Community Children’s Early Years Nutrition & Dietetics Service

Type of service provided:

Advice on healthy eating for families with children Under 4 years

Age Range:

0-4 years

The Service:

Introducing Solid Foods - sessions across Southwark Children’s Centres – group education for parents and carers with infants up to 1 year.

Nutrition Advice - held during Stay & Play sessions across Southwark Children’s Centres – opportunity for parents and carers to speak informally with dietitian about simple nutrition issues.

Positive Mealtimes – intervention for parents and carers of children aged 2-5 years old, who experience significantly difficult mealtimes due to food refusal, limited range of foods or challenging behaviour. Need to be able to commit to 3 consecutive weeks of 3 hour intervention. Child needs to be able to cope with 2 hours in crèche. By referral only.

Targeted sessions – we can tailor groups or deliver established sessions to meet specific needs e.g.: African Food Focus; Keeping Well Post-Birth; Young Mums Lunch Club

Training of Early Years staff – we deliver 4 rounds of nutrition training each academic year:
Healthy Eating in Children’s Centres and Policy Development

  • Infant Feeding and the Introduction of Solid Foods
  • Nutritional Issues and Difficult Mealtimes in 1-5 year olds
  • A Healthy Weight for Children in the Early Years

Team Around Child Meetings – we are able to attend these meetings as appropriate. (Please always discuss with dietitian first)

Who is the service for?

The service is for all children aged 0-4 years old and their families.

Criteria for access to service

Referral from a Health visitor for Positive mealtimes session only.

Accessibility of this service

Service operates in children centres and some health centres Monday to Friday 9-5 pm.

How this is provided:

The service is provided through group sessions .

How can I access this service?

To access group sessions please contact local children centre for information on groups that are running from their children centre

Do you need to pay for this service?

The service is free

Confidentiality and Impartiality

Service adheres to GSTT NHS Trust protocols on confidentiality and equality and diversity.

Training provided:

Training provided to Early Years Staff