Co-op Academy (Co-op Academy Brownhill)

1. Aims

1.1 The Academy takes responsibility for the health, safety, and welfare of its students and staff very seriously and is committed to ensuring that those with allergies, especially those likely to have a severe reaction (anaphylaxis), are supported in all aspects of the academy life.

1.2 We will try to control allergens in our academy where practicably possible; however, we cannot guarantee that it will be allergen-free.

1.3 We will:

• Provide a written policy which promotes allergy awareness, which all academy staff are aware of.
• Ensure our academy raises awareness of food allergies and anaphylaxis in the academy community.
•  Aim to reduce the risk of exposure to allergens

1.4 The academy is not in a position to guarantee a completely allergen-free environment but rather to minimise the risk of exposure. Our academy will ask, encourage self-responsibility and plan for an effective response to emergencies.

2. Introduction

2.1 An allergy is the body’s response to normally harmless substances. While in most people, these substances (allergens) pose no problem, in allergic individuals, their immune system identifies them as a ‘threat’ and, in some cases, can produce a severe anaphylactic reaction, which can affect or restrict the airway and could possibly, in extreme cases, lead to death.

2.2 Certain responses can be life-threatening and extremely harmful, producing a reaction such as anaphylaxis or can be less severe, producing responses such as itching, runny eyes, hives, funny taste in the mouth, swollen eyes and lips. All staff should be aware of the symptoms about this policy

3. Reducing the risk of allergic reactions

3.1 The academy should be aware that insect bites and animal allergies could also cause severe reactions, food types causing analgesic reactions, other substances and exposure to certain animals. Therefore, all staff must be diligent and report any signs of insects or animals to the building and estates manager.

3.2 If pets or animals are visiting or kept in school, careful consideration will be given to where the animals are kept, hygiene and cleanliness during animal handling, and consideration of individual children’s allergies, including completion of risk assessments where necessary.      

3.3 Substances that cause allergic reactions are known as allergens. Common allergens include:

• Grass and
• tree pollen
• dust mites
• animal dander
• food (particularly nuts, fruit, shellfish, eggs and milk)
• Insect bites and stings
• Medication (including Ibuprofen, aspirin and certain antibiotics)
• Latex (used to make gloves and condoms)
• Mould
• Household chemicals (including detergents and hair dyes).

3.4 There are also 14 Food Allergens, all of which can produce an allergic reaction. These include:

• Cereals containing gluten
• Crustaceans
• Eggs
• Fish
• Peanuts
• Soya
• Milk
• Nuts tree nuts
• Celery
• Mustard
• Sesame
• Sulphur Dioxide
• Lupin
• Molluscs

3.5 The academy cannot prevent these substances from being brought on-site, so everyone must be vigilant. We can all reduce the risk of exposure to allergens by implementing simple strategies and encouraging participation by all in the academy community; any visitors, parents, carers, and pupils are asked to ensure bottles and drinks are clearly labelled with the child’s name for whom they are intended.

Pupils and staff must avoid food sharing and sharing of utensils and containers at all times:

• Encourage all pupils and staff to check any food they are offered should they have allergies.  
• Remind parents and parent careers with packed lunches to give thought to eliminating food which may be of risk to other members of the school community with allergies;
• Those staff who have food handling as part of their role must ensure they access appropriate training.

4. Responsibilities for allergy management

4.1 The member of staff responsible for Estates Management will be responsible for ensuring that all staff are aware of this policy and their role.

4.2 Appropriate training and support are in place to raise awareness of pupils with allergies and how to administer the necessary medication. A procedure is established for communicating and catering for any special dietary requests.

There are sufficient trained staff available to provide treatment to anyone having an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis, and staff are trained to recognise and understand the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction.

4.3 Staff understand how rapid anaphylaxis can progress to a life-threatening reaction. Staff are aware that anaphylaxis can occur with or without prior mild symptoms.

4.4 Staff are aware where pupil/staff medication (and if appropriate, staff medication) is stored and the academy’s emergency medication is held, and that this is accessible at all times.

4.5 Staff attend anaphylaxis awareness training on an annual basis. This should include how to recognise the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction/ anaphylaxis, the treatment of anaphylaxis and awareness of how to use an AAI.

4.6 Staff leading educational visits should ensure they are competent to act in the case of anaphylaxis and carry all the relevant emergency supplies, including residential trips and sporting fixtures.

4.7 During educational visits, staff must, where possible, supervise any food-related activities, ensuring that where food is being provided—used or consumed—food allergen information is available. Equally, pupils are also expected to be self-aware and follow processes in line with their condition.

