Individual Health Plan for children with long term illnesses and medication

6.6 Food hygiene

Policy statement

LGMS provide and/or serve food for children on the following basis:

• Snacks.
• Meals.
• And by prior arrangement Packed lunches.

LGMS maintain the highest possible food hygiene standards with regard to the purchase, storage, preparation and serving of food.

We are registered as a food provider with the local authority Environmental Health Department. 

Procedures

• Our staff with responsibility for food preparation understand the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) as it applies to our setting. This is set out in Safer Food, Better Business for Caterers (Food Standards Agency 2011). The basis for this is risk assessment of the purchase, storage, preparation and serving of food to prevent growth of bacteria and food contamination.

• All our staff follow the guidelines of Safer Food, Better Business.
• All our staff who are involved in the preparation and handling of food have received training in food hygiene.
• The person responsible for food preparation and serving carries out daily opening and closing checks on the kitchen to ensure standards are met consistently. (See Safer Food, Better Business)
• LGMS use reliable suppliers for the food LGMS purchase.
• Food is stored at correct temperatures and is checked to ensure it is in-date and not subject to contamination by pests, rodents or mould.
• Packed lunches are stored in a cool place; un-refrigerated food is served to children within 4 hours of preparation at home.
• Food preparation areas are cleaned before and after use.
• There are separate facilities for hand-washing and for washing-up.
• All surfaces are clean and non-porous.
• All utensils, crockery etc. are clean and stored appropriately.
• Waste food is disposed of daily.
• All staff must wear blue gloves and aprons when serving food.

• Cleaning materials and other dangerous materials are stored out of children’s reach.
• Children do not have unsupervised access to the kitchen.
• When children take part in cooking activities, they:

• are supervised at all times;
• understand the importance of hand-washing and simple hygiene rules;
• are kept away from hot surfaces and hot water; and
• do not have unsupervised access to electrical equipment, such as blenders etc.

Reporting of food poisoning

Food poisoning can occur for a number of reasons; not all cases of sickness or diarrhoea are as a result of food poisoning and not all cases of sickness or diarrhoea are reportable.

• Where children and/or adults have been diagnosed by a GP or hospital doctor to be suffering from food poisoning and where it seems possible that the source of the outbreak is within our setting, the manager will contact the Environmental Health Department to report the outbreak and will comply with any investigation.
• LGMS notify Ofsted as soon as reasonably practicable of any confirmed cases of food poisoning affecting two or more children looked after on the premises, and always within 14 days of the incident.

Legal framework

• Regulation (EC) 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs

Further guidance

• Safer Food Better Business (Food Standards Agency 2011)