Delivering I can Cook it!

Guidelines for

Organisations and Tutors

NHSCT COOK IT! TEAM

Revised September 2015

Contents

Page

Introduction 3

What is the I canCook it! programme? 3

What is the role of the Cook It! team? 4

Who is I canCook it! for? 4

Special dietary requirements 5

Who are the I canCook it! tutors? 5

How can I access an I can Cook it! tutor? 6

What facilities and equipment are required? 6

What are the insurance issues? 7

Compulsory visit from Cook It! Team 7

Payment for I canCook it! tutors 7

Working in partnership 8

How much will it cost to run an I can Cook it! programme? 8

Guidance for I canCook it! tutors wishing to deliver 9

I canCook it! for another organisation

Contact details 10

I canCook it! equipment list 11

Introduction

I canCook it! is a healthy eating and cooking skills programme which has been produced by the Public Health Agency especially for use in Northern Ireland. It is aimed at groups of people living with a learning disability where ‘cost is a consideration’ and is designed to enable participants to gain experience preparing and cooking healthy food on a limited budget. I can Cook It! has been adapted from the Cook It! Programme in order to cater for the needs of individuals with mild to moderate learning disabilities.

This document offers practical guidance and advice for organisations who are interested in delivering I canCook it! as part of their programme. Further information can be obtained from the Cook It! Team (see page 10 for details).

What is the I canCook it! programme?

I can Cook it! is made up of eight sessions, each lasting approximately 2 hours and includes information on healthy eating (using the Eatwell Plate model shown below), basic food hygiene principles and practical ‘hands-on’ cookery.

The eight sessions making up an I Can Cook it! course, are summarised below:

Title / What’s included?
Session One: / Hygiene, food and kitchen safety / Kitchen safety, personal hygiene and safe handling of food and practical cooking
Session Two: / Health on a Plate / Introduction to the Eatwell Plate andpractical cooking
Session Three: / Finding out about Fibre / ‘Bread, rice, potatoes and other starchy foods’ food group and practical cooking
Session Four: / Fabulous Fruit & Vegetables / ‘Fruit and vegetables’ food group and practical cooking
Session Five / Counting on Calcium / ‘Milk and dairy foods’ food group and practical cooking
Session Six: / Protein Providers / ‘Meat, fish,eggs,beans and other non dairy sources of protein’ food group and practical cooking
Session Seven: / A little bit of what you fancy / ‘Foods and drinks high in fat and or sugar’ food group; food labelling
Session Eight: / Summary and celebration / Recap of key nutrition and food hygiene messages

During I canCook it! sessions the participants work together to prepare and cook one or two dishes from the recipes contained in the I can Cook it! manual. Completed dishes can then be tasted and shared by the participants and this provides an opportunity to try new foods in a supportive ‘social’ environment.

Each session includes a number of activities, specifically designed to support those living with a learning disability, that reinforce the messages about healthy eating and food hygiene. This combination of practical cooking and activities not only makes the course very enjoyable, but alsoenables healthy changes to be made to shopping, cooking and eating habits. Take home recipes and key messages have been incorporated into the programme in order to encourage carers and family member involvement.

I canCook it! has been developed with the guidance of Mencap equality officers, Cook It coordinators, dietitians working in the field of learning disablilty and health promotion improvement specialists and has been piloted within the Western Health and Social Care Trust.

The programme is delivered by tutors who have attended I can Cook it! training. In the Northern Trust area this training is organised and delivered by the NHSCT Cook It! Team.

What is the role of the Cook It! Team?

The Northern Trust Cook It! team consists of dietitians, a development officer and a dietetic support worker. They are responsible for I canCook It! training within the whole Northern Trust and provide:

  • Support and guidance for organisations who wish to deliver I canCook it!
  • Training and updating sessions for I canCook it! tutors.
  • Additional I canCook it! materials and resources.
  • Small grants for I canCook it! delivery.
  • Development of the I canCook it! programme as appropriate.

Who is I canCook it! for?

