Last Reviewed: June 2016
Approved by Governing Body: 13th July 2016
Chair of Governors signature:
SUPPORTING STUDENTS AT SCHOOL WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS POLICY
1. Introduction.
2. Purpose of the Policy
3. Roles and Responsibilities
4. Staff Training and Support
5. Medicines
5.1. Asthma Medicines
5.1. Emergency Salbutamol Inhaler Use Protocol
6. Emergency Procedures
6.3. Asthma Attacks
7. Arrangements and Risk Assessments for Individual Students with Medical Conditions (Including School Visits, Residential, Sporting Activities and Extra-Curricular Activities
8. Communication
9. Admissions and Attendance
10. Unacceptable Practice
11. Liability and Indemnity
12. Complaints
Appendix 1 – Process for Developing Individual Health Care Plan Appendix 2 – How to Recognise an Asthma Attack
Appendix 3 – What to do in the event of a Asthma Attack Appendix 4 – Individual Health Care Plan
Appendix 5 – Parental/Carer Agreement for School/Setting to Administer Medicine Appendix 6 – Record of Regular Medicine Administered by an Individual Child Appendix 7 – Record of Medicine Administered (as required) to any Children – not daily medicines
Appendix 8 – Record of Staff Training Record – Administration of Medicines Appendix 9 – Contacting Emergency Services
Appendix 10 – Template: Model Letter Inviting Parents/Carers to Contribute to Individual Health Care Plan Development
Appendix 11 – Request for Child to Carry their own Medicine
Appendix 12 – Template: Model Letter to Inform Parent/Carers of Emergency Salbutamol Inhaler Use
Appendix 13 – Departmental Guidance and Advice from DFE – “Links to Other Useful Resources
1. Introduction
1.1 This policy is based upon the Department for Education’s statutory guidance document Supporting Students at School with Medical Conditions, Statutory guidance for governing bodies of maintained schools and proprietors of academies in England, December 2015; the statutory requirements in relation to this are specified within this policy. The guidance is issued under section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014. The text reflecting the statutory elements are in bold type.
2. Purpose of the Policy
2.1 The purpose of this policy is to put into place effective management systems and arrangements to support students at Kirk Balk Academy with medical conditions and to provide clear guidance for staff and parents/carers on the administration of medicines and the development of Individual Health Care Plans.
2.2 The aim is to ensure that all children with medical conditions, in terms of both 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. This policy and practice aims to enable regular attendance.
2.3 Some children with medical conditions may be disabled. Where this is the case, duties under the Equality Act 2010 must also be complied with. Some children may also have Special Educational Needs (SEN) and may have a statement, or Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan which brings together health and social care needs, as well as their special educational provision. As such, this document must be considered in conjunction with all other relevant school policies.
3. Roles and Responsibilities
3.1 The Local Governing Body and Trust Board will ensure that arrangements are in place to support students with medical conditions. In doing so they should ensure that such children can access and enjoy the same opportunities at school as any other child.
3.2 The Local Governing Body and Trust Board takes into account that many of the medical conditions that require support at school will affect quality of life and may be life- threatening. Some will be more obvious than others. We will therefore ensure that the focus is on the needs of each individual child and how their medical condition impacts on their school life.
3.3 The Local Governing Body and Trust Board will ensure that their arrangements give parents and students confidence in the school’s ability to provide effective support for medical conditions in school. The arrangements should show an understanding of how medical conditions impact on a child’s ability to learn, as well as increase their confidence and promote self-care. They will ensure that staff are properly trained to provide the support that students need.
3.4 The Local Governing Body and Trust Board will ensure that the arrangements put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities and should ensure that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented.
3.5 The Local Governing Body and Trust Board will ensure that the policy for supporting students with medical conditions is reviewed regularly and is readily accessible to parents/carers and school staff.
3.6 The Local Governing Body and Trust Board will ensure that the school’s policy clearly identifies the roles and responsibilities of all those involved in the arrangements they make to support students at school with medical conditions.
3.7 Supporting a child with a medical condition during school hours is not the sole responsibility of one person. The academy’s ability to provide effective support will depend to an appreciable extent on working cooperatively with other agencies. Partnership working between academy staff, healthcare professionals (and where appropriate, social care professionals), local authorities, and parents/carers and students will be critical. Collaborative working arrangements between all those involved is an essential requirement.
3.8 The Academy Principal has responsibility for the implementation of this policy and will delegate some of the operational duties to the Vice-Principal for Behaviour and Safety. Assistance from and co-operation with Healthcare Professionals and other relevant persons will be utilised in order to access competent advice and support. The Local Governing Body and Trust Board remain legally responsible and accountable for fulfilling the specified statutory duties.
3.9 The Vice-Principal Behaviour and Safety and Director of Behaviour and Inclusion are responsible for monitoring Individual Health Care Plans and ensuring that plans are reviewed as specified. The operational duty of co-ordinating and writing the Health Care Plans will sometimes be delegated Director of Behaviour and Inclusion.
3.10 Upon notification of information that a child has a medical condition requiring an Individual Health Care Plan, the process detailed in the flow chart in Appendix 1 will be followed. The aim of an Individual Health Care Plan for a child with a medical condition is to ensure that effective support is put in place and to provide clarity about what needs to be done, when and by whom.
Individual Health Care Plans will be essential in cases where conditions fluctuate or where there is a high risk that emergency intervention will be needed. They will also be put in place for other individual children when it is considered that they will be helpful, especially where medical conditions are long-term and complex. The format of Individual Health Care Plans may vary to enable the school to choose whichever is the most effective for the specific needs of each student. The Kirk Balk Academy generic Individual Health Care Plan is included in Appendix 3.
