Improving Maternal and Infant Nutrition: A Framework for Action

policies for each nursery, provision of resources including parental packs. Slightlyfewer Boards (7) had work underway to improve the nutrition/food and drinkprovision for children cared for by childminders. There were some examples ofchildminders working in partnership with local oral health groups, and throughchildminding networks. In one area training updates have been provided forchildminders by an NHS Health Scotland staff member, an NHS paediatric dietician,and a health improvement programme lead from early yearsScottish Commission for the Regulation of Care (Care Commission)The Care Commission was set up in 2002 to help improve care services in Scotland.These services include child minders, foster care and adoption services, nurseries,day care services, care homes and private hospitals. As Scotland’s nationalregulator of care services, we register and inspect services, investigate complaintsand, where necessary, take legal action to make sure a service is meeting thestandard of care it should be. We publish our findings in inspection reports toencourage services to improve the quality of the care they provide. National CareStandards set out the standard of care that people can expect from any careservices they use. The standards are written from the point of view of people whouse care services. Published by Scottish Ministers, the standards cover every typeof care service.‘The National Care Standards for early education and child care up to the age of 16’set out the standards of care that children and their parents/carers can expect.According to the National Care Standards, children attending day care services canexpect to eat well. National Care Standard 3 states:• Each child or young person will be nurtured by staff who will promote his orher general wellbeing, health, nutrition and safety.• Children and young people have opportunities to learn about healthy lifestylesand relationships, hygiene, diet and personal safety.• Children and young people have access to a well-balanced and healthy diet(where food is provided) - which takes account of ethnic, cultural and dietaryrequirements, including food allergies.Following the publication of the Nutritional Guidance for Early Years in 2006 theCare Commission actively promoted this best practice and carried out a focusedinspection on standard 16 in early years services. Services were asked how theywere implementing the guidelines and the findings were published in the individual’sservice report.For further information contact: enquiries@carecommission.com4.24 Around half of Boards were doing work to improve the uptake of Healthy Start.Some Boards had a vitamin distribution programme, with one giving vitamins topregnant women at antenatal clinics and a supply to last until the baby’s firstbirthday. Mothers were also able to collect vitamins at local clinics though in practicenot all clinics stocked them. One Board reported they were taking part in a HealthyStart vitamin distribution pilot involving community pharmacies. A few areas (3) wereinvolved in work to target beneficiaries of Healthy Start, to support them in improvingtheir own and their family’s dietary intake. Community food development workersprovide much of this support, as do health visitors and public health nurses – to