Supporting Pupils withMedical Conditions Policy

The Japanese School

Approved by:

SMC

Last reviewed on:

February 2024

Next review due by:

February 2026

Date: February 2024

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Version Number
1.0

Modified By(K Okamoto)

Modifications Made
Creation of Supporting Pupils with MedicalConditions Policy

Date Modified
24/11/2023

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Contents
1. Aims .............................................................................................................................................................. 3
2. Legislation and statutory responsibilities....................................................................................................... 3
3. Roles and responsibilities ............................................................................................................................. 4
4. Equal opportunities ....................................................................................................................................... 5
5. Being notified that a child has a medical condition ....................................................................................... 5
6. Individual healthcare plans............................................................................................................................ 57. Managing medicines ..................................................................................................................................... 6
8. Emergency procedures ................................................................................................................................. 7
9. Training ......................................................................................................................................................... 7
10. Record keeping ........................................................................................................................................... 8
11. Liability and indemnity ................................................................................................................................. 8
12. Complaints .................................................................................................................................................. 8
13. Monitoring arrangements ............................................................................................................................ 8
14. Links to other policies.................................................................................................................................. 8Appendix 1: Being notified a child has a medical condition ......................................................... 8

1. Aims
This policy aims to ensure that:
Pupils, staff and parents understand how our school will support pupils with medical conditions.
Pupils with medical conditions are properly supported to allow them to access the same education asother pupils, including school trips and sporting activities.
The governing board will implement this policy by:
Making sure sufficient staff are suitably trained.
Making staff aware of pupils’ conditions, where appropriate.
Making sure there are cover arrangements to ensure someone is always available to support pupils withmedical conditions.
Providing supply teachers with appropriate information about the policy and relevant pupils.
Developing and monitoring individual healthcare plans (IHP)information files.
The named person with responsibility for implementing this policy is the Headteacher.

2. Legislation and statutory responsibilities
This policy meets the requirements under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014, which places a dutyon governing boards to make arrangements for supporting pupils at their school with medical conditions. It is also
based on the Department for Education (DfE)’s statutory guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions atschool.

3. Roles and responsibilities
3.1 The governing board
The governing board has ultimate responsibility to make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions.
The governing board will ensure that sufficient staff have received suitable training and are competent before they
are responsible for supporting children with medical conditions.

3.2 The headteacher
The headteacher will:
Make sure all staff are aware of this policy and understand their role in its implementation.
Ensure that there is a sufficient number of trained staff available to implement this policy and deliver
against all individual healthcare plans (IHPs), including in contingency and emergency situations.
Ensure that all staff who need to know are aware of a child’s condition.

3Take overall responsibility for the development of IHPs.
Make sure that school staff are appropriately insured and aware that they are insured to support pupils inthis way.
Contact the school nursing service in the case of any pupil who has a medical condition that may require
support at school, but who has not yet been brought to the attention of the school nurse.
Ensure that systems are in place for obtaining information about a child’s medical needs and that thisinformation is kept up to date.

3.3 Staff
Supporting pupils with medical conditions during school hours is not the sole responsibility of one person. Any
member of staff may be asked to provide support to pupils with medical conditions, although they will not be
required to do so. This includes the administration of medicines.
Those staff who take on the responsibility to support pupils with medical conditions will receive sufficient andsuitable training and will achieve the necessary level of competency before doing so.
Teachers will take into account the needs of pupils with medical conditions that they teach. All staff will know what
to do and respond accordingly when they become aware that a pupil with a medical condition needs help.

3.4 Parents
Parents will:
Provide the school with sufficient and up-to-date information about their child’s medical needs.
Be involved in the development and review of their child’s IHP and may be involved in its drafting.
Carry out any action they have agreed to as part of the implementation of the IHP, e.g., provide
medicines and equipment, and ensure they or another nominated adult are contactable at all times.

3.5 Pupils
Pupils with medical conditions will often be best placed to provide information about how their condition affects
them. Pupils should be fully involved in discussions about their medical support needs and contribute as much as
possible to the development of their IHPs. They are also expected to comply with their IHPs.

