Administration of Medicines Policy/SOP Policy Aim The aim of this policy is to effectively support individual pupils with medical needs and to enable them to achieve regular attendance. The Governing Body and staff of Ardley Hill Academy and Pre-School wish to ensure that pupils with medication needs receive appropriate care and support at the academy. The Headteacher will accept responsibility in principle for members of the academy staff giving or supervising pupils taking prescribed medication during the academy day where those members of staff have volunteered to do so. NB It should be noted that there is no legal obligation that requires academy staff to administer medicines. Teachers conditions of employment do not include giving or supervising a pupil taking medicines. Agreement to do so must be voluntary. Where the academy agrees to administer medicines or carry out other medical procedures, staff will receive appropriate training and support from health professionals. They will be made aware of the correct procedures to follow in administering medicines, and of procedures in the event of a child not reacting in the expected way. Parental Responsibilities Concerning their Child s Medical Needs Parents should keep their children at home if acutely unwell or infectious. The Academy Welfare Officer/Academy Office Staff will advise parents on when their children should return to the academy following an infectious illness. Parents are strongly encouraged to administer medicines to their children outside of the academy day. Medicines will only be administered at the academy/pre-school when there is no other alternative, and when failure to do so would be of detriment to the child s health. No child will be given medicines without parental consent and an academy Form of Indemnity for the Administration of Medicines in School must be completed before the medicine can be administered. Parents must inform the academy/pre-school 1
about any particular needs before a child is first admitted or when a child first develops a medical need. Parents should encourage children to self-administer medicines, where it is appropriate to do so, eg inhalers and adrenaline pens (epi-pens). If children are able to take their medicines themselves, academy staff may only need to supervise, though the medicine must still be stored in the Welfare Room/Pre-School. Children are not permitted to carry their own medication whilst in the academy. Prescribed Medicines If medication needs to be administered at set times during the academy day the following arrangements will be made by the academy/pre-school with the parent or carer to allow us to take on the responsibility: 1. The parent or carer will be asked to complete and return an academy Form of Indemnity for the Administration of Medicines in School giving all the relevant details in full. In so doing, the parent/carer consents to the academy/pre-school administering medication to their child for the duration of the course of medication. This parental consent form will be kept in the Welfare Room/Pre- School. A new form must be completed for every newly prescribed medicine, even if this medicine has been administered before. 2. The academy/pre-school will accept medicines that have been prescribed by a doctor, dentist, nurse prescriber or pharmacist prescriber. All medicines must be in the original container/packaging with the pharmacist label clearly visible, showing the child s name and prescriber s instructions for dosage and administration. The academy/pre-school cannot accept medication out of the original container. 3. The academy/pre-school will accept a non-prescription medicine if an academy Form of Indemnity for the Administration of Medicines in School has been completed by the parent/carer. Again all medicines must be in the original container/packaging with the instructions for use clearly visible. 4. If staff have any other concerns related to administering medicine to a particular child, the issue will be discussed with the parent/carer, if appropriate, or with the health professional attached to the academy. 5. For pupils requiring regular doses of medicine on a long-term basis (eg in the case of chronic illness), the parents will be asked to discuss the implications of the illness with the Academy Welfare Officer and/or the Class Teacher/Pre-School Manager and a decision will be made as to the arrangements necessary to administer the medication and support the child. In some cases it may be considered appropriate for the pupil to take responsibility for administering their 2
