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Who has responsibility for administering Insulin in School

C

callumsfather

Member
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Callum, 3 yrs old and a bit now , type 1 and on a pump,
Going to school next September, I know a bit early to worry, I think but wife is panicking,,,

When in school, what responsibility does the school have to ensure he has taken his medication (luckily via a pump now), as parents it is not our intention to negating the overall responsibility.
Our diabetes nurse and primary carers are pro active in most things but, the question arose tonight over a pizza between my wife and I ??????
 
Re: Who has responsibility for administering Insulin in Scho

Hi,

Where we live (outside the uk) the school take no responsibility for the admin of medication , so we go in and give the insulin injections. The current teacher has kindly agreed to give Glucagen if needed.

thanks
Matt
 
Re: Who has responsibility for administering Insulin in Scho

I think each school is different in how much responsibility they are prepared to take on. At my daughter's school I go into school each day to oversee her doing the lunchtime injection. The head teacher at her school seems comfortable with doing this herself as does one teaching assistant who is also a first aider. But the other first aid staff who man the medical room at lunch time aren't happy to take on the responsibility. I think this is more because my daughter's dosage changes from day to day depending on what's in her lunch box and what her lunchtime reading is and it's not necessarily a needle phobia thing. Because the head teacher and one TA are not available every lunch time to help I have taken the decision to go there myself rather than pushing the other staff into taking on something they're unhappy about. My daughter is not allowed to do the injection herself without an adult to oversee what she is doing even although she knows how to do the injection, and work out any corrections that are needed. It's not too inconvenient for me because I live very close to school and I work from home, it would become very difficult if I worked for someone else and away from home.
 
Re: Who has responsibility for administering Insulin in Scho

I'm afraid teachers are usually not trained to administer medicines and most have only a little idea about diabetes. Often medicines are kept in the office and a member of staff will oversee the child administering its own medicine. You may find some teachers are prepared to do it but they are leaving themselves wide open in the event of a problem. With drugs such as asthma inhalers they are usually kept near the child.
I suggest you start looking into the special needs system as it may be possible for your child to be on the special needs register and then may have a teaching assistant to care for him/her although it's unlikely to be full time.
You need to approach some schools now and discuss it with them. Some will be much more approachable than others. getting a child onto this register takes time so start as early as you can.
 
Re: Who has responsibility for administering Insulin in Scho

Hi, I think all schools are different. I was extremely fortunate as the Head Teacher would do both of my children's injections and also another child at the same school! We tried to make it as easy as possible by making their lunches the same amount of carb so the doses although different for each of them, remained the same each day. They both had a little sticker on their insulin pouches with adjustment doses depending on their reading before lunch.
Both of them can now do their own injections and the schools are happy to oversee this. I know I have been very lucky and I cannot thank them enough for all their help.
it is best to organise a meeting with the Head well in advance of your child starting school so you know how much assistance they are prepared to offer.
 
Re: Who has responsibility for administering Insulin in Scho

Recently I interviewed Dr Rachel Besser who works with Type 1 diabetes in children and she said that diabetes is covered under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001, but it’s slightly misleading, because schools have to give emergency treatment to any child with any illness but also they’re not obliged to give medication. But life depends on diabetes medication, so it’s complicated. Also, schools are not required to provide extra services but they also cannot discriminate against someone by not taking reasonable steps to make sure that pupils are not at a disadvantage - which if their blood sugar is not kept under control they will be in terms of being able to learn.

She says she has found that primary schools are brilliant and take on a more parenting role, but that secondary schools have more pressures and are less willing to take responsibility on behalf of the parents.

That's my two-pennyworth anyway! So I think it's difficult for schools to decide how much involvement to take?
 
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