3.6 School nurses and other healthcare professionals
Our school nurse will notify the school when a pupil has been identified as having a medical condition that will
require support in school. This will be before the pupil starts school, wherever possible. They may also support
staff to implement a child’s IHP.
Healthcare professionals, such as GPs and paediatricians, will liaise with the school nurse and notify them of any
pupils identified as having a medical condition. They may also provide advice on developing IHPs.

4. Equal opportunities
Our school is clear about the need to actively support pupils with medical conditions to participate in school trips
and visits, or in sporting activities, and not prevent them from doing so.
The school will consider what reasonable adjustments need to be made to enable these pupils to participate fully
and safely on school trips, visits and sporting activities.
Risk assessments will be carried out so that planning arrangements take account of any steps needed to ensurethat pupils with medical conditions are included. In doing so, pupils, their parents and any relevant healthcare
professionals will be consulted.

5. Being notified that a child has a medical condition
When the school is notified that a pupil has a medical condition, the process outlined below will be followed todecide whether the pupil requires an IHP.
The school will make every effort to ensure that arrangements are put into place within 2 weeks, or by the4

beginning of the relevant term for pupils who are new to our school. See Appendix 1.

6. Individual healthcare plans (IHPs)
The headteacher has overall responsibility for the development of IHPs for pupils with medical conditions. Thishas been delegated to the school nurse.
Plans will be reviewed at least annually, or earlier if there is evidence that the pupil’s needs have changed.
Plans will be developed with the pupil’s best interests in mind and will set out:
What needs to be done.
When.
By whom.
Not all pupils with a medical condition will require an IHP. It will be agreed with a healthcare professional and theparents when an IHP would be inappropriate or disproportionate. This will be based on evidence. If there is noconsensus, the headteacher will make the final decision.
Plans will be drawn up in partnership with the school, parents and a relevant healthcare professional, such as theschool nurse, specialist or paediatrician, who can best advise on the pupil’s specific needs. The pupil will beinvolved wherever appropriate.
IHPs will be linked to, or become part of, any education, health and care (EHC) plan. If a pupil has SEN but does
not have an EHC plan, the SEN will be mentioned in the IHP.
The level of detail in the plan will depend on the complexity of the child’s condition and how much support isneeded. The governing board and the headteacher / school nurse will consider the following when deciding what
information to record on IHPs:
The medical condition, its triggers, signs, symptoms and treatments.
The pupil’s resulting needs, including medication (dose, side effects and storage) and other treatments,time, facilities, equipment, testing, access to food and drink where this is used to manage their condition,
dietary requirements and environmental issues, e.g., crowded corridors, travel time between lessons.
Specific support for the pupil’s educational, social and emotional needs. For example, how absences will
be managed, requirements for extra time to complete exams, use of rest periods or additional support incatching up with lessons, counselling sessions.
The level of support needed, including in emergencies. If a pupil is self-managing their medication, thiswill be clearly stated with appropriate arrangements for monitoring.
Who will provide this support, their training needs, expectations of their role and confirmation ofproficiency to provide support for the pupil’s medical condition from a healthcare professional, and coverarrangements for when they are unavailable.
Who in the school needs to be aware of the pupil’s condition and the support required.
Arrangements for written permission from parents and the headteacher for medication to be administeredby a member of staff or self-administered by the pupil during school hours.
Separate arrangements or procedures required for school trips or other school activities outside of thenormal school timetable that will ensure the pupil can participate, e.g., risk assessments.
Where confidentiality issues are raised by the parent/pupil, the designated individuals to be entrusted withinformation about the pupil’s condition.
What to do in an emergency, including who to contact, and contingency arrangements.

7. Managing medicines
Prescription medicines will only be administered at school:5

When it would be detrimental to the pupil’s health or school attendance not to do so andWhere we have parents’ written consent.
The only exception to this is where the medicine has been prescribed to the pupil without the knowledgeof the parents.
Pupils under 16 will not be given medicine containing aspirin unless prescribed by a doctor.
Anyone giving a pupil any medication (for example, for pain relief) will first check maximum dosages and when
the previous dosage was taken. Parents will always be informed.
The school will only accept prescribed medicines that are:In-date.
Labelled.
Provided in the original container, as dispensed by the pharmacist, and include instructions foradministration, dosage and storage.
The school will accept insulin that is inside an insulin pen or pump rather than its original container, but it must bein date.
All medicines will be stored safely. Pupils will be informed about where their medicines are at all times and beable to access them immediately. Medicines and devices such as asthma inhalers, blood glucose testing meters
and adrenaline pens will always be readily available to pupils and not locked away.
Medicines will be returned to parents to arrange for safe disposal when no longer required.

