Is it fair for anyone to be excluded from activities they want to do, because of a health condition or disability?
Nope.
Is it fair that this situation has been handled so badly by the Girl Guide organisation, on both a local and national level?
Nope
But... Before we hang, draw and quarter the individual volunteers who made the local decisions, please remember two things:
The Girl Guides is a charity staffed by volunteers. They give up their free time to herd small excitable children through fun and educational activities. They don't necessarily volunteer to take responsibility to monitor the health of type 1 diabetic children. Nor should they have to. They are volunteers.
Since the Girl Guides is a charity, maintained by donations, it is very unlikely they have the local facilities, rapid risk assessment capacity and so on to cope with this without a great deal of adjustment and planning. The prep, training and cost may have been considered to exceed reasonable adjustment.
We don't know what training (or lack of) has been offered to the local volunteers, or whether they have refused it because it went beyond what they felt able to offer.
My view is that, as a type 2 diabetic I know just enough about type 1 diabetes to be deeply intimidated by the prospect of taking responsibility for a small child, without her parents within earshot, who may need urgent medical attention. As a non-expert I find this scary. Doesn't matter if it is justified or not. It is scary, and I probably wouldn't volunteer to get more training to overcome my fear. Because it's scary.
How many parents of type 1s do we get arriving on this forum, scared out of their wits? They have had help and training from doctors, nurses, consultants, diabetic clinics, they've had training in hypos, hypers, injections, 24 hr telephone numbers, and they've been living with the child for months or years, yet still arrive at this forum terrified, stressed and tearing their hair out.
The only thing we can be sure of about this entire situation is that we only have one side of the story.
Hi, firstly the Guide leaders are not just 'volunteers' they are in the Guide Association and throughout the school terms and during activity breaks away. These leaders are commintted members. At our guide pack, we have a mother leader and her daughter. The leader in charge is trained in many things regarding the wellbeing and safety of children in their care. A medical form must be filled in and signed, with at least two contact numbers for the parent/guardian.
They have to have a first aider, also we, as parents are given a separate number to phone (the leaders mobile number is already known) or if we need to phone, it's a number of another associated guide member. Every possible safe guard is put into place for the girls, whatever their age, to have an active, stimulating, and a safe night away from home.
My teenagers leader is good fun, but strict, and her word goes. So , I believe, the girl could of gone and had a fantastic fun night.
Different parts of the country will have slightly different variations. My daughter srarted in the Rainbows, the Brownies and now a Guide and I hope she will continue.
RRB
I was not sure how to reply to this as it did upset me.
My son is in the royal marine cadets and we have to fill out forms on every trip,outing even yesterday he was packing bags at our local supermarket he needed to have all signed documents for emergency purposes.
I feel for the family as the organisers new her condition I hope they did not do it to be malicious maybe just scared.
I do hope the girl in question carries on with her activities and maybe the older leaders could get involved with looking into diabetics instead of running away from it.
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My teenagers friend, was diagnosed Type 1 this year and she is in the Sea Cadets. She goes way for weekends and she does everything the others do, with no exceptions ( obviously older than a rainbow)
I agree with you Snowy, quite upsetting and an unsettling article too. I do hope something positive comes from all of this.
Best wishes RRB
Heartbreaking really mainly to think that a child wants to lead a normal life she obviously feels confident within herself,I don't want to bash anyway over it but it could be turned around as a positive outcome,she could do a talk about it let others ask her questions and maybe this will put everyone's minds at rest,surely the leaders have all undergone a first aid course.
I think the bit that really annoyed me was the underhandness of telling them that the meeting was most definately cancelled. IF they had sat down with the parents and explained that it just wasn't possible/gonna happen for whatever reasons, that would have been so much better(not great) than lying to them.
Actually,I agree with much of what you have said Brunneria. As I said at the beginning it would have been scary for me prior to having had T1. (still would be because it's a big responsibility looking after any child and probably the technology of the pump and the libre makes it sound even more complicated; not so long ago T1 children just had 2 injections a day and far less testing.)
If what we are told is true though ,it does seem that at the very least there has been some degree of procrastination and what sounds like deceit (or a big misunderstanding)
There are though ways of getting round the problem rather than exclusion. with parents popping in, at the end of a phone or even kipping down in the church office !
I would have thought that a risk assessment was necessary for this event in any case. (it would have been 10 years ago and I doubt things have changed)
Yes they have to have a first aider snowy It could be anything from a cut finger to being admitted into hospitalIt's a huge commitment to be a Guide leader and they are very dedicated and work hard too.
RRB
I thought that they had to I know in the cadets they have,all the Sargent's are all ex marines and very strict.
Not had any dealings with guides ect,my daughter was more ballet and tap but then they still need to follow protocol.
@Lenny3 that was the bit I also didn't like,surely they knew they would get found out about it,I understand we all make mistakes but this is one that will not be forgotten anytime soon.
If it is all to be believed, then it is very underhand, sly and deceitful and not at all fitting for the Guide movement
RRB
True it could all just be here say,and a lot of Chinese whispers.
I thought that they had to I know in the cadets they have,all the Sargent's are all ex marines and very strict.
Not had any dealings with guides ect,my daughter was more ballet and tap but then they still need to follow protocol.
@Lenny3 that was the bit I also didn't like,surely they knew they would get found out about it,I understand we all make mistakes but this is one that will not be forgotten anytime soon.
This is crazy.I am a Girl's Brigade leader and am registered disabled. We have got 6 - 8 girls and 3 leaders in our company who have health problems e.g 6yr old with major heart problems servely asthmatic leader people on special diets and a child in a wheelchair. We have all parents contact details spare asthma meds and care plan copies. We also have lists of allergies and GP contact details on permission slips for weekly meetings.
All activities are risked assessed and parents are asked about any health problems and what we need to do if their child becomes ill.
Mum have a look at girls.org.uk the Girl's Brigade website and look at the company finder. There may be a company near you. Our girls aged 5 - 8 are called explorers.
GB is also a charity ran by volunteers and is Christian based. We have lots of fun and do our best to make sure ALL children are included in ALL activities events and trips out.
Hope little one has a lovely happy and INCLUDED Christmas and that Father Christmas brings her lots of lovely surprises
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