The I can Cook It! programme is aimed at groups of people living with a mild to moderate learning disability who would like to enhance their cooking skills and who are interested in healthier eating, particularly where cost is a consideration. It is not suitable for those individuals with swallowing or feeding difficulties.

The healthy eating information covered in I canCook it! is designed to enable participants to cook and eat more healthily and is based on simple healthy eating principles that apply to most of the population. The information given is not suitable for some individuals e.g. frail elderly, adults or children with serious illness, infants or very young children.

Special dietary requirements

I canCook it! provides general healthy eating information aimed at preventing conditions such as heart disease and some cancers. It does not cover special dietary advice for conditions such as:

  • Diabetes
  • Raised cholesterol
  • Food allergy or intolerance
  • Coeliac disease

Participants with special dietary requirements may wish to attend I canCook it! and may find the healthy eating information beneficial. It is strongly recommended that prior to starting the course, tutors find out - in a confidential manner - if any participants have special dietary requirements and discuss these with the cook it! dietitian.

Tutors or organisations with queries regarding suitability of I canCook it! for a particular group are advised to consult with the Cook It! team using the contact details shown on page 10.

Who are the I canCook it! tutors?

I canCook it! tutors are recruited mostly from the community and voluntary sectors. Criteria for recruitment are as follows:

  • Must work with groups for whom I canCook it! is relevant (see above)
  • Must have access to a kitchen
  • Have group facilitation skills
  • Have a reasonable standard of literacy
  • Be prepared to deliver 2 Cook it! courses (8 participants in total) per year
  • Have some knowledge of cooking (formal catering qualifications are not necessary)

In addition I canCook it tutors are expected to:

  • Attend at least one update session organised by the Cook it! team each year.
  • Take part in evaluation as requested by the Cook It! team.

I canCook it! is a programme that is designed for group situations. Training is not offered to applicants who are working on a one to one basis with individual clients. Nor is training offered to organisations where a suitable kitchen is not available.

Becoming anI can Cook it! tutor

In the NHSCT area,I can Cook it! tutor training is held throughout the year in various locations. Details on upcoming dates can be obtained from the Cook It! team. Applications are submitted by each individual wishing to be trained as well as the manager of their organisation. Two forms therefore need to be completed:-

Tutor registration form - Completed by the applicant and contains their contact details, organisation they work for, their role, experience, why they want to be an I canCook it! tutor etc.

Manager’s form - Agrees to release applicant for training, updating and delivery of I canCook it! and verifies availability of funds, facilities, insurance etc.

Copies of these forms can be obtained from the Cook It! team.

How can I access a Cook it! tutor?

Most organisations hosting I canCook it! sessions, do so using their own staff or volunteers who have attended the 2 day I canCook it! Tutor training course. Other organisations have established links with community tutors and pay them a fee to deliver I canCook it! for their clients.

Tutors delivering I canCook it! on a self-employment basis are responsible for their own income tax and insurance.

There are also opportunities for entering into partnership with an organisation that has I canCook it! tutors and working together in order to deliver the programme.

(see ‘Working in Partnership’ section on page 8)

What facilities and equipment are required?

Delivering an I can Cook it! programme requires access to a suitable venue and equipment for cooking. Suitable premises should include the following:

  • A kitchen containing a domestic cooker (with working oven), fridge and sink with hot and cold running water.
  • Space to work and eat together – table and chairs etc. This may be in the kitchen or in a separate room.
  • Kitchen equipment – saucepans, kitchen utensils, plates, cups, cutlery etc – sufficient available for the group to prepare the dishes and afterwards, to eat together.
  • A first aid kit - containing plasters, bandages etc
  • Flipchart, paper and pens
  • Fire safety equipment – fire extinguishers, fire blanket etc

Premises where I canCook it! sessions are to be held should be assessed for suitability and safety prior to commencing the course. The Cook It! team can provide organisations and Tutors with guidance and assistance on request.

What are the insurance issues?