4.8 The Catering Manager will be responsible for using only authorised suppliers and being the controlling point and contact for all food purchases for school catering.

Ensure that all food suppliers and catering suppliers are aware of the school’s food allergy policy and the requirements under the labelling law.

4.9 Ensuring food suppliers are nut-free or labelled ‘may contain nuts’.

Be aware of pupils and staff with such food allergies and update this training annually. All staff must be informed of this during their in-house induction training.

Pupils of any age, where possible, must be familiar with what their allergies are and provide, where possible, information about how their allergies affect them.

4.10 Students should be fully involved in discussions about reducing the risk of an allergic reaction and be empowered to reduce those risks. Students should already be trained to administer their auto-injector and will be encouraged to carry it on their person

4.11 Pupils are responsible for carrying their own medication to ensure it is up to date, kept safe, and not used for any purpose other than its intended use.

4.12 On entry to the academy, parents/carers are responsible for notifying the academy via the Medical Form of any history of allergy, previous severe reactions and, if any, history of anaphylaxis. Parents are responsible for ensuring the academy is provided with sufficient and up-to-date information about their child’s medical needs. If an Allergy or Individual Health Care Plan has not been provided by the school nurse, specialist nurse, hospital or previous school, parents/carers are required to participate in preparing an Individual Health Care Plan and inform the academy in line with the medical needs policy.

4.13 Parents/carers are required to provide consent to the academy to administer medication using

Form 5 of the Medical Needs and Medicines policy.

4.14 Parents/carers are responsible for ensuring any required medication is always kept on site, is in date, provided in its original packaging, and replaced as necessary (The MHRA recommend). This will be shared in line with the medical needs policy

4.15 Parents are responsible for ensuring that they or another nominated adult are always contactable and that student records are current.

4.16 Due to the academy's diverse nature, allergen information must be accessible to all visitors.

4.17 During bookings for external events, it is important that guests are informed of the requirements for any known person with food allergies/intolerances. This should be undertaken during the booking process. The catering teams should then be passed this information to allow them to plan appropriate menus and food selections.

4.18 The Catering Department will also hold information folders during each breakfast, mid-morning break, and lunch service outlining the contents of all food dishes at that specific service. Guests can refer to these upon request.

4.19 Health Care Professionals, including GPs, paediatricians and specialist nurse practitioners, should provide parents with an appropriate Allergy Healthcare Plan or Individual Health Care Plan for pupils at risk of anaphylaxis.

4.20 If the Academy is notified that a pupil is at risk of anaphylaxis and does not have an Allergy or Individual Health Care Plan, actively seek to locate the appropriate Plan. The academy is not responsible for preparing the IHCP in isolation (see the relevant medical policy)

5. Emergency Auto-Injectors

5.1 The Department of Health released non-statutory guidance in October 2017 permitting Academies to hold emergency Adrenaline Auto-Injectors (AAI) on site for emergency use. The academy is allowed to use and hold emergency auto-injectors.

5.2 The use of the spare AAIs is intended for emergency use only on children regarded as being at risk of anaphylaxis or whose own AAI is not available or working. Spare AAIs can be administered to a child if their own AAI cannot be used.

The academy can administer spare AAIs without prescription for use in emergencies if:

• A pupil is at risk
• Parent/carer consent has been received for the use of the spare AAI.
• If the child is known to be at risk of anaphylaxis.

NOTE: The academy must highlight that if the emergency services (paramedics) instruct the academy to administer an adrenaline auto-injector and parental consent cannot be obtained to administer the academy’s spare AAI, the academy should follow the instructions provided by the emergency services.

5.3 Purchasing AAIs for emergency use

The academy can purchase AAIs from pharmaceutical suppliers (local pharmacies). All requests must come from the Principal in written form. (Appendix 2 Sample letter for purchasing emergency AAIs). Academies are advised to use this letter rather than writing their own.

5.4 AAIs are available in different dosages; therefore, anaphylaxis should be treated as per the dose provided.

5.5 Storage and Access to Emergency AAIs

AAIs will not be locked away but should be available and accessible from a known location in the general office. This includes offices where access might be restricted or controlled. AAIs should be stored at most five minutes away from where they are needed. Spare AAIs must be clearly labelled and should not be confused with a pupil's own medication.

5.6 Emergency AAI Kit

The Academy is required to name two members of staff responsible for maintaining the Spare AAI Kit. One to lead, and the second to deputise in the absence of the lead.

