Sessions at The Willows may include food and drink as a moment of connection and calm during a session, or when a young person brings a snack or packed lunch from home.

This policy sets out how The Willows manages food hygiene, allergen awareness, and the safe handling of food and drink during sessions. It applies to all food and drink consumed or prepared on site, whether brought from home or provided by The Willows.

This policy should be read alongside the Health & Safety Policy, First Aid Policy, and Risk Assessment Policy.

The safety of young people with food allergies or intolerances is a priority. Before a young person begins sessions at The Willows, parents, carers, or the referring school must provide details of any known food allergies, intolerances, or dietary requirements. This information is collected as part of the referral process and treated as confidential.

Where a young person has a known food allergy — particularly a severe or anaphylactic allergy — the following must be in place before sessions begin:

• Written confirmation of the allergy and the required response, provided by the parent or carer.
• Any prescribed medication (such as an EpiPen or antihistamine) must be brought to every session, clearly labelled with the young person's name and instructions for use.
• Nicola Bevan must be briefed on the allergy and the appropriate emergency response before the first session takes place.
• An individual healthcare plan or equivalent will be agreed with the parent, carer, and referring school where the allergy presents a significant risk.

Where a young person has a known severe allergy, The Willows will take reasonable steps to ensure that the allergen is not present in any food provided during sessions. However, parents and carers are asked to note that The Willows is a working outdoor environment and that complete elimination of all allergens cannot always be guaranteed. Where there is any doubt, parents and carers should provide all food and drink for their child.

Dietary requirements based on religious, cultural, or personal preference will also be respected. Parents and carers should inform Nicola of any such requirements at the point of referral.

Where The Willows provides food or drink as part of a session activity, the following standards apply:

• Only food that is within its use-by date and stored appropriately will be used.
• Food preparation surfaces will be clean before use.
• Hands must be washed thoroughly with soap and water before handling food — by both the young person and the practitioner.
• Food that requires refrigeration will be stored at the correct temperature and not left out for extended periods.
• Any food that appears spoiled, damaged, or of uncertain origin will not be used.
• Allergen information for any food provided by The Willows will be available on request.

The Willows does not operate as a food business and is not registered as a food premises. Food activities during sessions are incidental to the provision and are carried out on a small scale as part of the therapeutic and educational programme.

Young people may bring food and drink from home for consumption during sessions — for example, a packed lunch, snack, or water bottle. The following applies:

• Food brought from home is the responsibility of the parent or carer. The Willows is not responsible for the content, preparation, or safety of food brought from home.
• Young people should not share food with others during sessions, due to the risk of allergen exposure.
• Parents and carers are asked to ensure that food brought from home is appropriate for the session environment — for example, avoiding foods with strong smells that may affect the animals, or foods that require refrigeration if the session is on a warm day.

Good hand hygiene is essential at The Willows, both in relation to food safety and to the general hygiene risks associated with working with animals. The following applies at all times:

• Hands must be washed thoroughly with soap and water after handling animals, animal feed, or animal waste — and before handling or consuming any food or drink.
• Hand washing facilities are available on site. Young people will be reminded and supported to wash their hands at appropriate points during the session.
• Hand sanitiser is available as a supplement to hand washing but is not a substitute for it, particularly after contact with animals.
• Young people must not eat or drink while in direct contact with animals or in areas where animal waste may be present.

Working with animals carries a small but real risk of zoonotic infection — that is, illness passed from animals to humans. Food safety and hand hygiene are the primary controls for this risk. In addition:

• Animal feed must not be handled by young people without supervision and must never be tasted or consumed.
• Young people must not eat or drink in the stable, yard, or any area where animals are kept or where animal feed is stored.
• Any young person who shows signs of illness following a session — particularly gastrointestinal symptoms — should seek medical advice, and parents or carers should inform Nicola so that any potential zoonotic risk can be assessed.

In the event of a suspected allergic reaction or food-related illness during a session, the following steps will be taken:

• Stop the activity immediately and assess the young person's condition.
• If a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) is suspected — symptoms include swelling of the face, lips or throat, difficulty breathing, rapid pulse, dizziness, or collapse — administer the prescribed EpiPen if available and call 999 immediately.
• For milder reactions, administer any prescribed antihistamine if available and contact the parent or carer immediately.
• Record the incident in the accident log in line with the Accident Reporting Policy.
• Notify the parent or carer and referring school of any food-related incident, however minor.

This policy will be reviewed annually, or sooner following any food-related incident or a change in the young people attending sessions. The policy owner is Nicola Bevan.