The LionsDen Award for Writing Excellence – Healthcare Professionals

Summary of work

The Infant & Toddler Forum (ITF) is a community social responsibility initiative supported by an educational grant from Danone Baby Nutrition with the aim of promoting healthy eating and active lives for young children. Having a identified a gap in available resources, the ITF developed the Portion Sizes for Children 1-4 years Factsheet, which provides evidence-based guidance on portion size ranges to equip healthcare professionals (HCPs) with the confidence and knowledge to advise parents and carers. The challenge was to develop materials that could be easily accessible in the community setting and would be relevant to a wide range of professionals involved in the care of young children. The clear, accessible style of the materials meant that they could be both used directly by HCPs and also, where appropriate, be recommended for use by parents. A review of all the available evidence on portion size ranges was undertaken and the Forum consulted with a range of stakeholders to ensure guidance was clear, complete and in alignment with guidelines from the Department of Health and relevant professional bodies. The ITF’s award-winning portion size materials are now used as best practice guidance by HCPs in a range of childcare settings.

Judges comments

There’s a clear need for this work. The fact that they had very clearly identified their two key audiences, and then aimed to reach both of them, is a worthwhile task. It’s not easy to write for dual audiences and this work succeeded, using an innovative approach to communicating an important issue with good visual backup.