Spare AAI kits should include:

• Instructions how to use the devices;
• One or more AAI.
• Storage instructions (in line with manufacturers’ guidelines)
• Manufacturer’s information.
• List of AAIs held including information about the make, model, batch number and expiry dates.
• Monthly recorded checks of spare AAIs held to ensure they remain in optimum working order.
• Arrangements for replacement of the AAIs – by who, when and how;
• List of pupils who can use the AAIs, including copies of parental consent received (see

Appendix 1 for sample Consent to administer emergency Adrenaline Auto Injector).

• Record of AAIs administered to include, name, date, AAI name, AAI type, dosage given and batch number

5.7 The spare AAIs are kept in the same location as the emergency inhaler kits within the academy identified on the academy inhaler posters.

The academy will keep all records on AAIs in line with the medical policy.

5.8 Disposal of spent AAIs

Once used, an AAI cannot be reused. It/they can be given to the paramedics on arrival for them to dispose of, or will be disposed of in a yellow sharps bin. Out of date medication will be returned to the parents/carers, or if not collected from the academy must be returned to a pharmacy for safe controlled disposal.

5.9 Spare AAIs on Educational Visits

With all emergency medication pupils, where able, should carry their own medication and

spares held by the group leader/first aider. If it is considered appropriate, spare AAIs will be taken on a school trip; but only is there are sufficient supplies also left at the academy.

The academy’s a spare AAI should only be used as a spare, not a replacement for a child’s own AAI. Spare AAIs held by the school are in addition to those prescribed for a student

Communication with Paramedics:

If an AAI is administered, schools will be required to relay the following information to the paramedics:

• if the child is known to have an allergy
• what might have caused the reaction
• time the AAI was given
• if a second AAI was used

6. Training and Awareness

6.1 We will arrange specialist anaphylaxis training for staff. This will include practical instruction in how to use the different AAI devices available. Staff will also get the opportunity to practise using training pens

6.2 All staff have access to the Staff Hand Book; this book contains information for all staff on how to administer the Epi Pen. It also contains information on the locations of the academy emergency Epi Pens. The staff hand book also contains the location of the emergency Asthma pumps and the guidance on how to administer Asthma medication to a student if required. EG:

Location 1. The PA to the Principal's office is stored in the fridge

Location 2. The General Office is stored in the fridge

Location 3. The site team office is stored within the fridge

Staff and Parental awareness 

Under GDPR, the academy will issue a letter that allows the parent to confirm that they are happy that emergency allergy treatment can be administered if required. This letter will be issued annually, and the information will be uploaded to the student records as soon as possible.

The academy will also update the transition information issued when pupils arrive on campus in year 7.

All staff must receive a letter to update the central record system. All staff who suffer from allergies must be identified, and a list must be made available. This record must also contain photo identification of the staff member. A risk assessment should determine a buddy who understands the medical condition. In the event of an incident, the buddy would be able to locate any stored medication, the dosage and the regime to administer in an emergency.

6.1 We will arrange specialist anaphylaxis training for staff. This will include practical instruction on how to use the different AAI devices available. Staff will also get the opportunity to practise using training pens

6.2 All staff have access to the Staff Handbook; this book contains information on administering the Epi-Pen. It also contains information on the locations of the academy emergency Epi-Pens. The staff handbook also includes the location of the emergency Asthma pumps and guidance on administering Asthma medication to a student if required. EG:

Location 1. The PA to the Principal's office is stored in the fridge

Location 2. The General Office is stored in the fridge

Location 3. The site team office is stored within the fridge

Staff and Parental awareness 

Under GDPR, the academy will issue a letter that allows the parent to confirm that they are happy that emergency allergy treatment can be administered if required. This letter will be issued annually, and the information will be uploaded to the student records as soon as possible.

The academy will also update the transition information issued when pupils arrive on campus in year 7.

All staff must receive a letter to update the central record system. All staff who suffer from allergies must be identified, and a list must be made available. This record must also contain photo identification of the staff member. A risk assessment should be in place to identify a buddy who understands the medical condition. In the event of an incident, the buddy would be able to locate any stored medication, as well as the dosage and the regime to administer in an emergency.

6.3 Resources for educating pupils and children on the risk of anaphylaxis are available via the BBC Bitesize website animation tool “Living with Anaphylactic Allergies—Izzy and Ben’s story ” (https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/clips/zpdy6fr), and these may be used.

6.4 Further resources for schools are available via the following sites:

• Anaphylaxis Campaign:  https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/
• Spare Pens in Schools: https://www.sparepensinschools.uk/for-school-pupils/ 
• Allergy UK: https://www.allergyuk.org/living-with-an-allergy/at-school/

7. The In-house Catering Team

7.1 Special Diet Requests—Where food allergy is a concern, parents/carers will be required to cooperate with the academy’s catering provision and adhere to the caterer’s special diet procedure regarding any special diet requests.