There are two important insurance issues which must be addressed before I canCook it! delivery commences:

Insurance for the building

The venue in which I canCook it! is held must to be covered by Public Liability insurance and I canCook it! should be listed on the insurance as one of the activities which takes place in the venue.

Insurance for tutors

I canCook it! tutors delivering I canCook it! as part of their work duties must be covered by the employing organisation’s insurance. Organisations are advised therefore to inform their insurers that they are providing theI canCook it! programme as part of their activities. Volunteers who deliver I canCook it! for an organisation should be similarly covered by the organisation’s insurance.

Organisations wishing to bring in a Community tutor to deliver I canCook it! should make sure that the tutor is insured before delivery commences. Community tutors are advised to take out their own insurance.

Organisations may also enter into a partnership with another organisation that has I canCook it! tutors among their staff. (see ‘Working in Partnership’ section on page 8)

Visit from the Cook It! team during your 8 week programme

A member of the cook it! team will carry out a visit during your 8 week programme. This visit will provide support and any required resources/ certificates can be brought along at this time. A suitable time can be arranged prior to commencement. Please note this visit is compulsory.

Payment for Cook it! tutors

I canCook it! tutors delivering the programme for their employing organisation do so as part of their work and receive the appropriate remuneration.

Volunteers delivering I canCook it! are generally paid expenses including travel.

I canCook it! tutors who deliver I canCook it! for another organisation usually do so for a fee (which may or may not include travel) and this can vary from tutor to tutor. These individuals will be working on a self-employed basis and subject to income tax.

Any organisation planning to bring in a tutor to deliver I canCook it! is strongly advised to make sure that the Tutor has completed I canCook it! tutor training.

Prior to commencing delivery of I canCook it!, the following should also be agreed with the tutor:

The fee that will be paid.

Any other payments e.g. travel.

Who will purchase the ingredients for cooking.

How reimbursement will be made.

The arrangement should then be confirmed with the tutor in writing.

Working in Partnership

There are considerable advantages, particularly for smaller organisations with limited staffing capacity, in working together with a partner organisation to deliver I canCook It!

For example, a small rural community group could seek funding for I canCook it! and then set up an agreement with another organisation which has I canCook it! tutors among its staff. The I canCook it! tutors would deliver the programme at the rural group’s premises as part of their work, but payment for delivering the programme would go to the organisation providing the tutors. Because I canCook it! is being delivered as part of the tutors employment, the insurance issues are covered. The organisation employing the tutors ought however to ensure their policy covers staff delivering in other venues.

Such partnership working makes I canCook it! accessible to groups who might otherwise have difficulty in holding the programme because of lack of manpower or facilities.

Organisations wishing to work in partnership with others are welcome to contact the Cook It! team for help and assistance in doing so.

How much will it cost to run an I canCook it! programme?

Estimates of some of the costs incurred in delivering an I canCook it! are shown below. These are based on delivery of aneight week I canCook it! course in a community venue to a group of 4-5 participants who prepare two recipes during each of the seven cooking sessions.

The costs shown below are an approximation and are intended only as a guide for budgeting purposes.

Item / Cost
£ p
Venue hire¹ (including kitchen) / 480 00
Ingredients for eight sessions (2 dishes per session) / 100 00
Food items for display purposes / 20 00
General admin for course (photocopying recipes and resources from pack; postage and telephone etc) / 30 00
TOTAL / £630 00

¹ Venue hire is calculated on three hours per session (1 hour preparation/clearing up and 2 hours for session delivery) at a rate of approx £20 per hour.

