Medical Needs

Temporary Medical Needs

If a child has a temporary medical need, and requires medication to be administered at school, then a Parental Agreement for School to Administer Medicine form needs to be completed.
Before any medication is accepted by the school, the parent/carer must bring along a completed form to the office and meet with the Medical Needs coordinator. The dosage and the reason for administering the medicine will be discussed.
Once the administration of the medication has been agreed, the medication must be brought in to the office each morning and collected at the end of every day by the parent/carer. It cannot stay in school overnight.

This school understands the importance of medication being taken as described.

Medicine can only be administered in school if it is unreasonable for it to be given at home. Medicines to be given three times daily should be given at home.
The medicine must be prescribed for the child by their doctor and be in its original container with the chemist’s label showing name of child, dosage, frequency, method of administration , date of issue and expiry date.
Non prescribed medicines are not administered in school except where they form part of a healthcare plan for pupils with long term medical conditions.

Recurring/Long Term Medical Conditions

Parents will be asked if their child has any health conditions or issues on the enrolment form.
All parents whom indicate on the enrolment form, or otherwise inform the school that their child has a medical need, are offered an appointment with the school’s Medical Needs Coordinator (MNC)/Lead first aider at the start of the school year and annually thereafter.
The school will complete a healthcare plan to record important details about individual children’s medical needs at school, their triggers, signs, symptoms, medication and other treatments. Where a child has a special education need the healthcare plan will be linked to the Education, Health and Care Plan where they have one.
An individual healthcare plan (IHCP) is completed with the parents/carers of all pupils with long term medical needs, this will also be completed with the School Nurse.

This is done:

At enrolment
At the start of each school year
When a diagnosis is first communicated to the school
When there is a change in the needs of the pupil

Any parent/carer can request a meeting with the MNC/lead first aider at any time in the school year if they are concerned about their child’s health. Parents understand that if their child’s medication changes or ceases they should inform the school immediately.

Illness and Medication

It can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off school or nursery when they are unwell.

But there are Public Health Agency guidelines for schools that say when children should be kept off school and when they shouldn't.

If you do keep your child at home, it's important to phone us on the first day.

PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY GUIDELINES

Can your child come to school?

Vomiting and Diarrhoea

From time to time children are sick (vomit) either at home or at school. Unfortunately it is not possible to distinguish between the causes, and therefore it is essential that the same rule of exclusion applies in all cases of vomiting or diarrhoea.

In the Health Protection Agency document, “Guidelines for the Control of Infection and Communicable Disease in School and Early Years Settings”, the guidance is:

Diarrhoea and/or vomiting commonly affects children and staff and can be caused by a number of different germs, including viruses, parasites and bacteria. Infections can be easily spread from person to person (by unwashed hands), especially in children. A child with diarrhoea and/or vomiting symptoms must stay away school until they have been free of symptoms for 48 hours (the ‘48 hour rule’) and feel well. Personal hygiene whilst ill must be very strict.

If your child is sick at school, we will ask you or your emergency contact to take your child home. They should not return for 48 hours. We appreciate that this is inconvenient in many cases, and you may not believe your child is ill, but you will appreciate that we do this in all cases and it should reduce the risk of infection for all children in school. As an example, if your child is sick at lunchtime on a Tuesday, they should not return to school until Friday, provided there have not been any further episodes of vomiting or diarrhoea.

Allergies

It is very important that you advise the school if your child suffers from any allergies, including food-diagnosed allergies, or from any other medical condition including asthma. The school will arrange a medical planning meeting where we can record the details of your child’s medical needs, any treatment they require and what we should do in case of an emergency.

Please do let us know if your child has an infectious illness such as rubella, conjunctivitis, head lice, impetigo, measles, mumps or ringworm.

Illness during the day

If your child becomes ill during the day, we will always contact you, having taken the necessary steps ourselves to ensure your child is safe and cared for. It is vital that we have your up-to-date contact numbers at all times, particularly mobile telephone numbers, and that someone is able, if necessary, to take your child home.

Storing and Transferring Medicines

All medicines are stored safely and appropriately in a place which is not normally accessible to pupils. Refrigerated medication will be stored in the fridge in the medical room.
All on-ongoing medication should be collected by the parent/carer at the end of the summer term. Medication is not stored over the summer holiday. Any medication not collected will be taken to a pharmacy for safe disposal and a record kept of action.
Parents/carers using holiday club facilities should make arrangements to hand over any medicines. This school is not responsible for transferring medication to other bodies.
This school is not responsible for transferring medication to after school clubs. Regular medication for use during the school day should remain in school. Occasional medicines may be surrendered to after school club staff if the school is in receipt of explicit written permission from the parent/carer and written agreement from the after school club. The responsibility for any such transfer will remain with the parent/carer or after school club.

Asthma / Inhalers

Please let the office staff and teacher know if your child has asthma. Please clearly name any inhalers. Inhalers are always taken on trips.

The school holds an emergency salbutamol inhaler and spacers. In the event of an emergency where the child’s own reliever inhaler is empty or unavailable the school reliever and spacer can be used.

All parents of children diagnosed with asthma and prescribed a reliever inhaler or prescribed a reliever inhaler should complete an administration of medicines form to allow their child to use the school inhaler in such an emergency.

Where a child’s life is at risk the school inhaler will be made available to all children diagnosed with asthma and prescribed a reliever inhaler or prescribed a reliever inhaler.

First Aid

Bumps and scrapes are an unavoidable part of school life, especially in the playground or on a sports field.

Many of our school staff have taken part in First Aid training and some have additional paediatric first aid qualifications. When an adult administers treatment of any kind to a child, they will complete an entry in our first aid book.

If a child has a minor head injury we will always try and contact the nominated parent or carer by telephone. We use our judgement as to the extent of the injury and will discuss with the parent or carer whether the child needs to be collected or warrants a visit to the doctor or hospital.

In the very rare case of serious injury the school will telephone for an ambulance. If a parent or carer is unable to get to school quickly, a member of school staff will accompany the child to hospital in the ambulance and wait with them until their parent arrives.

Infectious diseases

We need to know, as soon as possible, if your child catches an infectious disease, acquires headlice or develops a verruca. The Headteacher has the final responsibility for deciding whether a child can return to school after an infectious illness. Below is a list of illnesses and minimum recommended periods away from school. If your child has been away due to any illness, please do not let him or her return until a full recovery has been made and strength and stamina restored. When children are not 100%, they feel poorly, do not learn and become unsettled.

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