FOOD – PLANNING AND PREPARATION

Introduction
North West Support Services (NWSS) recognises the importance of nutritional food for good health, wellbeing and affordability.

Applicability

• When —  applies when any personnel have to prepare meals for any of the people, we support
• Who — Applies to all personnel involved in planning for and preparing and providing food

Policy statement

The people we prepare food for, as part of their support, need and deserve to have nutritional, varied, interesting and affordable meals.

NWSS has a responsibility to learn about the food likes and dislikes of the people it prepares meals for and balance their choices with new options to try and adopt.

Takeaway food is not known for nutritional value, is not good value for money and can worsen some health challenges.

The place for takeaway food in the diets of people we prepare meals for must be for good reasons such as related to an important social calendar event.

The purchase of takeaway food must be checked, before purchase, with a management team member.  The staff member making the request needs to be prepared to answer the following questions:

1.    What is the event or reason for purchasing the takeaway food?
2.    Does it suit all of the people the takeaway food is being purchased for?
3.    When was the last time that takeaway food was purchased and why?

The management team member who is consulted will consider the following decisions:

1.    Give the OK for the purchase
2.    Give a conditional OK for the purchase such as supplementing the take away food with some home cooked ingredients
3.  Give a conditional OK for the purchase with specific instructions for individuals
4.    Withhold permission and request that a home cooked meal be provided

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Neal Rodwell
General Manager : North West Support Services
Tel: 0418 140 000