3.11 The level of detail within plans will depend on the complexity of the child’s condition and the degree of support needed. This is important because different children with the same health condition may require very different support. Where a child has a Special Educational Need but does not have a statement or EHC plan, their special educational needs should be mentioned in their Individual Health Care Plan. Where the child has a Special Educational Need identified in a statement or EHC plan, the Individual Health Care Plan should be linked to or become part of that statement or EHC plan.
However, not all children will require an Individual Health Care Plan. The school, healthcare professional and parents/carers should agree, based on evidence, when an Individual Health Care Plan would be inappropriate or disproportionate. If consensus cannot be reached, the Academy Principal will take the final view.
Individual Health Care Plans should be drawn up in partnership between the designated academy staff, parents/carers, and a relevant healthcare professional, e.g. school specialist or children’s community nurse, who can best advise on the particular needs of the child. The child should also be involved whenever appropriate. The aim should be to capture the steps which a school should take to help the child manage their condition and overcome any potential barriers to getting the most from their education.
3.11.1 The Vice-Principal Behaviour and Safety and Director of Behaviour and Inclusion are responsible for monitoring Individual Health Care Plans and ensuring that plans are reviewed as specified.
3.11.2 The Academy Principal, through the Vice-Principal Behaviour and Safety, will ensure that this policy is developed and effectively implemented with partners. This includes ensuring that all staff are aware of the policy for supporting students with medical conditions and understand their role in its implementation. This also includes ensuring that the staff that need to know are aware of the child’s condition. The Academy Principal will also ensure that sufficient trained numbers of staff are available to implement the policy and deliver against all Individual Health Care Plans, including in contingency and emergency situations. The Academy Principal has overall responsibility for the development of Individual Health Care Plans.
3.11.3 The operational aspects of the development of Individual Health Care Plans is delegated to the Director of Behaviour and Inclusion who will contact the school nursing service in the case of any child who has a medical condition that may require support at school, but who has not yet been brought to the attention of the school. The Academy Principal will also make sure that academy staff are appropriately insured and are aware that they are insured to support students in this way.
3.11.4 Academy staff - any member of academy staff may be asked to provide support to students with medical conditions, including the administering of medicines, although they cannot be required to do so. Academy staff should receive sufficient and suitable training and achieve the necessary level of competency before they take on responsibility to support children with medical conditions. Any member of academy staff should know what to do and respond accordingly when they become aware that a student with a medical condition needs help. Although administering medicines is not part of teachers’ professional duties, they should take into account the needs of students with medical conditions that they teach.
3.11.5 School Health Advisor - the school has access to school nursing services. The nursing services are responsible for notifying the school when a child has been identified as having a medical condition which will require support in school. Wherever possible, they should do this before the child starts at the school. The School Health Advisor may support the academy staff on implementing a child’s Individual Health Care Plan by providing advice and liaison, for example on training. The School Health Advisor can liaise with lead clinicians locally on appropriate support for the child and associated staff training needs. Other healthcare professionals, including GPs and paediatricians - should notify the School Health Advisor when a child has been identified as having a medical condition that will require support at school. They may provide advice on developing Individual Health Care plans. Specialist local health teams may be able to provide support in schools for children with particular conditions (e.g. Asthma, Diabetes). At Kirk Balk Academy, these services will be accessed either directly by designated academy staff or through the School Health Advisor.
3.11.6 Students with medical conditions should be fully involved in discussions about their medical support needs and contribute as much as possible to the development of, and comply with, their Individual Health Care Plan.
3.11.7 Parents/Carers are responsible for providing the academy with sufficient and up to date information about their child’s medical needs. They may in some cases be the first to notify the academy that their child has a medical condition. Parents/Carers are key
partners and should be involved in the development and review of their child’s Individual Health Care Plan, and may be involved in its drafting. They should carry out any action they have agreed to as part of its implementation, e.g. provide medicines and equipment and ensure they or another nominated adult are contactable at all times.
4. STAFF TRAINING AND SUPPORT
4.1 Whole academy awareness training will be carried out annually in relation to this policy and staff’s roles in implementing this policy. The training will address the medical conditions affecting the academy’s students, covering preventative and emergency measures. This will also be covered during the induction of new staff. More specific training will be undertaken as required with the relevant staff for specific conditions.
4.2 The Vice-Principal Behaviour and Safety in conjunction with the School Health Advisor will lead on identifying and agreeing with the school, the type and level of training required, and how this can be obtained. The training will be sufficient to ensure that staff are competent and have confidence in their ability to support students with medical conditions, and to fulfil the requirements as set out in Individual Health Care Plans.
4.3 Whole school awareness training will be carried out annually. All staff will be:
• trained to recognise the symptoms of an asthma attack, and ideally, how to distinguish them from other conditions with similar symptoms;
• aware of the Academy Policy for Supporting Students at School with Medical Conditions ;
• aware of how to check if a child is on the asthma register;
• aware of how to access the inhaler and check that parental/carer consent has been given for its use;
• aware of who the designated members of staff are, and the policy on how to access their help.
• Designated staff will be trained in administering the emergency Salbutamol inhaler and this will be recorded on FORM E Appendix 8. Designated members of staff should be trained in:
• recognising asthma attacks (and distinguishing them from other conditions with similar symptoms)
• responding appropriately to a request for help from another member of staff;
• recognising when emergency action is necessary;
• administering Salbutamol inhalers through a spacer;