Diabetes

Introduction

1. This diabetes policy should be read in conjunction with Supporting Students with Medical Needs and the Administration of Medicine policy.

Aims

1. To outline how the School will meet the needs of students with Type I diabetes.
2. To help students feel confident and safe in managing their Type I diabetes and maximise the opportunities available to them.
3. To provide high-quality care and support for students with Type I diabetes.

Key Contacts

1. The Student Manager is the first point of contact for all enquiries regarding diabetes support in School.

The School's Approach to Supporting Students with Type I Diabetes

1. Reasonable adjustments will be made in order for students with Type I diabetes to test and manage their blood glucose levels safely and confidently.
2. The School will work closely with its students, parents and specialist diabetes teams to help ensure students' physical, mental and academic progress is maintained.
3. It is recognised that children of different ages will need different levels of support to test their blood glucose levels, take insulin injections and manage their carbohydrate intake. Newly diagnosed students are likely to need greater levels of support.
4. The School will afford students opportunities to develop greater independence with managing their diabetes, but this will be facilitated on a case-by-case basis.

Training and Additional Support

1. All staff will receive diabetes awareness training annually. This will help to ensure staff are aware of the challenges students with Type I diabetes face, including the impact of concentration levels and mood, but it will also help keep them safe.
2. Designated staff will receive advanced diabetes management training annually. At least one of these trained staff will be available at all times throughout the day.
3. The specialist diabetes team will be given access to students in School, typically once a month, but more often where necessary.
4. Students, parents and the specialist diabetes team will have the opportunity to make contributions to staff training, through the Deputy Headteacher (Pastoral).

Individual Care

1. The specialist diabetes team will create an Individual Health Care Plan (IHCP) for each student with Type I diabetes and this will be shared with the student, parents and relevant staff.
2. Parents will be invited in to School to discuss the IHCP and the support offered to their child. This will typically be at the start of each academic year.
3. The School will follow the procedures as set out in the child's IHCP.
4. A meeting and monitoring arrangements will be made for any newly diagnosed student or students transitioning from another school.
5. Parents are responsible for ensuring their child attends School with the correct equipment, including portable sharps box, to manage their diabetes and they will provide the School with sufficient spares, including carbohydrate snacks.

Reasonable Adjustments

1. Students with Type I diabetes may test in any area of the School, including in lessons, and they are permitted to eat whenever necessary, even in Science Labs.
2. Students with Type I diabetes will always be granted permission to go to the toilet during lesson time.
3. Those students who monitor their blood glucose levels via DexCom device (or equivalent) may check their mobile phone at any point during a lesson.
4. Blood glucose monitoring alarms may be kept on throughout the day.
5. Students may treat a hypo within a lesson and are not expected to leave the room.
6. If a student needs additional support in managing a hypo, their teacher can call for another member of staff, via SIMS callout, to come to the room.
7. Students are encouraged to test and inject insulin in either the medical room or equivalent.
8. A student experiencing a hypo at the end of a lesson can either remain in the room with the teacher, or another member of staff will be called to ensure they can be supported in an alternative venue.
9. For those students needing greater support in managing their diabetes, a trained member of staff is available throughout the day to supervise testing and injecting. This member of staff will record blood glucose levels and ketones. Records will be kept securely and in accordance with GDPR.

Peer Support

1. Students will be offered opportunities to meet with other students managing Type I diabetes.
2. New students to the School, or newly diagnosed students, will be offered a buddy to provide additional support and guidance.
3. Students will be able to give feedback to the School on the support provided and offer ideas that can be included in this policy and future training.