The Feeding Trust

The Feeding Trust aims to make a difference to children’s lives

In July 2019 a local feeding team won a Generation CAN Symphony award for inspirational teamwork in helping children improve their feeding.

Six months later the team went on to launch The Feeding Trust, a not-for-profit community interest company to provide a specialist service for children and young people not available on the NHS.

Founded by local experts in the field of paediatric feeding disorders (PFD), they have opened a feeding clinic, situated in Waseley Hills Country Park.

Paediatric feeding disorders (PFD) are significant difficulties with eating and drinking, associated with medical, nutritional, feeding skill, and/or psychological factors. Difficulties are present in around 25% of typically developing children, rising to around 80% in children with developmental difficulties such as autism. There are a number of myths around feeding, such as it is an easy and instinctive process that will naturally occur when a child is hungry. In fact, feeding is a multistep process and a skill that has to be acquired and learnt.

Treating children and young people who have PFD is complex and involves the whole family. PFD can make mealtimes incredibly stressful for parents and can be traumatic for children. The Feeding Trust have an experienced team of feeding therapists from the fields of: occupational therapy, speech & language therapy, Nutrition & dietetics and clinical psychology who offer full assessments and the right treatments, all in one place.

The Feeding Clinic offers a service for children who have extremely limited diets because they either can’t eat (due to physical or medical problems such as food allergies and severe reflux, developmental problems such as Down’s Syndrome) or won’t eat (due to food aversion, food fear, sensory sensitivity or other psychosocial factors.)

The Feeding Trust are motivated by the real difference they make to the everyday lives of children, young people and their families with feeding difficulties. Through their values they aim: • To empower – through education and training for all • To make a difference – to the everyday lives of children, young adults and their families • To be collaborative – all professionals, working together in one place • To be experts – delivering highly specialised, evidence-based therapy • To be welcoming – to make it a fun experience • To make mealtimes good times For more information visit www.feedingtrust.org call 0121 289 320 or email: admin@feedingtrust.org Follow The Feeding Trust on Instagram @ thefeedingtrust, on Twitter @thefeedingtrust or on Facebook at The Feeding Trust.