Download REHIS Journal 20/2 (Summer 2008) - The Royal ...

Environmental Health Scotlandnutrition skills joint award now on the menuby Graham Walker, Director of TrainingThis new Joint Award was developed by the Institutein partnership with Foodwise, an Approved REHISTraining Centre, to teach participants everythingthey need to know about preparing and deliveringhealthy cooking classes and workshops to childrenand adults. The intensive course covers nutritionand food hygiene, group work and teaching skills,community development and practical cookery,participatory appraisal techniques, and participantsmust complete a placement that covers planning,recruiting, delivering and evaluating a six weekcooking skills course to parents and children. It isideal for school and nursery staff, community workersand care staff.The course consists of three modules at differentlevels.Nutrition Skills Level One - 21 hours (7 x 3 hoursessions) of nutrition covering the Eatwell Plate,labelling, energy balance, budgeting, menu planning,weight management and physical activity.Nutrition Skills Level Two - 24 hours (6 x 3 hoursplus REHIS Elementary Food Hygiene Certificate)includes group work and teaching skills, lesson planning,dealing with problems, community development,practical cookery and preparation for placement.Nutrition Skills Level Three - The placement involvesplanning, preparing, facilitating and evaluating 6 x2 hour practical cookery sessions plus a feedbacksession.Students are required to put together a portfoliowith evidence of their placement, homework andexercises completed in class. These portfolios are thenassessed by the tutor.Key Objectives• Introduction to the Eatwell Plate model• Importance of physical activity• Factors which affect food intake• Factors affecting oral health• Identifying foods high in fat and sugar• Effects of fat and salt on health• Healthy eating on a budget• Importance of fluids• Menu planning• Group teaching skills• Cooking skills• Elementary Food Hygiene• Community development• Lesson planning• Evaluation methodsCourse DeliveryThe course is delivered over 15 weeks for threehours per week with about one hour of homeworkeach week. It also involves a six week placement.Delegates are issued with handouts and must compilea portfolio which is assessed at the end of the course.The First CourseThe Joint Award got off to a good start with aninitiative supported by West Lothian Council’sDepartment of Education. The course was deliveredby Foodwise Training to West Lothian schools staffand the successful candidates were awarded theircertificates at a ceremony at St Margaret’s Academyin Livingston recently.Moira Niven, West Lothian Council’s Head ofEducation (Development), and Robert Howe, Presidentof REHIS, presented the awards.The initiative meets the recommendations for theHungry for Success Challenge and also fulfilselements of the Healthy Schools Model as well asdeveloping the four capacities of a Curriculumfor Excellence.The initiative was praised by Richard LochheadMSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and theEnvironment, who said: “This sounds exactly like thekind of idea we are hoping will come forward, whichblends developing children’s awareness of food andnutrition, as well as giving them the basic skills toprepare food and gets their parents involved so thatthe learning is carried into the home”.28