Everyone needs a PANCo

Child obesity is headline news again – and not for good reasons. Former chief medical officer Professor Dame Sally Davies’ final report is a damning indictment of our lack of progress and warns of further problems ahead.

She predicts one in three children in the most deprived areas will be obese by 2030. And, as we all know, obesity is shorthand for poorer health outcomes and life chances in later life, as well as preventable conditions in childhood such as Type 2 diabetes and tooth decay.

What can nurseries do?

Nurseries are key in helping to mitigate the effects of the obesity crisis and provide the perfect vehicle to steering the well-being agenda. Children look up to adults in their environment as role models, so it is vital staff know how to achieve high well-being for themselves, how to encourage it in others and how to model it to children and families.

However, the challenge for many leaders and managers is how they can bring policies and practice together to support the well-being of everyone in the setting, including consistent healthy living messages.

At the same time, the recently published PHE Strategy 2020-25unequivocally points to the early years as a critical time for intervention to secure happy and healthy lives for future generations. The strategy advocates a joined-up approach that brings together national and local government, the NHS, charities, schools, higher education, voluntary groups, businesses and employers.

For those of us in early years who have been working across sectors for many years to introduce the national Physical Activity and Nutrition Co-ordinator (PANCo) role, this is music to our ears.

We have the frameworks

It’s time now to turn intentions into commitments. Professor Davies urges all sectors to go ‘further and faster’, recommending for early years that ‘food, drink and physical activity standards should be set and adhered to in all schools and nurseries’. This is achievable and we know from the evidence of our pilot work that it will have widescale benefits for both children and staff.

The national CMOs updated their physical activity guidelines this year, and there is clear national guidance for food and nutrition.

The missing link in many settings is a person who is trained in, and responsible for, promoting health – and this is why the PANCo role was created, now endorsed by CACHE as a Level 4 qualification.

Given the scale of the challenge to turn the tide on obesity and poor levels of well-being, it’s time we moved towards championing the health and well-being of children in early years as the norm, rather than the exception, in every setting.

The recently updated Ofsted inspection guidance makes it clear that our sector has a responsibility for the health and well-being of both children and staff.

Make PANCos mandatory

One way to go ‘further and faster’ would be to make the PANCo a mandatory role in every setting, in the same way that SENCos are now recognised for their vitally important work.

As early years providers we are in a unique position to make a real difference to the future health of our children, and the new PANCo role is at the forefront of that endeavour. The qualification provides the essential specialist skills for early years professionals, first line managers and leaders, who are crucial in supporting and sustaining well-being.

While preventing obesity is a complex issue that demands political and societal changes, there is no shortage of guidance for early years educators. Having a PANCo working in every early years organisation ensures that the whole setting reinforces the value of physical activity and healthy eating in everything that they do. It is an inclusive and sustainable approach that involves everyone: staff, children, parents and carers, health professionals and the wider community.

We’ve got the framework, we’ve got the evidence and we’ve got the guidance. Together we stand a real chance of improving the chances of our young children, but we must take action now.

Professor Davies’ recommendations from Time to Solve Childhood Obesity

• To rebalance the food and drinks sold to favour healthy options, through regulation – including extending the soft drinks levy to sweetened milk-based drinks with added sugar.
• Allow children to grow up free from marketing, signals and incentives to consume unhealthy food and drink – including prohibiting eating and drinking on urban public transport, except fresh water, breastfeeding and for medical conditions.
• Protect and prioritise our children’s health and rights while making trade deals.
• Invest in and design the built environment to create the opportunities for children to be active and healthy.
• Take action to improve exercise and healthy weight in pregnancy, breastfeeding rates and infant feeding.
• Ensure schools and nurseries play a central role, supported by Ofsted monitoring. Food, drink and physical activity standards should be set and adhered to in all schools and nurseries.

Download the report here