Children with medical conditions
Snaresbrook Primary is welcoming and supportive of pupils with medical conditions. It provides children with medical conditions the same opportunities and access to activities (both school based and out of school) as other pupils. No child will be denied admission or prevented from taking up a place in this school and arrangements for their medical conditions will be made.
We aim to ensure that all children with medical conditions in terms of physical and mental health are properly supported in school so that they can play a full and active role in school life, remain healthy and achieve their academic potential.
Definitions of medical conditions:
Pupils' medical needs may be broadly summarised as being of two types:-
- Short-term potentially affecting their participation at school because they are on a course of medication
- Long-term potentially limiting access to education and requiring on-going support, medicines or care while at school to help them to manage their condition and keep them well, including monitoring and intervention in emergency circumstances. It is important that parents feel confident that the school will provide effective support for their child's medical condition and that pupils feel safe.
Managing Medicines on School Premises
At Snaresbrook Primary the following procedures are to be followed:
- Medicines should be prescribed in dose frequencies, which enable them to be taken outside of school hours. We will therefore only administer medicines when absolutely necessary decided on an individual basis. If a parent/carer feels it is absolutely necessary for a child to receive medication during the school day, the parent/carer is welcome to come into school to administer the medication at a pre-arranged time.
- Children to whom we are likely to agree to administer medicines include children with long term medical needs including diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, severe allergies and occasionally medicines prescribed by GPs that have to be given during the daytime when prescribed 4 times a day.
- Children will not be given medicines without their parent/carer’s written consent and all medication must be brought to school by an adult.
- If we agree to administer any medicine, the parent/carer must complete form ‘Parental agreement form for self and school administration of medicine’. A copy is available from the office. Children must not bring any medicine into school with them - this includes cough sweets.
- Medicines will only be administered at school when it would be detrimental to a child’s health or school attendance not to do so.
- Children will never be given medicine at school unless prescribed by a doctor and labelled accordingly.
- Medication e.g. for pain relief should never be administered without first checking maximum dosages and when the previous dose was taken.
- We will only accept prescribed medicines that are in date, labelled, provided in the original container as dispensed by a pharmacist and include instructions for administration, dosage and storage. The exception to this is insulin which may be inside an insulin pen or pump rather than its original container.
- All medicines will be stored in the school office. Medicines and devices such as asthma inhalers, blood glucose testing meters and adrenaline pens will not be locked away.
- On school trips the children should know where their medication is at all times.
- Controlled drugs will be stored in a non-portable container and named staff will have access.
- Staff administering medicines should do so in accordance with the prescriber’s instructions.
- When no longer required, medicines will be returned to the parents/carers to arrange for safe disposal.
Asthma
It is the person with Parental responsibility's duty to inform the school if their child is diagnosed with Asthma and provide 2 reliever inhalers and the spacer along with the 'My Asthma Plan' completed by the GP or Practise Nurse as soon as the diagnosis it made. The 2 inhalers provided to the school must belong to the child with the diagnosis, be in date, and in the original prescribed packaging. This should be delivered by an adult to the Main School Office.
For more information regarding Asthma please find below the power point presentation shown recently to Parents and Carers or refer to:
Asthma UK Website http://www.asthma.org.uk/
Individual Healthcare Plans (Careplans)
Individual healthcare plans (IHCPs) can help to ensure that the school effectively supports pupils with medical conditions. They provide clarity about what needs to be done, when and by whom.
Healthcare plans may be initiated, in consultation with parent/carer, by a member of school staff or a healthcare professional involved in providing care to the child. The school, healthcare professional and parent/carer will agree, based on evidence, when a healthcare plan would be inappropriate or disproportionate.
A healthcare plan will be essential in cases where:
- a condition fluctuates
- there is a high risk that emergency intervention will be needed
- a medical condition is long term and complex The healthcare plan will be drawn up in partnership between the school, parent/carer and a relevant healthcare professional who can best advice on the particular needs of the child.
Where the child has a special educational need identified in a statement or EHC plan the IHCP will be linked to or become part of the statement or EHC plan.
When a child returns to school following a period of hospital education or alternative provision the school will work with the local authority to ensure that the IHCP identifies the support the child will need to reintegrate effectively.
The IHCP will be made accessible to all staff and professionals who need to refer to it.
The IHCP will be reviewed on an annual basis or earlier if evidence is presented that the child’s needs have changed.