Setting the Table Guidance: Island Communities Impact Assessment

Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) for Setting the Table: Guidance Update

Name of Policy, Strategy or Service: Setting the Table: Guidance Update

Step One – Develop a clear understanding of your objectives

• What are the objectives of the policy, strategy or service?
• What are the intended impacts/ outcomes and how do these potentially differ across the islands?

In October 2024, the Scottish Government will publish the revised Setting the Table – nutritional and food standards for early years childcare providers in Scotland, a national guidance publication for food provision in early years childcare provision.

This is an update to the existing Setting the Table guidance document. The aim of the guidance is to ensure that all children aged 0–5 years in funded or paid for childcare settings across Scotland are offered meals, snacks and drinks that meet their nutritional requirements and that are conducive to good health. The primary audience of the updated guidance is providers and practitioners delivering funded and paid for early learning and childcare (ELC) in Scotland. The updated guidance is aimed to be shorter, more concise and easier to follow whilst providing readers with signposting to relevant sector guidance.

Background

The Scottish Government's expansion to 1,140 funded hours of ELC introduced a universal entitlement to a free meal to all eligible children as part of their ELC day. This entitlement is not based on any eligibility criteria beyond being eligible for funded ELC (3 and 4 year olds and eligible 2 year olds). Provision of a free meal is a requirement under Quality Criteria 10 of the National Standard for funded ELC (breakfast, lunch or dinner), and settings must have a clear and comprehensive policy for the provision of healthy meals and snacks for children, consistent with Setting the Table, and ensuring that individual cultural and dietary needs are met.

Guidance Update

The Setting the Table guidance was originally published by NHS Health Scotland (now Public Health Scotland) in 2015 and updated in 2018 to reflect key policy and evidence changes. As a result of the expansion to 1,140 hours of funded ELC the need for a further update was identified. Following a pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and further changes in scientific evidence including recommendations from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) review on "Feeding young children aged 1 to 5 years", a Scottish Government led multi-partner working group was established to update the publication.

Regarding funded ELC, the updated Setting the Table will not, in itself, include any changes to existing policy, or set out any changes to current expectations on providers, as part of the Scottish Government's expansion to 1,140 funded hours of ELC to deliver a free meal as part of the ELC day (as set out in Criteria 10 of the National Standard).

The updated nutritional and food standards, as part of the updated guidance document, are expected to have a positive direct impact on all children aged 0–5 years in funded and paid for childcare settings across Scotland; ensuring access to healthy and nutritious meal, snacks and drinks as part of the ELC day. Whilst the updated guidance is expected to impact positively on all children, it is also expected that the revised advice will impact more strongly on those children considered most at risk of existing societal inequalities and not having their rights to appropriate and nutritious food fulfilled e.g. children from minority ethnic groups and with alternative religions or belief systems, children from low socio-economic backgrounds or living in poverty, and children with additional support needs (ASN).

The updated Setting the Table maintains a national approach and any changes to the current guidance are NOT expected to have a disproportionate effect on island communities which is significantly different from its effect on other communities across Scotland (including other island communities). The Scottish Government has therefore concluded that a full ICIA is not required for the publication of the updated Setting the Table.

Step two - Gather your data and identify your stakeholders

• What data is available about the current situation in the islands?
• Who are your key Stakeholders?
• How does any existing data differ between islands?
• Are there any existing design features or mitigations in place?

The Scottish Government led multi-partner working group established to lead on the update to Setting the Table includes representatives from organisations including Public Health Scotland (PHS), Food Standards Scotland (FSS), Care Inspectorate (CI), Education Scotland (ES), National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), Early Years Scotland (EYS), Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA), National Health Service (NHS), and Local Authority catering leads in Scotland.

Setting the Table is a national guidance document for ELC providers in Scotland. We do not currently have access to data on food delivery in ELC settings that is specific to island locations. The Scottish Government is exploring a range of options for sourcing further data and feedback on the provision of a free healthy and nutritious meal as part of the funded ELC day.

Step three – Consultation

• Is there are information already gathered through previous engagements?
• How will you carry out your consultation and in what timescales? Public meetings/Local Authorities/key Stakeholders
• What questions will you ask when considering how to address island realities?
• Separate consultation events for Island communities/Local Authorities?

Informal Consultation (Sense Check)

A consultation (Sense Check) exercise of the full draft guidance document was undertaken between February and March 2024 seeking a view from key stakeholders of the multi-partner working group members leading on the update to the guidance document and external contacts with relevant expertise.

Members of group, including organisations that provide services for children and families in Scotland, were asked to share the full draft document with their respective partners for specific feedback on presentation, usability, comprehensibility for users, and any perceived issues with practical implementation across the sector (which includesELC providers delivering funded meal provision in island communities and settings). The Scottish Government also engaged with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) to reflect the interests of island communities. A range of relevant Scottish Government policy leads, as well as the Chief Medical Officer, Deputy Chief Medical Officer with responsibility for Public Health, and Senior Medical Advisor for Paediatrics were also invited to provide feedback on the draft document.

To ensure that the views of children and young people are appropriately reflected in the considerations of this guidance review as well as the wider policy, the approach to direct engagement with children has been to utilise existing channels through inspectorates and work already undertaken by sector representative bodies, as well as through the analysis of existing evidence and research which captures the views and interests of children. This updated guidance includes advice to ELC settings about approaches to engagement with and, the involvement of children and families in the menu planning process. Members of the multi-partner working group who maintain close working contact with providers and practitioners in ELC also considered sector needs as part of the guidance review.

There has been no direct engagement with island communities/local authorities as part of the update to Setting the Table. However, as above, the Scottish Government has engaged with organisations who provide services for children and families in order to reflect the interests of island communities in Scotland, including the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES).

Step four – Assessment

• Does your assessment identify any unique impacts on island communities? (Further detail in the Guidance):
  • Demographic
  • Economic

The key findings from the external Sense Check exercise highlighted a concern relating to the delivery of food provision in ELC settings located in islands communities, noting limitations on the availability of certain food products in local supermarkets.

As mentioned above, the updated Setting the Table maintains a national approach and any changes to the current guidance are NOT expected to have a significant effect on an island community which is significantly different from its effect on other communities across Scotland (including other island communities). To mitigate any potential risks associated with this issue, working group members agreed to include practical guidance in the updated guidance on the use of local products, including tinned, dried or frozen fruit or veg, if fresh fruit or veg is periodically unavailable.

A small package of support has also been put in place to meet the needs of the sector in respect of the implementation of the updated guidance. This includes a Scottish Government led webinar addressing key elements of the update guidance, and offering advice on the questions the sector might have following publication.

Further to this, the Scottish Government has concluded that a full ICIA is not required for the publication of the updated Setting the Table.