7.1 Controlled drugs
Controlled drugs are prescription medicines that are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 andsubsequent amendments, such as morphine or methadone.
Controlled drugs will be easily accessible in an emergency and a record of any doses used and the amount held
will be kept.

7.2 Pupils managing their own needs
Pupils who are competent will be encouraged to take responsibility for managing their own medicines andprocedures. This will be discussed with parents and it will be reflected in their IHPs.
Pupils will be allowed to carry their own medicines and relevant devices wherever possible. Staff will not force apupil to take a medicine or carry out a necessary procedure if they refuse but will follow the procedure agreed in
the IHP and inform parents so that an alternative option can be considered, if necessary.

7.3 Unacceptable practiceSchool staff should use their discretion and judge each case individually with reference to the pupil’s IHP, but it isgenerally not acceptable to:Prevent pupils from easily accessing their inhalers and medication and administering their medication
when and where necessary.
Assume that every pupil with the same condition requires the same treatment.
Ignore the views of the pupil or their parents.
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 intheir IHPs.
If the pupil becomes ill, send them to the school office or medical room unaccompanied or with someone
unsuitable.

6Penalise pupils 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 tomanage their medical condition effectively.
Require parents, or otherwise make them feel obliged, to attend school to administer medication orprovide medical support to their pupil, 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 pupils from participating, or create unnecessary barriers to pupils participating in, any aspect ofschool life, including school trips, e.g., by requiring parents to accompany their child.
Administer, or ask pupils to administer, medicine in school toilets.

8. Emergency procedures
Staff will follow the school’s normal emergency procedures (for example, calling 999). All pupils’ IHPs will clearly
set out what constitutes an emergency and will explain what to do.
If a pupil needs to be taken to hospital, staff will stay with the pupil until the parent arrives, or accompany the pupil
to hospital by ambulance.

9. Training
Staff who are responsible for supporting pupils with medical needs will receive suitable and sufficient training todo so.
The training will be identified during the development or review of IHPs. Staff who provide support to pupils withmedical conditions will be included in meetings where this is discussed.
The relevant healthcare professionals will lead on identifying the type and level of training required and will agree
this with the headteacher / school nurse. Training will be kept up to date.
Training will:
Be sufficient to ensure that staff are competent and have confidence in their ability to support the pupils.
Fulfil the requirements in the IHPs.
Help staff to have an understanding of the specific medical conditions they are being asked to deal with,
their implications and preventative measures.
Healthcare professionals will provide confirmation of the proficiency of staff in a medical procedure, or inproviding medication.
All staff will receive training so that they are aware of this policy and understand their role in implementing it, forexample, with preventative and emergency measures so they can recognise and act quickly when a problem
occurs. This will be provided for new staff during their induction.

10. Record keeping
The governing board will ensure that written records are kept of all medicine administered to pupils for as long as
these pupils are at the school. Parents will be informed if their pupil has been unwell at school.
IHPs are kept in a readily accessible place which all staff are aware of.

11. Liability and indemnity
The governing board will ensure that the appropriate level of insurance is in place and appropriately reflects theschool’s level of risk.
The school is insured by Tokyo Marine HCC Business ‘All Risks’, which covers up to five million pounds in casepupils are injured or fall ill.

712. Complaints
Parents with a complaint about the school’s actions in regard to their child’s medical condition should discussthese directly with the headteacher / school nurse in the first instance. If the headteacher / school nurse cannot
resolve the matter, they will direct parents to the school’s complaints procedure.

13. Monitoring arrangements
This policy will be reviewed and approved by the governing board every 3 years.

14. Links to other policies
This policy links to the following policies:
Disability accessibility planComplaints
First aid
Health and safety
Safeguarding and child protection
SEN/D

Appendix 1: Being notified a child has a medical condition

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