{
  "abstract": "Background Free school meal (FSM) auto-enrolment can help overcome barriers to FSM self-registration. Local authorities (LA) use welfare datasets to identify entitled, yet unregistered, families, who are then automatically enrolled unless they choose to opt out. This study explored school and parent acceptability of the FSM auto-enrolment programme.Methods Parents (n=18) and school leaders (n=11) participated in online interviews exploring attitudes towards FSM, auto-enrolment acceptability and registration processes. Participants were recruited from LAs with auto-enrolment but did not need to benefit directly. Data were analysed inductively by two coders using thematic analysis, with ongoing cycles of comparison and resolution.Results Preliminary findings from parent interviews suggested FSM helped families relieve stress, save money and manage finances, while ensuring children received a hot nutritionally balanced meal. FSM was perceived to improve children’s school performance and lunchtime social skills. Auto-enrolment was reported to address the complicated and stressful FSM application process. Some parents raised concerns about personal data use and the opt-out process, emphasising a need for clear communication to reduce scepticism. Auto-enrolment was also viewed as highly acceptable to schools, where associated funding (e.g. pupil premium) supported breakfast clubs and mentoring. It further reduced administrative time for schools assisting with FSM applications and helped identify students needing extra support. Finally, it was found to mitigate under-registration of FSM among children receiving Universal (Infant) Free School Meals.Conclusion The FSM auto-enrolment programme was considered highly acceptable by all participants, favoured over current application methods. Auto-enrolment not only directly combats food insecurity and relieves parental stress, but it simultaneously provides indirect benefits by freeing up school capacity and maximising educational funding. The findings strongly support governmental adoption of auto-enrolment as a highly efficient mechanism for FSM provision, which ought to be reflected within the government’s food strategy.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Sundus Mahdi"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Rob Oxley"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Louise Padgett"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Bremner & Co, Coventry, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Cressida Pidgeon"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Bremner & Co, Coventry, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Myles Bremner"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Bremner & Co, Coventry, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Dayna Brackley"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School for Business and Society, University of York, York, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Bob Doherty"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "The Trussell Trust, Wiltshire, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Annie Connolly"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK",
        "Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Maria Bryant"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P01-6 Evaluating school and parent acceptability of free school meal auto-enrolment provision: a qualitative explorative study",
  "uid": "0094d840-5cc4-5711-92d1-0f09fa92c483"
}