Healthy Ireland Smart Start Preschool Programme – Kilkenny
Please see the below invitation to join the upcoming Healthy Ireland Smart Start Training:
Kilkenny Schedule – Healthy Ireland Smart Start Health Promotion Programme
Become a Healthy Ireland Pre-school Service (002)
‘Developing a Healthy Ireland Pre-school Service
Invitation to participate in the Healthy Ireland Smart Start Training Programme
Autumn Training 2018
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As we notify you about this upcoming Healthy Ireland Smart Start Programme, we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the following services who were recently approved as Healthy Ireland Pre-school Services by the National Healthy Ireland Validation Panel:- Busy Bees Childcare, Hugginstown Pre-school, Muckalee Community Project and Slieverue Community Playgroup Ltd.
Pre-school providers, staff and registered childminders are invited to participate in the forthcoming Healthy Ireland Smart Start Training Programme. This programme provides the information, training, resources and guidance required to become officially recognised by the HSE as a Healthy Ireland Pre-school service that promotes children’s health and well-being.
The training will be delivered one evening per week over 7 weeks in
- Kilkenny Education Centre, Callan Rd, Wetland, Kilkenny commencing Tuesday 23rd October 2018, 6.45pm – 9.30pm. Please see attached schedule for remaining dates. Link to online booking facility at end of email.
The programme builds on and enhances the existing knowledge and skills of Pre-school staff in promoting children’s health and well-being.
The programme includes a focus on the following topics:
- Health Promotion and the Role of Pre-school staff in Promoting Children’s Health and Well-being within the Pre-school setting
- Emotional Well-being/literacy
- Physical Activity
- Nutrition & Healthy Eating
- Oral Health
- Health & Safety
- Engaging in the validation process
Please view the Healthy Ireland Smart Start Programme in Action.
Click here to view the Healthy Ireland Smart Start Awards Ceremony.
Through the programme, participating staff are supported to achieve compliance with the Tusla Regulations for Early Years Services and to achieve many of the requirements of Síolta and Aistear. Evidence collated to meet the requirements of becoming a validated Healthy Ireland Pre-school service may also be used as evidence to achieve Síolta validation and vice versa. Feedback from both Tusla and the Department of Education and Skills following inspections of participating services has been very positive.
Participation in the programme requires management approval and support to enable staff to attend training and implement the learning into everyday practice. Staff must be made fully aware of the commitment involved in attending the training and implementing the programme. Information on what is involved may be accessed on the NCN website www.ncn.ie. A help desk facility will be available during and after delivery of training to help staff understand what is required in implementing the programme and in achieving validation as a Healthy Ireland Pre-school service.
In recognition of the valuable role Pre-school staff can play in promoting children’s health and well-being, the programme is heavily subsidised by the HSE and participating services will receive a range of resources for their settings and for the parents. Cost of training is €40 per service and one or two staff members may attend.
In order to participate in the Healthy Ireland Smart Start Training Programme you must agree to the following criteria:
- nominated staff must be willing to attend the full 21 hours of training or share attendance with other staff willing to share responsibility for implementing the programme
- participating staff must be willing to share learning from the programme with other staff members so as to implement the health promoting messages across the pre-school setting and into everyday practice
- a key person from the service must be nominated to liaise with NCN and support other staff implement the programme
- participating staff must be willing to share information from the training with parents including holding a Parents Information night or morning (this is an essential criterion for achieving the Healthy Ireland Award )
- supply a copy of your most recent Pre-school Inspection report
To book a place for your service please visit our online booking facility.
For further information please contact NCN on 047 72469 or visit the Healthy Ireland Smart Start section on our website.’
