Pupils with medical conditions are properly supported to allow them to access the same education as other pupils, including school trips and sporting activities.

The governing board will implement this policy by:

Making sure sufficient staff are suitably trained;
Making staff aware of pupil’s condition, where appropriate;
Making sure there are cover arrangements to ensure someone is always available to support pupils with medical conditions;

Providing supply teachers with appropriate information about relevant pupils;
Developing and monitoring individual healthcare plans (HCPs).

The named person with responsibility for implementing this policy is Asma Majid, SENDCo.

Legislation and Statutory responsibilities

This policy meets the requirements under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 , which places a duty on governing boards to make arrangements for supporting pupils at their school with medical conditions. It is also based on the Department for Education’s statutory guidance: Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions.

Roles and responsibilities

The Governing Board

The governing board has ultimate responsibility to make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions. The governing board will ensure that sufficient staff have received suitable training and are competent before they are responsible for supporting children with medical conditions.

The Head Teacher

The Headteacher will:

• Ensure that staff are aware of the policy.

• Ensure that the SENDco implements the policy.

• Ensures that there is sufficient staff to deliver the policy.

• Work on strategic planning to ensure that the policy can be delivered and implemented.

• Make sure that school staff are appropriately insured and aware that they are insured to support pupils in this way;

The SENDCo

The SENDCo Will:

Make sure all staff are aware of this policy and understand their role in its implementation;
Ensure that there is a sufficient number of trained staff available to implement this policy and deliver against all individual healthcare plans (HCPs), including in contingency and emergency situations;
Take overall responsibility for the development of HCPs;
Contact the school nursing service in the case of any pupil who has a medical condition that may require support at school, but who has not yet been brought to the attention of the school nurse;
Ensure that systems are in place for obtaining information about a child’s medical needs and that this information is kept up to date.

Staff

Supporting pupils with medical conditions during school hours is not the sole responsibility of one person. Any member of staff may be asked to provide support to pupils with medical conditions, although they will not be required to do so. This includes the administration of medicines.

Those staff who take on the responsibility to support pupils with medical conditions will receive sufficient and suitable training, and will achieve the necessary level of competency before doing so.

Teachers will take into account the needs of pupils with medical conditions that they teach. All staff will know what to do and respond accordingly when they become aware that a pupil with a medical condition needs help.

Parents

Parents will:

• Provide the school with sufficient and up-to-date information about their child’s medical needs;

• Be involved in the development and review of their child’s PCP and may be involved in its drafting;

• Carry out any action they have agreed to as part of the implementation of the PCP e.g. provide medicines and equipment.

Pupils

Pupils with medical conditions will often be best placed to provide information about how their condition affects them. Pupils should be fully involved in discussions about their medical support needs and contribute as much as possible to the development of their HCPs. They are also expected to comply with their HCPs.

School Nurses and other Healthcare Professionals

Our school nursing service will notify the school when a pupil has been identified as having a medical condition that will require support in school. This will be before the pupil starts school, wherever possible.

Healthcare professionals, such as GPs and paediatricians, will liaise with the schools nurses and notify them of any pupils identified as having a medical condition.

Equal opportunities

Our school is clear about the need to actively support pupils with medical conditions to participate in school trips and visits, or in sporting activities, and not prevent them from doing so. The school will consider what reasonable adjustments need to be made to enable these pupils to participate fully and safely on school trips, visits and sporting activities.

Risk assessments will be carried out so that planning arrangements take account of any steps needed to ensure that pupils with medical conditions are included. In doing so, pupils, their parents and any relevant healthcare professionals will be consulted.

Being Notified that a Child has a Medical Condition

When the school is notified that a pupil has a medical condition, the process outlined below will be followed to decide whether the pupil requires an HCP.

The school will make every effort to ensure that arrangements are put into place within 2 weeks, or by the beginning of the relevant term for pupils who are new to our school.

See Appendix 1.

Individual healthcare plans

The head teacher has overall responsibility for the development of HCPs for pupils with medical conditions. The day to day responsibility is delegated to the SENDCo and named adults on the plans. Plans will be reviewed at least annually, or earlier if there is evidence that the pupil’s needs have changed.

Plans will be developed with the pupil’s best interests in mind and will set out:

• What needs to be done

• When

• By whom

Not all pupils with a medical condition will require an HCP. It will be agreed with a healthcare professional and the parents when an HCP would be inappropriate or disproportionate. This will be based on evidence. If there is not a consensus, the SENDco in consultation with the head teacher will make the final decision. Plans will be drawn up in partnership with the school, parents and a relevant healthcare professional, such as the school nurse, specialist or paediatrician, who can best advise on the pupil’s specific needs. The pupil will be involved wherever appropriate.

