Medical Policy

Date reviewed - 07.09.23

Next review date 07.09.25

What is the Policy for?

 The overarching purpose of this policy is to make sure children and young people have successful and fulfilling lives. This policy sets out specific guidance on the principles that should apply to the management of medical conditions, including the administration of medications. The outcome should be that they can play a full and active role in all aspects of school life including trips, educational visits and residential and extended school activities, such that they remain healthy and achieve their academic potential.

Roles and Responsibilites

 The Head teacher is responsible for:

*  Ensuring all staff are aware of this policy on supporting pupils with medical conditions, understand their role in its implementation and follow the correct procedures.

* Designating named individual/s responsible for effectively implementing this policy: Bev Blanchfield, Executive Head; Christina Shanks, Interim Head of School; and the School Nurse.  

 * Ensuring this policy clearly identifies how the roles and responsibilities of staff who are involved in the arrangements to support pupils at school with medical conditions are made clear to both staff, parents/carers and the child.

 * Ensuring all relevant staff are aware of an individual child’s medical condition and needs.

 * Ensuring that sufficient numbers of staff receive appropriate training to fulfil the roles and responsibilities of supporting children with medical conditions i.e. the school is able to deliver against all Individual Healthcare Plans (IHCPs) and implement policy, including for example in contingency or emergency situations and management of staff absence. Page 4

* Ensuring that a system is in place which identifies procedures to be followed on receipt of notification of a pupil’s medical needs; procedures should cover any transitional arrangements or when pupil needs change (see Appendix 1).

 * Ensuring that cover arrangements are always available in the event of staff absence or staffing changes, including briefing for volunteers, supply teachers and appropriate induction for new members of staff.

 * Ensuring that IHCPs are in place, where appropriate, and developed in consultation with parents/carers, healthcare professionals, relevant staff and (if appropriate) the child or young person.

* Ensuring IHCPs are monitored and are subject to review, at least annually, or sooner if needs change.

* Ensuring risk assessments relating to the school environment are in place, as appropriate, including consideration for actions to take in the event of emergency situations.

 * Ensuring risk assessments relating to off-site visits, residential trips and extended school opportunities offered outside the normal timetable are in place, as appropriate, including consideration for actions to take in the event of emergency situations.

 * Ensuring a complaints procedure is in place and is accessible.

*  Ensuring the notification procedure is followed when information about a child’s medical needs are received

 * Ensuring parents/carers provide full and up to date information about their child’s medical needs by completion of ‘Parent/Carer Information about a Child’s Medical Condition’ form

 * Deciding, on receipt of a ‘Parent/Carer Request and Agreement for School to Administer Medicines / Medical Interventions’ form  on a case by case basis, whether any medication or medical intervention will be administered, following consultation with staff.

Staff Responsibilities:

 * Any member of staff may be asked to provide support for a child with a medical condition, including the administration of medicine(s) and medical intervention(s), although they cannot be required to do so; this is a voluntary role.

 * School staff will receive sufficient and suitable training and achieve competency before they take on responsibility for supporting children with medical conditions.

* Where children have an IHCP, the roles and responsibilities of staff will be clearly recorded and agreed.

Parents/Carers are required to:

* Provide the school with sufficient and up to date information about their child’s medical needs and to update it at the start of each school year or, if needs change.

* Complete, if appropriate, a ‘Parent/Carer Request and Agreement for School to Administer Medicines / Medical interventions’ form to gain consent for medicines / medical interventions to be administered at school.

* Provide up-to-date contact information so that parents/carers or other nominated adults are contactable at all times.

 * Carry out any action they have agreed to as part of the implementation of an IHCP.

* Provide any medication in its original packaging, with the pharmacy label stating the following: ∙ Child’s name ∙ Child’s date of birth ∙ Name of medicine ∙ Frequency / time medication administered ∙ Dosage and method of administration ∙ Special storage arrangements

*  Ensure medicines or resources associated with delivery of a medical intervention have not passed the expiry date.

* Collect and dispose of any medicines held in school at the end of each term or as agreed.

* Provide any equipment required to carry out a medical intervention e.g. catheter tubes.

 * Collect and dispose of any equipment used to carry out a medical intervention e.g. sharps

Managing Medicines / Medical Interventions on School Premises

Administration of Medicines / Medical Interventions

 * Medicine / medical interventions will only be administered at school when it would be detrimental to a pupil’s health or attendance not to do so.

 * It is expected that parents/carers will normally administer medication / medical interventions to their children during their time at home, where at all possible.

*  No medication / medical intervention will be administered without prior written permission from the parents/carers. ‘Parent/Carer Request and Agreement for School to Administer Medicines / Medical Interventions’ (Template A)

*  The Headteacher will decide whether and by whom any medication or medical intervention will be administered in school, following receipt of the above form and after consultation with staff.

* No changes to administration method or dosage of medication or changes in procedures relating to medical interventions will carried out without written authority from parents/carers and recorded amendment to the ‘Parent/Carer Request and Agreement for School to Administer Medicines / Medical interventions’ form

* The Head teacher will decide whether a child is able to carry and self-administer any medication or self-administer any medical intervention, following consultation with staff as appropriate ‘Parent/Carer Request for the Child’s Self–Administration of Medication/Medical Intervention’

 * All medicines / medical interventions will normally be administered during school breaks and/or lunchtime.

* If, for medical reasons, medicine has to be taken at other times during the day or a medical intervention delivered at a different time, arrangements will be made for the medicine / medical intervention to be administered at other prescribed times.

* Pupils will be told where their medication / medical intervention equipment and resources are kept and who will administer them.

* Any member of staff, on each occasion, giving medicine / medical intervention to a pupil should check: ∙ Name of pupil ∙ Written instructions provided by the parents/carers or healthcare professional or as agreed in an IHCP ∙ Prescribed dose, if appropriate ∙ Expiry date, if appropriate

* Any member of staff, on each occasion, will make a written record of medication / medical interventions administered on the ‘Record of Administration of Medicines/Medical Intervention to an Individual Child’ (Appendix 1)

* No child under 16 will be given medicine containing aspirin unless prescribed by a doctor.

Refusing Medication / Medical Intervention

1. If a child refuses to take their medication / medical intervention, staff will not force them to do so. Refusal to take medication will be recorded and dated on the child’s record sheet. Reasons for refusal to take medications / medical intervention must also be recorded as well as the action then taken by the member of staff.

2. Parents/carers will be informed as soon as possible. Where the child is potentially placing themselves at risk by refusal, parents/carers will be informed immediately.

Health care plans

• For CYP with more complex medical needs we use Individual Healthcare plans to record important details. Individual Healthcare plans are held in the school office in accordance with data protection. They are updated when and if there are significant changes and also annually reviewed with parents and health care professionals.

• Individual Healthcare Plans are shared on a need to know basis with staff who are directly involved with implementing them.
•  The SENDco is responsible for ensuring any Individual healthcare plans are developed
• The SENDco is responsible for checking Individual Healthcare plans on a termly basis to ensure they are up to date and being implemented correctly.

Complaints

For details on how to make a complaint around medical issues in school please follow our school complaints procedure which is available on our website.