own medicine, including inhalers and epi-pens. Parents will be asked to complete an academy Form of Indemnity for the Administration of Medicines in School and an academy Medical Conditions Record Sheet may be drawn up. 6. The academy/pre-school will not make changes to the prescriber s instructions on parental instruction. Non-Prescribed Medicines The Governing Body has approved the administering of paracetamol and antihistamine, when required. The Academy Welfare Officer must obtain parental/carer consent before paracetamol/antihistamine is administered. If the parent/carer cannot be contacted the medicine must not be given. Paracetamol administered will be recorded on the academy Paracetamol/ Antihistamine Administered Record and will be monitored and periodically checked by the Governing Body. Parents will be given a separate record of the dosage and time it was given. Controlled Drugs Controlled drugs, such as Ritalin, are controlled by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, and therefore have to be strictly managed. The amount of medication handed over to the academy will always be a maximum of one packet in the original packaging with the pharmacist label clearly visible, showing the child s name and prescriber s instructions for dosage and administration. It will be stored in a locked non-portable container, and only specific named staff will be allowed access to it. Passing a controlled drug to another child is an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Medical Conditions Record Sheet/Health Care Plan All children with ongoing or long term medical conditions will have an academy Medical Conditions Record Sheet drawn up. At the start of each academic year the Welfare Officer will review Medical Conditions Record Sheets with parent/carers to ensure they are up to date and have all the correct information and contact details. The Academy Welfare Officer will ensure that appropriate staff are aware of all children with ongoing medical conditions and that these children are monitored for signs and symptoms that may require their medication to be administered or need medical attention. In all causes full details will be recorded and given to the parents/carers. Parents should note that if their child s medical needs require the academy to draw up a Medical Conditions Record Sheet this will be communicated with teachers and 3
other staff as appropriate and may be on display within the academy/pre-school as considered necessary to ensure their child s health and safety. If a child s medical condition has a separate Health Care Plan provided by their medical professional this will also be communicated to academy/pre-school staff as appropriate etc. These are usually provided to the academy via the Community Staff Nurse 0-19 Team. Refusing Medication If a child refuses to take medication staff will not force them to do so. The refusal will be recorded and the parents informed. If necessary the academy will call an ambulance (as detailed in the First Aid section of the academy Health and Safety Policy/SOP). Administering Medicines The following academy and Pre-School staff may administer medicines: Academy Welfare Officer Academy Welfare Assistant Pre-School Manager Pre-School Deputy Manager Pre-School Senior Leader Recording of Medicines Administered Staff must keep a record of any medicines administered in the Medicines and Permission Forms folder kept in the Welfare Room/Pre-School, including if the child refused to take it. If the medicine is on-going the Record of Ongoing Medicine Administered to Child Form is completed each time the medicine is given. If the medicine is not on-going the administration of the medicine is recorded on the permission form. These are both kept within the Medicines and Permission Forms folder in the Welfare Office/Pre-School. It should be noted that the administration of medicine within Pre-School is always witnessed by another member of Pre-School staff, who then signs the record form. Menstruation In situations involving menstrual difficulties in pupils, the best remedial action would be to either remove the child from class to rest until the discomfort disappears or to send the child home after telephoning the parent/carer. Safe Storage of Medicines 4
Medicines will be stored strictly in accordance with product instructions; this includes medicines that need to be refrigerated. Large volumes of medicines should not be stored. All emergency medicines, such as asthma inhalers and epi-pens, will be readily available to children and will not be locked away. Medicines are stored in the lockable cabinet or fridge, both in the Welfare Office. Asthma inhalers are stored in a box, labelled by academy class, on a readily accessible shelf in the Welfare Office. Epi-pens are stored in the clearly marked First Aid box in the Academy Office. All medicines required within Pre-School are stored safely within Pre-School in either their medicine cupboard or fridge. Receiving and Returning Medicines Once a Form of Indemnity for the Administration of Medicines in School has been completed and returned, medicines should be handed into the Academy Office or Star Club, or to Pre-School staff at the start of the academy day. Medicines will be stored as detailed above and not kept by pupils or left in book bags. Medicines will be returned to parents with their child, via the class teacher/pre- School staff, at the end of the academy day. Emergency Medicines If a pupil requires emergency medicines (inhalers, epi-pens etc) it is the parent/ carers responsibility to ensure that these are in the academy/pre-school at all times. It is