Healthy Start Scheme survey

Background

In the UK, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk, as well as vitamins, if you are more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child aged under 4, and are on certain benefits or under 18 years old.

We know that about 75% of people who would are eligible take up the Healthy Start scheme, but fewer take advantage of the vitamins. We would like to see everyone who is eligible to take advantage of the scheme, as evidence tells us that healthy food and vitamins make a huge difference to parents and their children in the early years of their growth. If you need any information or help applying for the scheme, contact one of our Family Hub.

Have your say

We want to know if we can make it easier for people to find out about and use the scheme. We would like to hear from people who have used or already use the scheme, as well as people how had not heard about it.

Survey findings

Thank you for taking part in the survey. The 62 responses were grouped into the following themes: 

• knowledge and awareness of the Healthy Start scheme and Healthy Start vitamins
• applying to the Healthy Start scheme / use of Healthy Start card in shops
• benefits of Healthy Start scheme (healthy food and vitamins)
• access to Healthy Start vitamins

 You told us:

• Most people found it "easy" to apply to the digital Healthy Start scheme. However, those who found it difficult, cited confusion around eligibility criteria for the scheme.
• The majority of Healthy Start users felt that scheme saved them money, helped them buy healthier food and assisted with budget planning.
• Generally, the Healthy Start card is well received in local shops but at times, some respondents found it challenging to understand how to use the card when buying items not eligible under the scheme.
• For both the Healthy Start scheme and the Healthy Start vitamins - there was a major difference between where people expected to hear about the scheme/vitamins and where they actually heard about it.
• There is some lack of awareness regarding where to obtain Healthy Start vitamins (current collection point: all County Durham Family Hubs). Some also reported that getting the vitamins was "too difficult".

Next steps - we will:

• develop an awareness campaign to advertise:
  • the benefits of Healthy Start scheme
  • the need for healthy food and vitamins in pregnancy and in young children
  • how to obtain the Healthy Start vitamins
• ensure that partner organisations are aware of the Healthy Start scheme when working with families

We will use your feedback to work with our health partners and Family Hubs to find ways of making the scheme easier to access in the future.