Communication

Effective communication and collaboration are essential for effective food waste reduction. By working together with staff within and between departments, food waste reduction becomes a shared responsibility and less burdensome.

• Communicate to staff why food waste is a problem
• Establish a meeting between the kitchen and care managers to discuss menu suitability and the residents' reception of food
• Communication established between the kitchen and activities coordinator, AND between the kitchen and reception
• Kitchen manager/head chef attends HCA handover meeting
• Establish a communication channel between villages/care homes to talk about food waste challenges

Communicate to staff why food waste is a problem

Good communication and collaboration within your organisation are critical for successful food waste reduction. Collaboration with staff members within your organisation who have different capacities and capabilities can make food waste reduction less onerous. Therefore, informing all staff members about a site’s focus on reducing food waste helps raise staff awareness about the issue and the changes being made to create a reduction.

Information to share with staff may include:

• The broader environmental and social issues associated with food waste
• Why the site has chosen to focus on food waste reduction
• Data from the initial food waste audit
• What changes will be made to help reduce food waste, such as setting a food waste reduction target, the appointment of a food champion, and other specific interventions?

Suggested steps for action:

• Decide how and when resources will be shared with staff
• ·   Share food waste information, and any reduction project updates with staff regularly and through multiple channels

Resources to support implementation:

• Project participation newsletter
• Key message for staff
• Educational posters
• Educational videos

Establish a meeting between the kitchen and care managers to discuss menu suitability and the residents' reception of food

Establishing a meeting between Kitchen and Care managers to discuss menu suitability and resident reception of food will help ensure that the meals you are serving are tailored to resident preferences and needs and allows the kitchen to have timely access to resident updates that impact food-related decisions.

 Suggested steps for action:

• Consider creating an implementation plan with key staff
• Discuss changes with staff to ensure they understand what changes are happening and why.
• Work with kitchen and care managers to support establishment of new communication channel
• Ensure a regular (e.g. weekly) time is set
• Have another staff member check-in to see how the meeting is working for both parties. Be prepared to make changes if necessary to help support information sharing

Resources to support implementation:

• Implementation planning
• Intervention tracker

Communication established between the kitchen and activities coordinator, AND between the kitchen and reception

Clear communication between the kitchen, activities manager, and reception staff helps prevent unnecessary food waste. By staying informed about resident outings and snack needs, the kitchen can better forecast meal numbers and avoid preparing food that won’t be eaten. A simple update can make a big difference—ensuring meals are prepared efficiently while reducing waste.

Suggested steps for action:

• Consider creating an implementation plan with key staff
• Discuss changes with staff to ensure they understand what changes are happening and why
• Work with kitchen and activities managers to support establishment of new communication channel
• Have another staff member check-in to see how the meeting is working for both parties. Be prepared to make changes if necessary to help support information sharing

Resources to support implementation:

• Implementation planning
• Intervention tracker

Kitchen manager/head chef attends HCA handover meeting

Attending HCA handover meetings ensures the kitchen stays up to date on changes to meal sizes, texture modifications, and dietary needs. This proactive approach helps prevent overproduction, reduces food waste, and ensures every resident gets the right meal, every time.

Suggested steps for action:

• Consider creating an implementation plan with key staff
• Discuss changes with staff to ensure they understand what changes are happening and why.
• Work with kitchen and care managers to support establishment of new communication channel, including discussion of what information is valuable for each party
• Have another staff member check-in to see how the meeting is working. Be prepared to make changes if necessary to help support information sharing

Resources to support implementation:

• Implementation planning
• Intervention tracker
• Meeting plan
• Dinner service feedback surveys

Establish a communication channel between villages/care homes to talk about food waste challenges

Connecting with other villages/care homes working on food waste reduction fosters collaboration and innovation. By sharing experiences, troubleshooting challenges, and brainstorming solutions together, sites can learn from each other’s successes and setbacks. Open communication helps refine strategies, making food waste reduction more effective and achievable for everyone

Suggested steps for action:

• Consider creating an implementation plan with key staff
• Discuss changes with staff to ensure they understand what changes are happening and why
• Identify which villages/ care homes will connect to discuss food waste challenges
• Establish how this connection will be facilitated (in person/online meeting/online forum)
• Establish when and how often this will occur
• Follow up to see if there are new ideas kitchen teams wish to implement as a result of conversations within the forum

Resources to support implementation:

• Implementation planning
• Intervention tracker