Managing Medical Conditions in School

Download Managing Medical Conditons Policy

We will work closely with parents/carers, health and social care professionals to ensure effective individual health care plans, monitoring, reviewing and updating procedures are in place to support children with long-term medical conditions.

We want parents to feel confident and reassured that we are providing effective support that involves:

• having good links with local health and social care services
• allowing children easy access to their inhalers and medication
• administering medication when and where necessary
• not ignoring the views of children, parents and medical professionals
• allowing children to participate in all curriculum, sporting and school activities
• providing assistance when a child becomes ill
• allowing children with medical conditions to take drinking, eating or toilet breaks when and where necessary
• dealing with children’s social and emotional problems linked to their medical condition
• building confidence and promoting self-care

Administration of medicines by any member of the school personnel is undertaken purely on a voluntary basis and individual decisions will be respected. However, appropriate training will be provided before any member of the school personnel who has volunteered and accepted this role to be familiar with all administration of medication procedures.

We believe it is essential that this policy clearly identifies and outlines the roles and responsibilities of all those involved in the procedures and arrangements that is connected with this policy.

Aims

• To support pupils with long-term medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma and epilepsy.
• To ensure pupils with long-term medical conditions have full access to education, all sporting activities and educational visits so that they can play a full and active role in school.
• To ensure effective individual health care plans are in place.
• To share good practice within the school.
• To work with other schools to share good practice in order to improve this policy.

Responsibility for the Policy and Procedure

Role of the Governing Body

The Governing Body has:

• delegated powers and responsibilities to the Headteacher to ensure all school personnel and stakeholders are aware of and comply with this policy;
• responsibility for ensuring full compliance with all statutory responsibilities;
• responsibility for ensuring that children with long-term medical conditions have the same rights to admission as other children;
• responsibility for ensuring individual health care plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented;
• responsibility for ensuring training is in place for relevant school personnel who support children with long-term medical conditions;
• responsibility for ensuring that the school complies with all equalities legislation;
• responsibility for ensuring funding is in place to support this policy;
• responsibility for ensuring this policy and all policies are maintained and updated regularly;
• responsibility for ensuring all policies are made available to parents;
• nominated a link governor to visit the school regularly, to liaise with the Headteacher and the coordinator and to report back to the Governing Body;
• responsibility for the effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation of this policy

Role of the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team

The Headteacher and the Senior Leadership Team will:

• ensure all school personnel, pupils and parents are aware of and comply with this policy;
• provide the necessary support for pupils with long-term medical conditions;
• ensure all pupils with long-term medical conditions have full access to the curriculum, all sporting activities and school activities;
• ensure individual healthcare plans are in place;
• ensure relevant school personnel are made aware of children with long-term medical conditions;
• ensure relevant school personnel are made aware of all individual healthcare plans;
• work closely with the link governor and coordinator;
• provide leadership and vision in respect of equality;
• provide guidance, support and training to all staff;
• monitor the effectiveness of this policy;
• annually report to the Governing Body on the success and development of this policy

Role of the Coordinator

The coordinator will:

• work closely with the Headteacher and the nominated governor;
• ensure all individual healthcare plans are in place and up to date;
• monitor and annually review all individual healthcare plans;
• ensure relevant school personnel are made aware of children with long-term medical conditions;
• ensure relevant school personnel are made aware of all individual healthcare plans;
• provide guidance and support to all relevant staff
• liaise with parents and will ensure arrangements are in place when a pupil is diagnosed with a medical condition;
• liaise with parents and will ensure arrangements are in place when a child starts mid-term;
• liaise with feeder schools and transitional schools;
• ensure all medications are kept in a secure place and accessible only to the designated persons;
• ensure all medications are kept cool in a small secure fridge;
• ensure records are kept of all medications administered to children;
• review and monitor this policy;
• annually report to the Governing Body on the success and development of this policy

Individual Healthcare Plans

Individual Healthcare Plans will be devised and written at a meeting involving:

• relevant school personnel
• the child
• parents/carers
• local healthcare and medical professionals

At this meeting the following will be discussed:

• confidentiality of pupil information
• the medical condition
• medication and dosage
• self-management of medication
• medication administered by school personnel
• storage and accessibility of medication
• dietary requirements
• access to food and drink
• specialist equipment
• level of support required
• cover arrangements
• training needs of support personnel
• health and safety issues
• environmental issues and requirements
• attendance at medical appointments
• procedures regarding educational visits
• school timetable
• risk assessments
• dealing with emergency situ
• roles and responsibilities of relevant school personnel

Role of the Nominated Governor

The Nominated Governor will:

• work closely with the Headteacher and the coordinator;
• ensure this policy and other linked policies are up to date;
• ensure that everyone connected with the school is aware of this policy;
• annually report to the Governing Body on the success and development of this policy

Role of School Personnel

Administration of medicines by any member of the school personnel is undertaken purely on a voluntary basis and individual decisions will be respected. However, appropriate training will be provided before any member of the school personnel who has volunteered and accepted this role to be familiar with all administration of medication procedures.

School personnel will:

• comply with all aspects of this policy;
• not administer medications without the appropriate training;
• not undertake healthcare procedures without the appropriate training;
• implement the school’s equalities policy and schemes;
• report and deal with all incidents of discrimination;
• report any concerns they have on any aspect of the school community

Role of Pupils

Pupils will:

• be involved in discussions regarding their medical support and individual healthcare plan;
• after discussions with parents/carers be encouraged to manage their own health needs and medications;
• have access to their own medicines and relevant devices;
• listen carefully to all instructions given by the teacher;
• ask for further help if they do not understand;

Role of Parents/Carers

Parents/carers will:

• be aware of and comply with this policy;
• work in partnership with the school;
• provide up to date medical information of their child’s condition;
• be involved in discussions regarding medical support and individual healthcare plan for their child;
• provide the appropriate medication for the school to administer;
• ensure medications are in good supply;
• provide any specialist equipment;
• ensure their contact details are kept up to date;
• ensure that all emergency contacts are current;
• comply with this policy for the benefit of their children;

Role of Healthcare Professionals

Healthcare professionals such as school nurses, paediatricians’ and general practitioners will provide:

• advice on developing individual healthcare plans;
• information about medical conditions;
• support for children with particular conditions;
• training for school personnel

Raising Awareness of this Policy

We will raise awareness of this policy via:

• the school website
• meetings with parents such as introductory, transition, parent-teacher consultations and periodic curriculum workshops
• meetings with school personnel
• communications with home such as weekly newsletters and of end of half term newsletters
• reports such annual report to parents and Headteacher reports to the Governing Body
• information displays in the main school entrance

Training

All school personnel:

• have equal chances of training, career development and promotion
• receive training related to this policy which specifically covers:
• awareness of the medical condition(s) in question
• administering medication
• confidentiality
• receive periodic training so that they are kept up to date with new information

Monitoring the Effectiveness of the Policy 

The practical application of this policy will be reviewed annually or when the need arises by the coordinator, the Headteacher and the nominated governor.