The Healthy Start Scheme is a lifeline for many pregnant women and families with children under 4 in Liverpool. It is a means-tested government benefit designed as a nutritional safety net to improve access to a healthy diet for low-income families.

Over 6,800 pregnant women and parents/carers are eligible for the scheme in Liverpool, getting support to purchase good food: fruit, vegetables, lentils, milk, and free vitamins, to ensure every child gets the best start in life.

Only approx. 60% of eligible pregnant women and parents/carers across the city take up the scheme – meaning thousands of low income households are missing out on this vital support.

At the start of 2022 we asked ourselves “How can we improve the uptake of the Healthy Start Scheme in Liverpool?”.

From April 2022 – August 2022, Feeding Liverpool, partnering with Rachel Flood Associates Ltd, worked with pregnant women, families, Children’s Centre staff, Public Health, and Health Visitors to review the Healthy Start Scheme in Liverpool and developed a series of recommendations about how we could improve awareness and uptake of the scheme.

Below are the findings and recommendations of this piece of research in our Full Report and Executive Summary.

This work was kindly funded by Torus Foundation.

A Healthy Start For Liverpool Executive Summary

A Healthy Start for Liverpool Full Report

 

Please do join us at 9:15am to 10:30am on Wednesday 14th September for an online presentation of these findings and recommendations from Rachel Flood, who has led this piece of research. There will also be an opportunity to discuss the next steps for our city.

This online event is particularly aimed at:

• Health Care Professionals including representatives from Public Health, midwives, GP’s, health visitors, and members of Primary Care Networks
• Children’s workforce staff, including children centre staff, and staff from the private childcare sector
• Voluntary sector staff and volunteers who engage with pregnant women or families with children under the age of 4

For more information about the online presentation and to register to attend, click here.

For more information on Healthy Start visit: www.healthystart.nhs.uk