescales. Effective groups also consulted and communicated well with their school community. In a few schools inspected, health promotion groups lacked direction, commitment or clarity about their function.

3.4 Communication with parents about school meals and health promotion had improved. Almost all schools inspected were providing some information to parents on health promotion and school meals. Where practice was effective, schools provided a variety of detailed, regular information through the following.

School handbooks described provision for school lunches and packed lunches, cashless payment systems and choices on offer for breakfast and at morning break. Some also included information about free school meal entitlement, and a few about how to request a special diet.
Articles in school newsletters highlighted school food, health promotion events, menus, pricing, competitions and cookery clubs.
A few schools had used questionnaires to gather parents’ views on school food provision, and also on wider health promotion issues.
School and LA websites were being used increasingly to provide information about school food.
Health events for parents had been organised in a few schools. Examples included workshops on healthy eating and opportunities for parents to sample food available in school.
A few schools had issued letters or leaflets asking parents to encourage pupils to stay in school, to support healthy eating and to promote the school meals service.
It was increasingly common for parents of pupils in P1 to attend for a school lunch. A few LAs provided attractive branded welcome packs comprising, for example, a coin purse, menus, information on packed lunches and breakfast clubs, and toothbrush and toothpaste.
Some LAs had included information in local newspapers or council mailing.

A few primary schools did not manage communication with parents on Hungry for Success effectively, and information for parents of secondary-age pupils lacked detail about the food and drink available in school.

Features of good practice: Partnership working

A school had established a food skills group to encourage parents and children to learn to cook together. The school cook planned and led a series of after school classes in the school kitchen. These involved parents and their children in preparing a range of dishes, many from the school meals menu. The local authority had allocated time for the cook to develop a comprehensive package of materials to support the practical sessions. The classes were very well received by parents, to the extent that they were over-subscribed. This very successful partnership working with parents, as well as involving parents in their children’s learning, was also effective in promoting health and well-being.

3.5 Partnerships between schools and catering services had strengthened since the implementation of Hungry for Success. Catering staff were increasingly involved in school working groups, SNAGs and pupil councils, to promote the school meals service and healthy eating. In many schools, catering staff felt part of the school team and saw the positive impact of effective communication and consultation. Weaknesses in communication between senior managers and catering staff persisted in a number of schools. School staff, for example, were not always informed in advance of the introduction of new menus or other initiatives, while catering staff were not always advised when school events were likely to result in an increase or decrease in customers. In some cases, catering staff in schools were not involved in consultation on plans for the development of kitchen and dining areas. Examples of productive partnerships included:

sharing ideas and information on healthy packed lunches with parents and pupils;
working with school staff to encourage pupils to eat more fruit and vegetables and take fewer fizzy drinks and sweets to school;
presentations at assemblies or to pupils in class;
school meal displays provided at parents’ evenings; and
developing food skills courses for parents and their children.

Features of good practice: Partnership working

A group of experienced cooks was involved in developing realistic menus for one local authority. The group reviewed proposals for centrally-planned menus and provided feedback on:

ease of production across schools of varying sizes;
suitability in relation to equipment available in school kitchens;
practicality and suitability of recipes;
appropriateness for transportation to schools in outlying areas;
popularity with pupils; and
anticipated impact on uptake of meals.

This effective consultation and partnership working had led to greater ownership of the menus by cooks and their increased commitment to the overall implementation of Hungry for Success.

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