7.2 Depending on the complexity of the allergy/allergies, parents may be required to meet with the catering team to inform them of their child’s dietary needs fully

7.3 Special Diet Request forms and Procedures and a list of FAQs are available to parents via the academy main office. The catering manager also provides allergen reports for core menu items, which parents should refer to in case of an allergen query.

7.4 Staff preparing food on residential visits must consider the dietary and allergy needs of all participants. See the educational visits policy for further information

7.5 Specialist dietary requirements for staff and students on residential trips need to be planned well in advance to ensure adequate accommodation during the trips. Parents/carers will need to be involved in all aspects of the planning to ensure that students are not exposed to allergens that put them at risk.

7.6 Pupils will not be excluded from educational visits due to their dietary or medical needs. We will work around these where possible, carrying out a risk assessment as required.

8. Educational Visits and Trips

8.1 All staff undertaking an offsite trip will have attended the School’s Medication and Anaphylaxis training.            

This is part of the risk assessment. Staff must also:

• Physically check that pupils have their medication before leaving the site.
• Ensure that all food collected from the Catering Department has been clearly labelled and they are aware of any foods that should not be given to pupils with allergies.
• Ensure that they have the academy emergency first aid kit, which includes the Epi-Pen and Asthma pump for emergencies and when a person develops symptoms for the first time.

Appendix 1

Definitions

Key definitions are detailed below:

• AAI – Adrenaline Auto-Injector
• Allergy – An allergy is the response of the body's immune system to normally harmless substances, such as pollens, foods, and house dust mites
• Allergen – A substance which causes an allergic reaction
• Anaphylaxis – Anaphylaxis, or anaphylactic shock, is a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction affecting more than one body system, such as the airways, heart, circulation, gut and ski
• EPIPEN® – Brand name for a hypodermic device which delivers epinephrine (adrenaline) used for the treatment of an acute allergic reaction
• Emerade® – Brand name for adrenaline auto-injector used for the emergency treatment of severe acute allergic reactions
• IHCP – Individual Health Care Plan
• Jext® - A brand name for an adrenaline auto-injector used in the emergency treatment of anaphylactic shock or anaphylactic reaction.

Appendix 2

Consent to administer emergency Adrenaline Auto-Injector

Consent Form: Use of Emergency Adrenaline Auto-Injector

1.        I can confirm that my child has been prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector.

2.        In the event my child does not have their auto-injector, or there is a malfunction of other prescribed auto-injectors held/carried, I consent for my child to receive the academy-held emergency adrenaline auto-injector in an emergency

Signed:  

Date:

Name (print):         

Childs Name:          

Class/ Form:          

Parents address and contact details:

Telephone:           

E-Mail:            

Appendix 3

Sample letter for purchasing emergency Adrenaline Auto-injectors

[To be completed on headed paper]

[Date]

We wish to purchase emergency Adrenaline Auto-injector devices for use in our academy. The adrenaline auto-injectors will be used per the manufacturer’s instructions for

the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis following the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017. This allows schools to purchase “spare” backup adrenaline auto-injectors for the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis. (Further information can be found at  

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/allowing-schools-to-hold-spare- adrenaline-auto-injectors)

Please supply the following devices:

Signed:          Date:          

Print name:

Appendix 4

Anaphylaxis and Automatic Auto-Injector trained staff.

Academies should maintain records of all staff trained to administer Automated Auto-Injectors and those trained in anaphylaxis.

The person responsible for maintaining this list is Miss C Shanks.

Appendix 5

Dealing with Anaphylaxia

Appendix 6

Emergency Instruction for allergic reaction – Auto-Injector EpiPen®/ Jext®/Emerade®)

Student’s Name:                 

DOB:

Allergic to:                 

ASSESS THE SITUATION

Send someone to get the student's spare auto-injector or emergency kit, which is kept in the:

IT IS IMPORTANT TO REALISE THAT THE STAGES DESCRIBED BELOW MAY MERGE INTO EACH OTHER RAPIDLY AS A REACTION DEVELOPS

MILD REACTION

        Generalised itching

        Mild swelling of lips or face

        Feeling unwell/Nausea

        Vomiting

ACTIONS

        Give          (antihistamine) immediately

        Monitor the student until you are happy he/she has returned to normal.

SEVERE REACTION

        Difficulty breathing/choking/coughing

        Severe swelling of lips/eyes/face

        Pale/floppy

        Collapsed/unconscious

ACTIONS

1.   Get          _auto-injector out and send someone to telephone 999 and tell the operator that the student is having an

‘ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION’

1.   Sit or lay the student on the floor.

2.   Take the auto-injector and remove the grey safety cap.