Reading List

These official sources underpin the course content and are suitable for supervision, policy review and refresher learning. Core food-safety and allergy guidance is drawn mainly from the Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland and NHS publications, with separate signposting where residential frameworks or food-safety arrangements differ across the nations.

Core food-safety and allergy guidance

• Food Standards Agency: Safer food, better business
  Practical guidance on food-safety management, cleaning, contamination control and safer kitchen practice.
• Food Standards Agency: SFBB for caterers - full pack
  Detailed working pack covering cooking, chilling, cleaning, cross-contamination, stock control and staff illness.
• Food Standards Agency: Safe Catering
  Northern Ireland food-safety management guide for caterers, useful where SFBB does not apply.
• Food Standards Agency: Allergen guidance
  Business guidance on allergen information, handling and related resources.
• Food Standards Agency: Allergen guidance for institutional caterers
  Guidance for organised settings where people rely on others to prepare safe food.
• Food Standards Agency: Allergen Information for Non-Prepacked Foods Best Practice: Summary
  Practical advice for takeaway, loose-food and verbal allergen information risks.
• Food Standards Agency: Advice for teenagers and young adults with a food allergy
  Guidance on managing real-world allergy risks when ordering food or when someone feels reluctant to ask questions.
• NHS: Anaphylaxis
  Clear NHS information on recognising a severe allergic reaction and when to call 999.

Healthy eating and children's homes context

• GOV.UK: The Eatwell Guide
  Government model for a balanced diet over time.
• GOV.UK: Children's homes regulations, including quality standards: guide
  England statutory guidance covering health, routine and everyday care in residential child care.
• GOV.UK: Social care common inspection framework (SCCIF): children's homes
  Inspection context for safe care, health support and day-to-day practice in England.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland signposting

• Care Inspectorate Wales: National Minimum Standards for Children's Homes
  Wales guidance on residential care expectations and quality of daily living.
• gov.scot: Nutritional Guidance for Children and Young People in Residential Care Settings
  Scotland guidance for menu planning, healthier balance and residential care food support.
• Food Standards Scotland: Managing food allergies
  Scotland guidance on allergen awareness and safe management.
• RQIA: Minimum Standards for Children's Homes
  Northern Ireland standards for children's homes and safer care expectations.

Across the UK, the safest shared principle is simple: serve food only when you are confident it is clean, correctly identified and right for that child.