School Supervised MedicationSchools must develop their own policy on administering or assisting pupils to take medication. The circumstances when staff are allowed to administer medication should be strictly limited, for example, to possibly life threatening situations or for long term conditions such as asthma or diabetes.
Medication should be accompanied by written permission and instructions from the parent or carer and/or the GP specifying
- The medication involved
- Circumstances under which it should be administered
- Frequency
- Dosage levels
If your child needs access to emergency medication, you should inform the headteacher, who will outline what support is available. The school’s health and safety policy should cover their procedure, and if clarity is needed a health care plan can be drawn up.
Help from school staff
School staff aren't obliged to help your child manage their medication. But if they volunteer to do so, they should get proper training. Only one member of staff should be responsible for administering a child’s medication to avoid the risk of double dosing.
Medication should be stored safely and be clearly labelled with the child's name and dosage instructions.
If a child has asthma and is capable of looking after their own inhaler they can do so. Otherwise, it should be stored safely in a place where the child can access it.
Contact
Education health and safety manager
Tel: 020 7525 5034
csc@southwark.gov.uk
Children's services
John Smith House
144-152 Walworth Road
London
SE17 1JL |