Nutrition - BAPEN toolkit

BAPEN (British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition) has produced a toolkit to help commissioners and providers "ensure that nutritional issues are being met within all service plans and that best nutritional care is embedded in all UK health and care settings" (BAPEN 2012, p.16).

The intention is to promote a "framework of thinking" for commissioners and providers and their service users that would provide a systematic approach to the incorporation of nutritional care and outcome measures when discussing care services in any setting.

Tool 1: Assessment of population at risk of malnutrition

The purpose of this tool is to quantify the numbers in the local population who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition, and who may therefore need nutritional care. It includes prevalence rates for both adults and paediatrics.

Tool 2: Assessment of current screening and provision of nutritional care

This tool identifies settings where nutritional screening and support should occur. It provides a way, together with the data from the needs assessment (tool one) to identify gaps in provision.

Tool 3: Development of nutritional screening, assessment and care pathways

The purpose of tool three is to design nutritional screening, assessment and care pathways that meet agreed standards. It includes a seven step approach to ensuring that these key decision points are based on best available evidence.

Tool 4: Education and training: knowledge skills and competencies of staff involved in nutritional screening, assessment and care planning

This tool helps providers determine the level of education and training required for each service that is commissioned.

Tool 5: Service specifications and management structures for nutritional care

A five step checklist to assist teams in developing specifications for nutritional care in all local settings and management structures.

Tool 6: Quality frameworks for nutritional care

Commissioners can use tool six to check that organisations providing care to the local population are giving nutrition the priority it requires.

Tool 7: Quality indicators, monitoring and review

This tool provides nine assessment parameters and associated assessment criteria. The assessment parameters include: adherence to policies on nutritional screening/assessment; communication of nutritional information; patient information sheets and menu capacity.

Tool 8: How good is the nutritional care you deliver

This is BAPEN's 'At a glance guide' for a baseline assessment. It asks 11 questions under the heading 'What are you currently doing to deliver good nutritional care?' and against each of these questions points to the most relevant resources and support to help with redesign of nutritional services.