Supporting Students with Medical Needs

Aims

1. Bourne Grammar School is an inclusive community that aims to support and welcome students with medical conditions.
2. Bourne Grammar School aims to provide all students with all medical conditions the same opportunities as others at school.

Policy Statements

1. Bourne Grammar School recognises Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on the Governing Body to make arrangements for supporting students at their School with medical conditions.
2. All staff understand that many of the medical conditions affecting our students will affect quality of life and may be life threatening, particularly if poorly managed or misunderstood.
3. This policy is supported by a clear communication plan for staff, parents/carers and other key stakeholders to ensure its full implementation.
4. All staff understand and are trained in the School’s general emergency procedures particularly with regard to anaphylaxis.
5. Bourne Grammar School has clear guidance on the administration and storage of medication.
6. Bourne Grammar School has clear guidance about record keeping.
7. All staff understand the common medical conditions that affect children at our School. Staff receive training on the impact medical conditions can have on students.
8. Bourne Grammar School aims to ensures that the School environment is suitable for students with medical conditions. This includes the physical environment, as well as educational, social and sporting activities.
9. All staff show an understanding of how medical conditions impact on a student's ability to learn and seek to enhance their confidence and promote self-care.
10. Bourne Grammar School understands the importance of all students taking part in sports, games and activities. Teachers and coaches will make appropriate, and reasonable adjustments to make physical activity accessible to all.
11. The School is aware of the common triggers that can make medical conditions worse or can bring on an emergency. The School is actively working towards reducing or eliminating these health and safety risks.

Responsibilities

Collaborative working arrangements are in place to enable the stakeholders listed below to work in partnership to ensure that students' needs are met effectively.

Governing Body

1. Aims to ensure arrangements are made to support students with medical conditions in School; including making sure that this policy is fully implemented

Headteacher must

1. Ensure that all staff are aware of the policy and understand their role in its implementation.
2. Ensure that all appropriate staff are aware of students' medical conditions.
3. Ensure that appropriate staff are trained to implement the policy and deliver against Individual Healthcare Plans, including in emergency situations.
4. Ensure that School staff are appropriately insured to support students.
5. Ensure that all educational visits are appropriately risk assessed and that the medical needs of students participating have been identified and provision is in place.

Deputy Headteacher (Pastoral) must

1. Accept devolved responsibility for implementation of the policy from the Headteacher.
2. Take responsibility for ensuring individual Healthcare Plans are devised in partnership with the School’s First Aider, parents/carers and, where appropriate, students.
3. Consult the student, parents/carers and the student’s healthcare professional to ensure the effect of the student’s medical condition on their schoolwork is properly considered. This is likely to involve the relevant Head of Year.

School staff must

1. Be prepared to be asked to support students with medical conditions, including administering medicines.
2. Engage with training to achieve the necessary level of competency before taking responsibility to support students with medical conditions.
3. Know what to do and respond accordingly when aware that a student with a medical condition needs help.
4. Be aware of the potential for students with medical conditions to have special educational needs (SEN). Students with medical conditions who are finding it difficult to keep up with their studies should be referred to the SENCO.

Student Reception must

1. Ensure medicines are kept safely and, where appropriate securely, with clear access.
2. Log medical emergencies.
3. Log medicines administered.
4. Liaise with the Deputy Headteacher (Pastoral), students, parents/carers and, where appropriate, external agencies, to develop Individual Healthcare Plans and review plans as required.

Other healthcare professionals, including GPs and paediatricians, must

1. Provide advice on developing individual Healthcare Plans and support Schools with particular conditions

Parents/carers must

1. Notify school on enrolment and provide sufficient and up-to-date information about their child’s medical needs.
2. Engage in the development and review of their child’s Individual Healthcare Plan.
3. Carry out actions agreed in their child's Individual Healthcare Plan, such as provide medicines and ensure they, or another nominated adult, are contactable at all times.

Students must

1. Be fully involved in discussions about their medical support needs and contribute as much as possible to the development of, and comply with, their Individual Healthcare Plan.
2. Endeavour to develop independence in managing their own medical needs where appropriate.

Procedures and Processes

Staff training and support

1. All Staff are aware of the most common serious medical conditions and what to do in an emergency.
2. Additionally, the Senior First Aider is appropriately trained and can provide advice and guidance to staff, parents/carers and students.
3. In an emergency situation, School staff are required under common law to act like any reasonably prudent parent. This may include administering medication.
4. If a student needs to be taken to hospital, a member of staff will always accompany him/her and will stay with him/her until a parent or carer arrives. A copy of the student's individual Healthcare Plan will be sent to the emergency care setting with the student.

The student's role in managing his/her own medical needs

1. The School actively seeks that students, where able, take responsibility for managing their own medicines and procedures.
2. Whilst on School visits / trips, the protocol in the individual Healthcare Plan will be adhered to.

Managing Medicines on School Premises: Administration of emergency medication

1. All students have easy access to their emergency medication in Student Reception.
2. All students are encouraged to carry and administer their own emergency medication, when it has been determined that they are able to take responsibility for doing so. All students carry their emergency medication with them at all times, except if they are controlled drugs as defined in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. This is also the arrangement on any off-site or residential visits.
3. All use of medication defined as a controlled drug, even if the student can administer the medication him/herself, is done under the supervision of the Pastoral staff located at the Student Reception.
4. All School staff have been informed through training that they are required, under common law duty of care, to act like any reasonably prudent parent in an emergency situation.
5. If a child’s medication changes or is discontinued, or the dose or administration method changes, parents/carers should notify the School immediately.
6. If a student at School refuses their medication, staff will record this and follow procedures. Parents/carers will be informed as soon as possible.
7. Off-site visits are fully risk assessed and staff are made aware of any students with medical conditions on the visit. They receive information about the type of condition, what to do in an emergency and any other additional support necessary, including any additional medication or equipment needed.
8. If a student misuses medication, either their own or another student’s, their parents/carers are informed as soon as possible. These students are subject to the School's usual disciplinary procedures.