PCPs will be linked to, or become part of, any statement of special educational needs (SEN) or education, health and care (EHC) plan. If a pupil has SEN but does not have a statement or

EHC plan, the SEN will be mentioned in the HCP.

The level of detail in the plan will depend on the complexity of the child’s condition and how much support is needed. The SENDCo and senior leadership team will consider the following when deciding what information to record on HCPs:

• The medical condition, its triggers, signs, symptoms and treatments;

• The pupil’s resulting needs, including medication (dose, side effects and storage) and other treatments, time, facilities, equipment, testing, access to food and drink where this is used to manage their condition, dietary requirements and environmental issues, e.g. crowded corridors, travel time between lessons;

• Specific support for the pupil’s educational, social and emotional needs. For example, how absences will be managed, requirements for extra time to complete exams, use of rest periods or additional support in catching up with lessons, counselling sessions;

• The level of support needed, including in emergencies. If a pupil is self-managing their medication, this will be clearly stated with appropriate arrangements for monitoring;

• Who will provide this support, their training needs, expectations of their role and confirmation of proficiency to provide support for the pupil’s medical condition from a healthcare professional, and cover arrangements for when they are unavailable;

• Who in the school needs to be aware of the pupil’s condition and the support required;

• Arrangements for written permission from parents and the head teacher for medication to be administered by a member of staff, or self-administered by the pupil during school hours;

• Separate arrangements or procedures required for school trips or other school activities outside of the normal school timetable that will ensure the pupil can participate, e.g. risk assessments;

• Where confidentiality issues are raised by the parent/pupil, the designated individuals to be entrusted with information about the pupil’s condition;

• What to do in an emergency, including who to contact, and contingency arrangements.

Managing medicines

Non-prescription medicines will not be administered in school, except pain relief (infant/junior paracetamol) in the following circumstances:

The need is urgent and unforeseen
The medication has been purchased by the school
Written parental consent has been given

Prescription medicines will only be administered at school:

• When it would be detrimental to the pupil’s health or school attendance not to do so and

• Where we have parents’ written consent.

Pupils will not be given medicine unless prescribed by a doctor.

Anyone giving a pupil any medication (for example, for pain relief) will first check maximum dosages and when the previous dosage was taken. Parents will always be informed. The school will only accept prescribed medicines that are:

• In-date

• Labelled

• Provided in the original container, as dispensed by the pharmacist, and include instructions for administration, dosage and storage

The school will accept insulin that is inside an insulin pen or pump rather than its original container, but it must be in date.

All medicines will be stored safely. Pupils will be informed about where their medicines are at all times and be able to access them immediately. Medicines and devices such as asthma inhalers, blood glucose testing meters and adrenaline pens will always be readily available to pupils and not locked away.

Medicines will be returned to parents to arrange for safe disposal when no longer required.

Controlled drugs

Controlled drugs are prescription medicines that are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 and subsequent amendments.

All controlled drugs are kept in a secure cupboard and only named staff have access.

Controlled drugs will be easily accessible in an emergency and a record of any doses used and the amount held will be kept.

Pupils managing their own needs

Pupils who are competent may administer medicines and procedures. However, this will be discussed with parents and it will be reflected in their HCPs.

Staff will not force a pupil to take a medicine or carry out a necessary procedure if they refuse, but will follow the procedure agreed in the HCP and inform parents so that an alternative option can be considered, if necessary.

Unacceptable practice

School staff should use their discretion and judge each case individually with reference to the pupil’s PCP, but it is generally not acceptable to:

Prevent pupils from easily accessing their inhalers and medication, and administering their medication when and where necessary;
Assume that every pupil with the same condition requires the same treatment;
Ignore the views of the pupil or their parents;
Ignore medical evidence or opinion (although this may be challenged);
Send children with medical conditions home frequently for reasons associated with their medical condition or prevent them from staying for normal school activities, including lunch, unless this is specified in their HCPs;
If the pupil becomes ill, send them to the school office unaccompanied or with someone unsuitable;
Penalise pupils for their attendance record if their absences are related to their medical condition, e.g. hospital appointments;
Prevent pupils from drinking, eating or taking toilet or other breaks whenever they need to in order to manage their medical condition effectively;
Prevent pupils from participating, or create unnecessary barriers to pupils participating in any aspect of school life, including school trips, e.g. by requiring parents to accompany their child;
Administer, or ask pupils to administer, medicine in school toilets.

Emergency procedures

Staff will follow the school’s normal emergency procedures (for example, calling 999). All pupils’ PCPs will clearly set out what constitutes an emergency and will explain what to do.

If a pupil needs to be taken to hospital, staff will stay with the pupil until the parent arrives, or accompany the pupil to hospital by ambulance.

Training

Staff who are responsible for supporting pupils with medical needs will receive suitable and sufficient training to do so.

