Recent changes in legislation mean that all childminders are now required to register as a food business with their local Environmental Health Department. Registration is free.
The mailout also contained a registration form.
It is unlikely that many childminders
will actually be visited by an Officer from the Environmental Health Team, as Childminders
are considered low risk, usually only providing meals to a small number of children.
However, as you will note from the letter ‘the legislation also gives food safety
officers the power, at any reasonable time, to inspect parts of your house used to
store or prepare food.
As a Childminder, if you provide food for the children that you look after, you are
deemed to be running a food business.
This means that you should comply with relevant
food hygiene legislation.
Inspections are not usually carried out at premises that are considered to present
a low-
such as childminders.
Food Hygiene
Regulation (EC) No 852/2004
on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs
Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006
From 1 January 2006, a number of new food hygiene Regulations apply in the UK. This now means all Ofsted Registered Childminders must register with their local Environmental Health Office as a Food Business.
Bromley Early Years and Childcare Service have been working closely with the Environmental Health team and in September 2006 the following documents were sent out to all Registered Childminders in the Early Years mailout.
Downloads
Leaflet Contents include:
Buying Food
Storing Food
Preparing Food
Cooking, Cooling and Reheating Food
Cleaning and Disinfection
Personal Hygiene
Food Hygiene Training
Food Premises Registration
Food Poisoning and
Viral Gastroenteritis
Food Allergy and Intolerance
Further Information
For further information or advice about food hygiene or infection control, please contact:
Food Safety Team
Environmental Health and Trading Standards
Civic Centre
Stockwell Close
Bromley
BR1 3UH
Tel: 020 8313 4830 – ask for the Food Safety Team
Email: food@bromley.gov.uk
If you are a Registered Childminder outside the Borough of Bromley
please contact
your Childminding Development Co-
your local authority or your local
Environmental Health Office
for further guidance.
BCMA strongly recommends that all Childminders complete some basic Food Hygiene training, to ensure they are up to date and providing the best care for their minded children. Completion of this training will be an excellent way to demonstrate to your Ofsted Inspector that you are ‘keeping Children Healthy’
Training is available through the local colleges
However if you are unable to attend a whole days training then you may like to consider completing the course via Distance Learning
Further information on Food Handling
can be found on the following websites:
It is our understanding that
all Childminders must register with the Environmental
Services, even if you do not cook for the children but give them the food their parents
have provided in a lunch box.
This PDF leaflet is available to download
FOOD HYGIENE