Storage of medication at School

Emergency Medication

1. Most students at this School carry, and securely keep, their own medication. They are reminded to ensure that their emergency medication is with them at all times. Back-up medication where provided by parents/carers is available in Student Reception.
2. Where a student is not yet able to self-manage and carry his/her own emergency medication, he/she knows where to access the emergency medication.

Non-Emergency Medication

1. All non-emergency medication is kept in a secure place, in Student Reception.
2. Students with medical conditions know where their medication is stored and how to access it.
3. Staff ensure that medication is only accessible to those for whom it is prescribed.

General

1. The Student Manager ensures the correct storage of medication at School.
2. All controlled drugs are kept in a locked cupboard, paying particular note to temperature, and only named staff have access, even if students normally administer the medication themselves.
3. Three times a year the Senior First Aider checks and logs the expiry dates for all medication stored at School.
4. All emergency and non-emergency medication brought in to School must be clearly labelled wherever possible, in its original containers, with the student’s name, the name and dose of the medication and the frequency of dose, expiry date and the prescriber’s instructions. This includes all medication that students carry themselves.
5. It is the parents/carers’ responsibility to ensure new and in date medication comes into School on the first day of the new academic year.
6. An accurate record of each occasion an individual student is given or supervised taking medication is kept. Details of the supervising staff member, student, dose, date and time are recorded.

Safe Disposal

1. School will dispose of out of date medication once parents/carers have been informed.
2. Sharps boxes are used for the disposal of needles. Sharps boxes are collected and replaced regularly by an external provider.

Record Keeping

Enrolment

1. Parents/carers are asked if their child has any health conditions/issues on the Data Collection Sheet; this information is collated by the SIMS and Data Manager.

Individual Healthcare Plans

1. An Individual Healthcare Plan may be required if a student has severe or complex medical needs.
2. The Individual Healthcare Plan records important details about individual student’s medical needs at School, their triggers, signs, symptoms, medication and other treatment.
3. An individual Healthcare Plan, accompanied by an explanation of why and how it is used, is sent to all parents/carers of students with a long-term medical condition. This is sent:
   1. At the start of the School year
   2. At admission (if this is not the start of the School year)
   3. When a diagnosis is first communicated to the School.
4. Parents/carers, healthcare professionals and students with a medical condition are asked to fill out the student’s Individual Healthcare Plan together. Parents/carers then return the completed forms to the School.
5. The School ensures that a relevant member of School staff is also present, if required, to help draw up an Individual Healthcare Plan for students with complex healthcare or educational needs. A copy is sent to parents/carers.

School Healthcare Plan Register

1. Individual Healthcare Plans are used to create a centralised register of students with severe or complex medical needs and are kept in a secure central location at School (and also attached as a linked document in SIMS).
2. Parents/carers are regularly reminded to update their child’s individual Healthcare Plan if their child has a medical emergency, if there have been changes to their symptoms (getting better or worse), or when their medication and treatments change.
3. Every student with an Individual Healthcare Plan at our School has their plan discussed and reviewed at least once a year.
4. All staff have access to the Individual Healthcare Plans of students in their care.
5. All staff are responsible for the protection of student confidentiality; in particular the published summary of students' medical conditions is strictly confidential to staff. Students with Individual Healthcare Plans are identified on the School’s Medical Register.
6. Before sharing any medical information with any other party, permission is sought from parents/carers.

Educational Visits / Education Off-Site

1. Risk assessments are carried out by the School prior to any out-of-School visit and medical conditions are considered during this process. Factors considered include: how all students will be able to access the activities proposed, how routine and emergency medication will be stored and administered, and where help can be obtained in an emergency.
2. Parents/carers are sent a residential visit form to be completed and returned to School shortly before their child leaves for an overnight stay. This requests up-to-date information about the student’s current medical condition and how it is to be managed whilst away.
3. Staff on educational visits and out-of-School hours activities are fully briefed on students’ Individual medical needs. They will have access to the Individual Healthcare Plan and any necessary medication / medical equipment for the duration of the visit.
4. For all residential visits, a member of staff is appointed as the 'designated member of staff' and the appropriate first aid equipment will be taken on the trip

Complaints

1. Should parents/carers or students be dissatisfied with the support provided, they should discuss their concerns directly with School. If, for whatever reason, this does not resolve the issue, they may make a formal complaint via the School's complaints procedure (see Complaints Policy).

Glossary of Terms

Controlled Drug

1. Some prescription medicines are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs legislation. These medicines are called controlled medicines or controlled drugs; for example, morphine. Stricter legal controls apply to controlled drugs to prevent them being misused, obtained illegally or causing harm.

Monitoring

1. The Deputy Headteacher (Pastoral) will monitor the effectiveness of the policy.

Ownership and Date of next review

1. Policy owned by: Pastoral and Community committee.
2. Last reviewed and approved: 16 November 2022
3. Next review due: October 2024.