Food Hygiene, Diet and Nutrition

Target Audience

Care and Support staff in a variety of settings and Housing Support Teams who are providing direct care and support.

This course is for all learners who support people with their nutritional and dietary needs, including safe handling of food. Learners will develop their knowledge of nutritional requirements and they will be able to demonstrate an understanding of good nutritional requirements to support people to eat and drink well to support their good health.

This course is delivered using a range of methods and resources including:

• Face to Face tutor facilitation, questionnaires, scenarios for practical application of menu planning using the NHS Eatwell guide and an end of session assessment.

Face to Face tutor facilitation, interactive polls, knowledge checks, use of drawing tools, scenarios for breakout groups, questioning, participation, NHS Eatwell guide and an end of session assessment.

This course has been developed and mapped to current occupational standards, qualification frameworks and the following documents and resources:

• Food Standards Agency – Safer Food, Better Business

• NICE – Guidelines for Nutrition

• NHS – Eatwell Guide

Course Content

• Legislation, policy and procedures for food preparation and handling

• Consequences of poor food hygiene

• Food hazards

• The causes of food poisoning and their symptoms

• Personal hygiene

• Food handling, storage and preparation

• Promoting nutrition and hydration for a balanced diet

• The journey of food and medical conditions that impact nutrition

• Signs and symptoms of malnutrition and dehydration

• Documentation in fluid and nutrition care

• Supporting people to eat and drink so that their nutritional and hydration needs are met

Learning Outcomes

After attending this course, learners will be able to:

• State the current legislation, policy and procedures for food preparation and handling

• Describe the consequences of poor food hygiene practices

• Give an overview of the different types of chemical, physical and microbial food hazards

• Describe the different causes of food poisoning and recognise symptoms

• Given an example of excellent personal hygiene

• Explain how to actively promote the correct food handling, storage and preparation in line with food hygiene regulations

• Give an example of how to promote the importance of nutrition and hydration for people you support

• Define the term balanced diet and describe what a balanced diet contains using the Eatwell guide

• Describe the journey of food and list the medical conditions which could affect nutritional input

• List signs and symptoms of malnutrition and dehydration

• Explain the documentation involved in relation to fluid and nutritional needs

• Give an example of how you can promote the need for people to eat and drink so that their nutritional and hydration needs are met