The Startwell Award is a healthy lifestyle award for Early Years settings in Birmingham focusing on healthy eating and physical activity. Each setting working on the award will have a Startwell Consultant to support them achieve the award.
The Startwell Award has seven set criteria and one additional criteria for the settings to pick. All of the criteria use the Startwell characters and key messages to embed healthy eating and physical activity into the everyday practice of settings. The criteria guides a setting to achieve their award by covering a range of areas including Startwell training, supporting settings in developing the confidence to implement food and physical development activities for all ages, adapting their environment and menus and support in parent engagement.
The Startwell Consultant supports settings by visiting the setting to look at their existing practice and help the setting identify areas of improvements they want to work on to enable them to meet the Startwell Award criteria.
The Startwell Award takes between 12-18 months to achieve and is then reviewed after 18 months. Throughout this process the Startwell Consultant will meet staff at their setting to support them. Settings have to show that they are meeting each criteria to achieve the award. Settings are asked to keep evidence throughout their Startwell journey, either compiled in a Startwell scrapbook or in the setting’s electronic learning journal platform to record good practice. The Startwell Consultants also see evidence of good practice at their visits to settings.
All settings attend mandatory centralised training as part of their award to ensure they feel confident and competent in the delivery of the Startwell key messages in their settings.
