| Date Created | Date 1st Review Due | Date Reviewed | Version | Next Review Due |
| March 2023 | March 2024 | 1 | ||
| March 2024 | 2 | March 2025 |
Policy Statement
Egham Park School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
This policy was written with guidance from Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions 2015, Section 100 and Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014, Equality Act 2010.
Only reasonable quantities of medication should be supplied to the school (for example, a maximum of 6 weeks – half term – supply at any one time).
Each item of medication must be delivered to the office, in normal circumstances by the Parent/Carer, in a secure and labelled container as originally dispensed. Each item of medication must be clearly labelled with the following information:
- Pupil’s Name.
- Name of medication.
- Dosage.
- Frequency of administration.
- Period of time medication will be administered
- Storage requirements (if important).
- Expiry date.
The school will not accept items of medication in unlabelled containers. Medication will be kept in a secure place, (medicine cabinet/drawer) out of the reach of pupils, but a pupil will always know where their particular medicine is kept, who to ask for access and taken under staff supervision.
Medical Incidents or new medical conditions
If a pupil develops a new medical condition during their time at Egham Park School , an existing medical condition worsens or treatment changes or a sudden medical incident occurs, please see the Medical Incident /Conditions Procedure Flow Chart in the Appendix.
Administering medicine off site
If medicine needs to be administered at a time when the pupil is travelling on school transport, parents should ensure the responsible adult has written instructions relating to any medication sent with the pupil.
The school will make every effort to continue the administration of medication to a pupil whilst on trips away from the pupil’s usual school premises, even if additional arrangements might be required.
However, there may be occasions when it may not be possible to include a pupil on a school trip if appropriate supervision cannot be guaranteed.
Refusal to take medicine
If children refuse to take medicines, staff will not force them to do so, and will inform the parents of the refusal, as a matter of urgency. If a refusal to take medicines results in an emergency, the school’s emergency procedures will be followed.
Renewing/Ending/Disposing of medication and sharps
It is the Parents/Carers’ responsibility to renew the medication when supplies are running low and to ensure that the medication supplied is within its expiry date.
It is the responsibility of Parents/Carers to notify the school in writing if the pupil’s need for medication has ceased earlier than the date prescribed.
The school will not make changes to dosages on parental instructions.
School staff will not dispose of medicines. Medicines, which are in use and in date, should be collected by the Parents/Carers at the end of each administering period or school year. If they are unable to do so, then pupils can sign out the medications and take them home themselves with parental consent.
The school will send a text to inform Parents/Carers if this is the case. Date expired medicines or those no longer required for treatment will be returned immediately to the Parent/Carer for transfer to a community pharmacist for safe disposal. Needles and other sharps should be disposed of in a sharps bin.
Pupils with long term medical needs
For each pupil with long term or complex medication needs, the school will ensure that an Individual Health Care and Medication Plan is drawn up, in conjunction with the appropriate health professionals if necessary. This is monitored at the Annual Review or more frequently if the need arises.
Self-administration
Pupils will be encouraged to administer their own medication under staff supervision. Staff who volunteer to assist in the administration of medication will receive appropriate training/guidance. All staff will be made aware of the procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency. Misuse of a prescribed or non-prescribed drug, such as passing it to another pupil for use, is an offence, please see drugs policy.
Record Keeping
When medicine is administered to a pupil it is recorded on the Record of Medication Administered
Sporting Activities
Any restrictions on a child’s ability to participate in PE or other activities should be recorded in their individual health and medication plan. Some pupils may need to take precautionary measures before or during exercise or physical activity and may need immediate access to their medicine such as asthma inhalers.
Staff supervising sporting activities must be aware of relevant medical conditions and any
preventative medicine that may need to be taken. If necessary they must ensure that they or the pupil has any necessary medicine to hand, depending on who is deemed responsible for that medication.
Emergency Procedures
Please see Emergency Procedure Policy and First Aid Policy Unacceptable Practice
Although school staff should use their discretion and judge each case on its merits with reference to the child’s individual healthcare plan, it is not generally acceptable practice to:
- prevent children from easily accessing their inhalers and medication and administering their medication when and where necessary
- assume that every child with the same condition requires the same treatment
- ignore the views of the child or their parents or 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 individual healthcare plans
- if the child becomes ill, send them to the school office or medical room unaccompanied or with someone unsuitable
- penalise children 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
- require parents, or otherwise make them feel obliged, to attend school to administer medication or provide medical support to their child, including with toileting issues. No parent should have to give up working because the school is failing to support their child’s medical needs
- prevent children from participating, or create unnecessary barriers to children participating in any aspect of school life, including school trips, e.g. by requiring parents to accompany the child.
Risk and Insurance
The school’s insurance arrangements cover staff providing support to pupils with medical conditions.
These can be viewed upon request from the school office. The insurance policy provides liability cover relating to the administration of medication, but individual cover may need to be arranged for any healthcare procedures, on a case-by-case basis. The level and ambit of cover required must be ascertained directly from the relevant insurers. Any requirements of the insurance, such as the need for staff to be trained, should be made clear and complied with.