Get Cheshire Eating Well Strategy 2026-2031

The five-year Get Cheshire West Eating Well strategy is supported by a delivery plan which details specific actions, roles and responsibilities. The delivery plan is a working document and will continue to be reviewed, refined and informed through emerging evidence, national and local priorities and local voice. The year 1 milestones have been included here to show what the strategy aims to achieve in the first year.

Year 1 milestones

Milestones for the first year of the strategy will include, but not limited to:

1. Establish and embed the Get Cheshire West Eating Well Steering Group

Governance arrangements, terms of reference and cross-sector membership agreed, with quarterly meetings established.

2. Secure formal endorsement of the Eating Well Strategy and adopt an Eating Well in All Policies approach

Eating well embedded across partner strategies, plans and decision-making processes, including implementation of the Healthy Weight Declaration commitments.

3. Develop a borough-wide Eating Well Outcomes Framework

Shared dataset and intelligence framework established to monitor diet, food access, food insecurity, inequalities and outcomes across the life course.

4. Launch a single Eating Well information and resources hub

Accessible platform providing consistent messages, information and signposting for residents, communities and professionals

5. Establish integrated neighbourhood delivery

Delivery aligned through Family Hubs, Integrated Neighbourhood Teams, social prescribing and other place-based partnerships to improve local outcomes.

6. Develop and implement a Healthy and Sustainable Food Procurement Framework

Food procurement standards reviewed and a shared framework introduced across council, education, leisure, health and commissioned services.

7. Develop a three-year West Cheshire Food Partnership Action Plan

Strengthening community food provision, addressing food insecurity and supporting coordinated action across partners.

8. Increase access to affordable food and reduce food insecurity

Gap analysis completed using the Food Equalities Tool, expansion of affordable food initiatives and stronger links between food support, welfare advice and social prescribing.

9. Produce a roadmap to support partners to work towards achieving Sustainable Food Places Silver Award

Recognition of progress towards a healthier, more sustainable and resilient local food system.

10. Publish the first annual Eating Well Progress Report

Reporting against outcomes, inequalities, system transformation measures and partnership achievements, with priorities refreshed as required.

How will we measure success?

Measures	Indicators
Stronger system transformation and partnership maturity	Partner engagement, adoption of policies, Healthy Weight Declaration commitments implemented, commissioning changes, neighbourhood collaboration, food environment improvements
Improved diet and nutrition outcomes	PHOF Adult 5-a-Day indicator, National Diet and Nutrition Survey
Improved overweight and obesity prevalence	PHOF National Child Measurement programme and Adult Active lives data
Increased breastfeeding rates	PHOF indicator for breastfeeding initiation and at 6-8 weeks
Increased school meal uptake and improved child diet	School meal uptake – Edsential, FSM uptake, Healthy Start Uptake, provision and uptake of inclusive meals
Increased access to affordable food	Food Partnership data
Improved cooking confidence across age groups	Potential project – baseline and post-delivery
Reduced food insecurity	National data (Food Foundation)
Improved nutrition among older adults	Malnutrition data
Reduced inequalities in diet-related outcomes	Incidence of diet-related disease by IMD, sex, age and race
Stronger system integration	Number and level of engagement of partners across the system

This strategy recognises that eating well is shaped by systems, environments, communities, and personal circumstances.

By taking a balanced life-course approach, partners across Cheshire West and Chester can support children to get the best start, enable adults to live healthier lives, support older people to remain independent and reduce inequalities across the population.