Early Years settings in Medway can get free support, training and recognition through the Healthy Early Years (HEY) Awards.
Open to all accredited early years settings in Medway, the HEY Awards provide a framework to help them promote a healthy lifestyle to the children and families they work with.
The awards are designed to help compliment and enhance the work early years settings are already undertaking, with free training and workshops available to help support them.
There are four levels of award to work towards; bronze, silver, gold and platinum.
Each award focuses on different aspects of being healthy, including physical activity, healthy eating, oral health and emotional wellbeing.
Cllr Teresa Murray, Deputy Leader of Medway Council and Portfolio Holder for Public Health, said: “We know the incredible work that early years settings do, and the HEY Awards are there to help support them, and recognise their hard work. This is a brilliant initiative which encourages setting healthy habits early on in life for children, but there’s also a ripple effect with their families getting that support and making healthier choices too.”
Two Gold HEY Award holders, Boundary Road Nursery in Chatham and Kiddiwinks in Gillingham, recently achieved a ‘Good’ rating in their Ofsted report. Both recognise the contribution being a Healthy Early Years setting had towards their successful reports.
Christine McIlheron, Owner of Boundary Road Nursery, said: “We were so pleased to get our ‘Good’ Ofsted report recently. Being a Healthy Early Years nursery definitely contributed to our positive Ofsted. Through the awards scheme our staff have benefited from free training, which has really helped us to develop as a setting. Healthy living is embedded in our day-to-day practice and we’re really proud of the support we offer our families.”
Helen Adams, Manager at Kiddiwinks, said: “Our Healthy Early Years Gold Award journey has been rewarding and empowering. We’ve been able to support our families by embedding healthy living in our everyday practice. It was great to see this work recognised recently in our ‘Good’ Ofsted report, which spoke really positively about our parent cooking workshops, which have been well received. Ofsted also applauded our oral hygiene work with the children, encouraging them to brush their teeth through our fun and engaging toothbrushing experiences.”