Other considerations:

Item / Details
Payment forI canCook it! tutor (organisations who bring in a tutor) / Costs for community tutoring vary but around £25 - £35 per hour is average. Allow 1 hour for preparation and 2 hours for delivery at each session. Negotiate with tutor or organisation and make sure agreement is in writing.
Public Liability Insurance / Ensured that the building has Public Liability Insurance prior to commencing I canCook it! course. List I canCook it! as a named activity.
Insurance for I canCook it! tutor / Organisation arranges insurance for tutor or tutor takes out own insurance or partnership set up with another organisation who provides insured tutors
Travel expenses for I canCook it! tutor / May be included in above. Arrange with volunteers how travel will be claimed and paid
Kitchen equipment + boxes for storing and transportation / See I canCook it! equipment list on page 11
Cutlery, crockery, glasses etc / May also be required if not already available in the kitchen.
Length of session / Sessions timed to last approx 2 hours-2.5 hours. Additional time required for tutor preparation –shopping, photocopying, setting up and clearing up venue.
If organising creche facilities allow 10-15 mins at beginning and end for settling in and collecting children.

Finding a Tutor

The Cook It! Team is responsible for I canCook it! tutor training in the NHSCT area. Organisations wishing to find a local I canCook it! tutor may contact the Team for advice in doing so or for information regarding training. Please note that the Cook It! team are not responsible for fees charged for I canCook it! delivery by other organisations or independent tutors.

Guidance forI canCook it! tutors wishing to deliver I canCook it! for another organisation

  • Find out the contact details of the organisation seeking to use your I canCook it! skills and keep them available
  • Find out when theI canCook it! course is planned, the venue, the number of participants anticipated and the needs of the individuals with in group.
  • Establish the rate at which you will be paid (if self-employed) and keep records of payments made – you will need them for tax purposes.
  • Check the insurance. Is the venue covered by Public Liability insurance? Do you have your own insurance? Establish in advance the responsibilities of each party, for example: organisation responsible for maintaining the venue in a safe, clean condition; tutor responsible for facilitating the course with the clients.
  • Once an agreement is reached with an organisation, request confirmation of terms in writing.
  • If possible visit the venue beforehand and find out what equipment is available. Is there a cooker, fridge, sink with hot water – all in clean and working condition? Do you need to supplement the cooking equipment eg saucepans, spoons etc? Are crockery and cutlery available for use? Can you get the use of a flipchart and TV and video/DVD (for Ban the Bugs in the home)?
  • Examine the fire exits to make sure they are not blocked. Is there appropriate fire equipment available in the kitchen – fire extinguishers, fire blanket?
  • Does the venue have an equipped First Aid Box? Where is it kept?
  • Ensure that cleaning and hand washing materials (washing up liquid, anti-bacterial surface cleaner, soap etc) are present at each I canCook it! session.
  • Make arrangements for getting into the venue before each session to get things ready. Check who will be responsible for locking up afterwards. If it is you, is there an alarm system which must be set? Where do you leave the key after each session?
  • Contact the Cook It! team (see below) and let them know when you plan to start delivering the programme so that you can receive resources and support during the course.
  • Find out if any of the group participants have any special dietary requirements and inform the Cook It! dietitian.
  • Make sure you complete and return your summary sheet to the Cook It! team giving details of the course including numbers of participants.

Contact Details

For further information and help please contact the Cook It! team at:

Cook It! Team

1st Floor – The Spine

Braid Valley Hospital

Cushendall Road

Ballymena

BT43 6HL

Tel: 028 2563 5276

E-mail:

I can Cook it! equipment list

  • Sharp knives
  • Bread knife
  • Palette knife
  • Chopping boards
  • Saucepans
  • Wok
  • Frying pan
  • Bowl
  • Wooden or silicone spoons
  • Cutlery, including tablespoons
  • Grater
  • Cup
  • Sieve
  • Kettle
  • Can opener
  • Ovenproof dish
  • Baking tray
  • Plates
  • Weighing scales
  • Whisk
  • Peeler
  • Potato masher
  • Apple corer
  • Measuring jug
  • Colander
  • Lemon squeezer
  • Garlic press
  • Pastry brush
  • Fish slice
  • Rolling pin
  • Wire cooling rack
  • Scone cutter
  • Serving dish
  • Glass
  • Blender
  • Tinfoil
  • Oven gloves

I:\COOK IT!\I Can Cook it!\NHSCT I can cook it!\NHSCT I Can Cook it! Guidelines.docx Page 1 of 11