Informing school of daughers diabetes

[Tracey167]

Hi All

My daughter was diagnosed type 1 diabetic 3 weeks ago she is 10 years old, she is coping really well and is doing her own blood tests and injections. The diabetic nurses have said that i need to get in touch with the primary school and get the school to call them to arrange for one of the diabetic nurses to train a member of staff on how to use the blood glucose meter and how to deal with HYPOS.

I rang the school and have left messages for someone to contact me before my daughter returns to school on the 4th september so i can give them the phone number to call the diabetic nurses to arrange a date for one of them to go into the school to train a member of staff on how to use my daughters blood glucose meter and deal with hypos. I have not heard nothing as yet and am abit concerned on sending her back to school and no one in the school knowing what to do. The local council told me members of staff pop into the school regularly to pick up phone messages but it don't seem the case with my daughters school, i have mentioned its a matter of urgency. The diabetes nurses have just told me to keep on trying and leaving messages. The thing is i am loosing abit of confidence in this school so do i send her back next wednesday if i don't get to speak to a member of staff before then. I am also a type 1 diabetic so i know myself how quickly blood sugar levels can drop and also go very high and i feel that the school won't take this very seriously.

Has anyone had to try contact there son/daughters schools in the holidays and had any luck?

thanks

tracey167

 

[hornplayer]

I don't know how other authorities handle it, but in Carmarthenshire we are all linked by an email system. School, peripatetic and support staff, as well as the management at county hall. Most of us - the peripatetic staff, anyway, have our emails set to come straight through to our phones, as we tend to be on the move. We can also flag things according to the level of urgency, if we need to. Classroom teachers can, in my experience, be a little more precise about their holiday time, but you could see if the your county education authority have a way of emailing the head teacher of your child's school? - I know that educational services in our county has been running as throughout the holidays with only some departments not fully staffed. - our department is fully operational again, as of yesterday and I'm already knee deep in emails.

Hope this helps.


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[Shell1]

My 9 year old has been diagnosed 4 months ago .she had to take a week off school even though she was well and doing it her self as the diabetes nurse had to go in and train staff ,the school took a week to arrange a date they could get all the staff together,I was upset at the time they took so long as she was more upset about not being able to get 100 percent badge than the diagnoses,but its so important they no how to deal with the hypos they also ring me when she's high so I can tell them what correction to give as I want her managed at school as well as at home couldn't bear her being even a little high all day as got to think of her future.the school also had a assemble about diabetes and her class got told symptoms they may see Chloe having as to alert teachers and they all no where her hypo kit is.the school have been great just took time to get it all sorted x


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[Tracey167]

Hi

Thank you for your replies, unfortunatley in Essex the school staff don't seem to go back into the school until 1 or 2 days before the kids go back, there is no direct e-mail to send and the headmaster left in July and no one knows who the new headmaster/headmistress is its seems to be kept hush hush for whatever reason. My daughter started this school in April after we moved house so i don't really know any of the teachers that well and this is what is worrying me i get the impression the staff are not really approachable, my daughter also has to drink plenty of fluids as she was born missing her left kidney so she carrys a water bottle around with her especially in hot weather and on one ocassion the deputy head said to her as they were going into assembley 'You don't need to bring that into assembley' if there like that with a water bottle what are they going to say when she has to carry her lucuzade or gluco tablets around.

I do hope i am wrong and they do take this seriously.

tracey167

 

[hornplayer]

I'm sure they'll take it seriously.

I have several pupils who are T1, both in primary and secondary schools. In each case, they have an LSA (learning support assistant) assigned to them. At primary level, they are often shared with another child but he/she is always present (they don't vanish into the staff room at break times!) and is the first point of contact should there be any problems. In secondary, one child is shadowed where ever she goes. - the only place she's allowed to go without her LSA, is her trumpet lesson, with me! - Not sure that's strictly according to the rules, but i'm diabetic (obviously!) and a I have first aid training, so the LSA leaves us to it. The child is on a pump and is very on the ball, so it's not a problem.

I know from staffing courses that the staff member who handles registration ( usually me!) briefs the other members of staff as to what to watch for from which pupils, - if they arrive without an LSA. It is always taken extremely seriously. - The first aid training we've had was as a result of concerns raised by staff having to deal with parents who drop children off on day courses, with the casual comment " oh, and his epi pen is in his bag"! - I really like it when they insist on writing all the medical info down on the consent form in Welsh !!! NOT!


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[Shell1]

Just a idea,the schools not mine,a school photo of my little girl is in the staff room with a note of how to handle n what n who to inform if something happens .would that be a good idea for your daughter also stating she needs to carry water as well.teachers will see it everyday n the head may think twice next time


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[hornplayer]

A photo is an excellent idea! Wish we had them on courses! - 180 little trumpeters running around ......!


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[NicolaB70]

My sons old primary school used photos too for alerting staff for children's illnesses like diabetes, asthmatics and epilepsy. The photos were made to look like a photo display with the info needed for each child and they were displayed in the staff room, dining hall and each affected child's class. I thought it was a very good idea as it alerted anyone if the child was ill to what was wrong, what to do and what designated member of staff to alert.


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[Tracey167]

Hi All

Thanks for your replies, thankfully i managed to speak to someone friday morning at my daughters school and apparently there is another little girl there who is also type 1 diabetic and the first aid member of staff has been trained to deal diabetes. I informed the receptionist that the diabetic nurse would still need to come to the school and check on her and she said she will call the nurse monday morning to try arrange for her to come in.

One thing that was concerning me is that from what they have told me they only have this one member of staff trained to deal with diabetes so what would happen if she went off sick or on holiday, i thought they should at least have 2 members of staff trained to deal with diabetes to cover if one was off. The woman i spoke to in reception did'nt seem to think diabetes was that serious by the way she spoke to me it was'nt until i told her that i am also a type 1 and put her straight when she tried to say that this other girl has got diabetes worse because she has to do blood tests and insulin each meal time, of which i replied so does Lauren

I suppose if u don't know about diabetes its alien to you

tracey167

 

[jayne15]

Hi Tracey my daughter is the only child in her school with type 1, I kept her off for 1 week post diagnosis until the nurse went in, the nurse contacted the school to sort this, the school nurse also contacted me regarding any support I might need. On the JDRF website there is some info for schools for (primary and secondary) that is really good to print off and give to the school, we also developed a care plan for meg. The school have worked really hard to support her and she developed a really close bond with her form teacher as they both learned to manage. her photo is up in the staff room. the school have managed most of her hypos really well and never rang us. Meg also did a 'show and tell' on type 1 and the key thing is her friends know what to look out for if she becomes low, this happened once in the playground and her friends went and got the teacher when she was ushered in for an early lunch. Meg is now 8. diagnosed last October