also the responsibility of the parent/carer to ensure that the medicine is not out of date. Academy staff will not dispose of emergency medicines. Medicines, which are in use and in date, will be returned to the parent/carer at the end of each academic year. Date expired medicines or those no longer required for treatment will be returned immediately to the parent for transfer to a community pharmacist for safe disposal. Pupils who require emergency medication will not participate in offsite trips if they do not have their medication available to take with them. Parents/carers need to inform the academy by letter if the pupil no longer requires their emergency medication. The Medical Conditions Record Sheet of pupils who may require emergency medication (ie those with severe allergies, epilepsy etc) are shared with academy staff and displayed within the academy as considered necessary to ensure their health and safety. 5
Training Any specific training required by staff on the administration of medication (eg adrenaline via an epi-pen etc) will be provided by a recognised body. Staff will not administer such medicines until they have been trained to do so. The academy will keep records of all staff trained to administer medicines and carry out other medical procedures. Training will be updated as appropriate. Details of those trained to this level will be kept in the Welfare Room. Offsite Educational Visits It is good practice for schools/academies to encourage pupils with medical needs to participate in offsite educational visits. All staff supervising visits should be aware of any medical needs, medication to be administered and the relevant emergency procedures. Where necessary, a separate risk assessment should be drawn up for an individual pupil. Parents must ensure that the appropriate medication is taken on the visit. A recording sheet for medicines administered will be kept in each first aid kit for use when required. The academy will make every effort to continue the administration of medication to a pupil whilst on trips away from the academy premises, even if additional arrangements might be required. However, there may be occasions when it may not be possible to include a pupil on an offsite trip if appropriate supervision cannot be guaranteed. Hygiene and Infection Control When administering medication, all staff will follow the HCC and CSF guidance on the prevention of contamination from blood borne viruses. Protective disposable gloves are provided in the medical room for dealing with spillages of blood or other body fluids and disposing of dressings or equipment. Emergency Procedures A list of academy first aiders is displayed in the Welfare Room, Academy Office, main corridor areas and Pre-School first aiders in the Pre-School entrance. Guidance on calling an ambulance is provided in the academy s Health and Safety Policy/SOP. Staff Insurance Cover If these guidelines are followed, including the requisite to obtain parental consent, staff will be protected by the Academy s insurance policy against claims of negligence should a child suffer injury as a result of the giving of medicine. 6
Staff Medication Academy Staff must not be under the influence of alcohol or any other substance which may affect their ability to care for children or carry out their job. More detail on this is given in the academy s Drug Education Policy and SOP and the Staff Code of Conduct. With regard to prescribed medication all staff must: Inform the Headteacher/Pre-School Manager of any medication they are taking and update them should this change. Ensure that the medication does not affect their ability to care for the children and to seek medical advice on this when prescribed any new medication. Ensure that all non-emergency prescribed medication required whilst in the academy is stored correctly in the original packaging, clearly labelled with the staff members name and safely out of the reach of the children (preferably locked away the Welfare Room or locked in a personal locker). Ensure that any emergency medication (eg inhalers, epi-pens) are stored in the academy/pre-school as described previously so that it is easily accessible should an emergency occur. Over-the-counter medication (eg paracetamol, ibuprofen, anti-histamines etc) must also be stored in the original packaging and safely out of the reach of children (preferably locked away the Welfare Room or locked in a personal locker). Medications must never be left unsecured in classrooms or other areas of the academy/pre-school (ie they must not be left in handbags, bags or other containers that pupils could easily access). Evaluation This policy statement and the academy's performance in supporting pupils requiring medication will be monitored and evaluated regularly by the Governing Body. It will be formally reviewed every two years to ensure that the policy enables all children to have equal access to continuity of education. Related Policies/SOPs Special Educational Needs (SEN) Equal Opportunities Inclusion Safeguarding Children Drug Education Health and Safety Last Revised: March 2016 7