The training will be identified during the development or review of PCPs. Staff who provide support to pupils with medical conditions will be included in meetings where this is discussed. The relevant healthcare professionals will lead on identifying the type and level of training required and will agree this with the head teacher. Training will be kept up to date. Training will:

• Be sufficient to ensure that staff are competent and have confidence in their ability to support the pupils;

• Fulfil the requirements in the PCPs;

• Help staff to have an understanding of the specific medical conditions they are being asked to deal with, their implications and preventative measures.

Healthcare professionals will provide confirmation of the proficiency of staff in a medical procedure, or in providing medication.

All staff will receive training so that they are aware of this policy and understand their role in implementing it, for example, with preventative and emergency measures so they can recognise and act quickly when a problem occurs. This will be provided for new staff during their induction.

Record keeping

The governing board will ensure that written records are kept of all medicine administered to pupils. Parents will be informed if their pupil has been unwell at school.

PCPs are kept in a readily accessible place which all staff are aware of.

Monitoring arrangements

This policy will be reviewed and approved by the governing board every 3 years.

Links to other policies

This policy links to the following policies:

• Accessibility plan

• Equality information and objectives

• First aid

• Health and safety

• Safeguarding

• Special Educational Needs Information Report and Policy.

Section 2: Administration of Medication:

(including the administration of non-prescription medicines)

Staff duties

As a school, we have specific named staff for the purpose of the administration of medicines:, Mrs Joanne Coombes and Mrs Alison Daly. Mrs Michelle McLaughlin may be required to administer medicines in cases of absence.

There are other members of staff who have been trained in the administration of medication – should one of the above members of staff not be available.

Teaching and support staff may be expected to administer medication while on educational trips. The medication will be provided by the school office with written details on when and how to administer. All colleagues will receive annual training.

As a school, we have a duty to plan how administering medicines can be accommodated in school and on educational visits to allow children who have medical needs to attend.

Administration of Medicines in School – short term medical needs

Medicines should normally be administered at home and only taken into school when absolutely necessary (where it would be detrimental to the child’s health, or would greatly impact on a child’s school attendance, if the medicine were not taken during the school day).

Administration of Medicines in School – long term medical needs

It is the parent’s responsibility to inform the school of any changes to their child’s medical needs immediately by completing a new medical information form. These are available from the school office.

As a school, we try to ensure that we have sufficient information about the medical condition of any child with long-term medical needs and will request meetings with parents and recognised medical practitioners regularly to provide the correct level of training. Training should be specific to the individual child concerned.

There will also be regular training for all staff on more generalised needs eg asthma awareness and epi-pen training, diabetes and epilepsy if required. The school is well supported by the School Nurse who provides staff with advice and any relevant training on request

Process for the Administration of Medicines in School – short and long term medical needs

The school will only accept:

medicines prescribed by a medical practitioner or over-the-counter medication;
over-the-counter medication will only be administered with full written consent from the child’s parent. The parent must state the dosage and time of dosage. These must fit with the instructions on the box or packaging. The school will not administer anything that is different to the written instructions on the packaging. The medication must be in the original packaging;
medicines that are in date;
if the medicine is in a blister pack, this must be complete and not cut up;
medicines in their original, named container, as dispensed by a pharmacist (unless over the counter medication;
containers with pharmacy labelling identifying the child by name and with original instructions for administration, dosage and storage. (unless over the counter medication)

On accepting any medication, the parent must sign a form disclosing all details and giving permission for the medication to be administered by a named person.

Medicines are kept in a locked cupboard in the case of non-refrigerated medicines and in the fridge of a locked kitchen in the case of refrigerated medicines. These medicines are accessed by the above-named adults or the Headteacher, or with the permission of the Headteacher. There are certain medications that are to be kept in the classroom in the red medical box. These can include inhalers, topical lotions, antihistamine and epi-pens.

When administering, the named adult must complete a record showing the date and time and details/dosage of the medication. This must be countersigned by another adult.

In the case of the child being allowed to administer their own medication, this must again be added to the record and counter-signed by another adult.

Under no circumstances should a parent send a child to school with any medicines, eg throat sweets/tablets, without informing the school. These could cause a hazard to the child or to another child if found and swallowed.

Any expired or unused medication will be returned to the parent for disposal.

Process for the Administration of Medicines during school trips

If a child has to take medication during a school trip then the member of staff in charge will administer the medication. The school office will provide the medication in the prescribed box labeled with the child’s name and date of birth and details including time to be administered and amount to be taken. We are unable to administer antibiotics during a school trip.

Process for the Administration of Medicines during residential visits

For the purpose of residential visits, there will be a named person with responsibility for the administration of medicines and care of children as above. This will usually be the teacher in charge of the residential.

In the case of higher levels of care eg intimate care, the named member of staff will also meet with the school nurse, or other recognised medical advisor to ensure that they are trained in dealing with the level of care required.

Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs Policy