Healthy and Sustainable Pre-School Scheme
The Healthy and Sustainable Pre-school Scheme (HSPSS) is a Welsh national accreditation programme that supports early years settings (full day care nurseries, preschools, childminders, flying start childcare settings) in promoting children's health and well-being.
By focusing on seven core health topics, it helps early years settings create environments that foster healthier lifestyles from the earliest age and supporting families.
The scheme focuses on seven key areas to help early years providers build environments that promote lifelong healthy habits for both children and their families. These core health topics are;
- Nutrition & Oral Health
- Physical Activity & Active Play
- Mental & Emotional Health
- Wellbeing & Relationships
- Environment
- Safety & Hygiene
- Workplace Health & Wellbeing
To get in touch please email the team at Powyshealthypreschools@wales.nhs.uk
Bach a Iach (Small and Healthy) is a Powys Healthy Preschool Team initiative designed to promote the ‘10 Steps to a Healthy Weight’. By focusing on the ‘Food and Fitness’ elements of the Healthy Pre-schools scheme, it supports both childcare settings and primary schools across the county.
Developed in partnership with Sport Powys and the Public Health Dietetics Team, the programme provides online training for early years and primary school staff, empowering them to improve nutrition education and physical literacy throughout the early years.
For more information on the training available contact Powyshealthypreschools@wales.nhs.uk
The Powys Gold Standard Healthy Snack Award celebrates childcare providers that go above and beyond in providing nutritious snacks and drinks to preschool children. It encourages a "whole setting" approach, integrating healthy food policies, positive eating environments, and good food hygiene practices.
Who is it for?
The award is open to all Powys-based childcare settings that prepare & serve healthy, balanced & nutritious snacks.
Settings that meet all criteria can achieve the prestigious Gold Plus award if at least one staff member is trained in Community Food and Nutrition Skills for the Early Years.
Watch a short video below explaining Powys’ Gold Standard Healthy Snack Award:
Watch this short video to hear first-hand experiences from a setting that achieved Powys’ Gold Standard Healthy Snack Award:
For more information contact at Powyshealthypreschools@wales.nhs.uk
The NYTH/NEST framework (Nurturing, Empowering, Safe, and Trusted) is a Welsh Government initiative designed to embed a whole-system approach to mental health and emotional well-being ensuring babies, children and young people, receive the right support from the right people, first time. It equips childcare professionals with the knowledge to deliver effective, early intervention for mental health in their daily practice, enhancing overall child wellbeing and resilience.
The NEST self-assessment tool is being used across Wales, by all sectors, to imbed the NEST principles into delivery.
Access the two 30-minute training modules, co-produced by HEIW (Health Education and Improvement Wales) here: NEST (Nurturing, Empowering, Safe, Trusted) - Ytydysgu Heiw.
Below you will find a series of useful resources relating to the Healthy and Sustainable Pre-school Scheme.
The link leads to Public Health Wales' webpage, offering infection prevention and control guidance specifically for childcare, preschool, and educational settings. It features essential operational standards, including exclusion periods for illnesses, practical checklists, and outbreak management protocols.
The link leads to the official Public Health Wales Complete Routine Immunisation Schedule page. It provides a comprehensive timeline detailing which vaccines are offered at specific ages, spanning from infancy (such as the 6-in-1 and MMRV vaccines) through teenage years and older adulthood.
This resource offers a comprehensive guide to vaccinations for babies and children aged 0 to 5, including FAQs and the immunization schedule for children over five. It covers key information regarding routine immunizations and post-infancy schedules.
The link leads to the official Welsh Government Food and Nutrition for Childcare Providers page. It delivers best-practice standards for serving balanced, nutritious meals, snacks, and drinks to children up to 12 years old. Covering why healthy eating matters for children, introducing solid foods, portion sizing, menu planning, and food safety standards plus much more.
The link takes you to the official food a fact of life webpage, a comprehensive food education platform managed by the British Nutrition Foundation. It provides early years specialists, educators, and parents with free lesson plans, activity ideas, and curriculum resources to teach young children about cooking, healthy eating, and food origins.
The link leads to the Every Child Wales webpage, an initiative run by Public Health Wales on behalf of the Welsh Government. It focuses on the "10 Steps to a Healthy Weight" framework, which guides parents on how to support their child's physical development from pregnancy through early childhood as well as providing trusted health information for professionals.
First Steps Nutrition Trust is an independent public health nutrition charity based in the UK. They endeavour to fill practical and policy-relevant information gaps and provide free resources and downloadable guides for health workers supporting eating well from pre-conception to five years.
This link takes you directly to the NHS Best Start in Life page, which features a curated collection of healthy, budget-friendly recipes and meal ideas. It provides step-by-step cooking instructions, ingredient lists, and nutritional guidance designed to help families plan nutritious meals easily.
The Nutrition Skills for Life public webpage offers credible, up-to-date resources designed to support healthy, budget-friendly eating for individuals and families across Wales. It serves as a central source for evidence-based nutritional information and community food project guidance.
- Get help to buy food and milk (Healthy Start)
This link takes you directly to the official NHS Healthy Start page, a UK government scheme helping pregnant women and parents of young children on low incomes. It details eligibility criteria, accepted retail locations, and application steps for getting financial support to buy milk, fruit, vegetables, pulses, and infant formula. - Dental health for children - Public Health Wales
This link takes you directly to the Public Health Wales Designed to Smile page. It details the national, NHS-delivered programme providing supervised toothbrushing and free fluoride varnish schemes within Welsh schools and nurseries to prevent childhood tooth decay. It also hosts downloadable implementation posters, toothbrushing charts, and contact details for local teams.