Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

School didn't give medicine on residential

81 replies

ChocHotolate · 28/06/2023 21:39

DS was on his Y6 PGL residential last week. It turns out that he wasn't given any of his medication which I'd sent labelled with the correct forms filled in as required.
I've emailed the school but had no response yet. It's fortunate that it's not a critical medicine but rather one which prevents a flare up of a chronic condition.
Just wondering what I should be expecting and if anyone had had a similar experience ?

OP posts:
Snowdropsarelovely · 28/06/2023 22:03

That's really poor - I would be expecting an explanation from either the safeguarding lead or the headteacher. Providing all relevant forms were filled in, and the medication was correctly labelled your son should definitely have been given his medication

PurplePolkaDot1 · 28/06/2023 22:04

Was your son able to ask them for it?

Theimpossiblegirl · 28/06/2023 22:05

That shouldn't have been missed, but equally your child is old enough to know he hasn't had his medication and to ask for it.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General education
budgiegirl · 28/06/2023 22:52

Was the medication and the forms handed over to the teachers? Did you do this yourself in advance, or did your DS take them on the trip to hand over? It's not great that this was missed, but surely a yr6 child should know that he's missed his meds and should ask?

OwlOfBrown · 28/06/2023 22:58

Not good enough.

When I take my Brownies away on residentials, I put an alarm on my phone for every dose and enter the details on a form so it would be all but impossible to forget every dose.

Gilead · 28/06/2023 23:00

Really not acceptable. Could be dangerous.

cherrypied · 28/06/2023 23:02

It's really poor. You need to speak to the head. Email it as a concern rather than a complaint .

Don't really on form though - you should be able to.

We would have two people check them, cross reference with school files (which are always different) and call all parents of students with medical conditions before a trip. Really bizarre this happened.

Original poster
ChocHotolate · 29/06/2023 08:04

Thank you.
Yes, all forms correctly filled in and medicines handed over to the office staff the day of the trip as was requested.

They managed to give him his morning medicine every day but missed the evening dose. While this is not a life sustaining medicine for my child, the school will have no idea which other children weren't given their medicine.

And yes, he should have asked for it, I have had that conversation with him

OP posts:
Overthebow · 29/06/2023 08:06

That is unacceptable, I would definitely complain about this.

BlackeyedSusan · 29/06/2023 08:09

Don't forget not all 11 year olds are able to ask due to disability. (Autism) not acceptable to forget.

Fandabedodgy · 29/06/2023 08:17

OwlOfBrown · 28/06/2023 22:58

Not good enough.

When I take my Brownies away on residentials, I put an alarm on my phone for every dose and enter the details on a form so it would be all but impossible to forget every dose.

Agreed. I'm a Scout Leader. If we volunteers can manage this then paid professionals should.

Original poster
ChocHotolate · 29/06/2023 08:40

My husband is also a scout leader and agrees with the youth leaders above.
The school have always been great and I've never needed to complain about anything up until now.
The teacher will be contacting me this morning. I am a terrible people pleaser and will minimise and be overly polite and accepting when put on the spot. What should I be expecting to happen?

OP posts:
Fandabedodgy · 29/06/2023 08:47

ChocHotolate · 29/06/2023 08:40

My husband is also a scout leader and agrees with the youth leaders above.
The school have always been great and I've never needed to complain about anything up until now.
The teacher will be contacting me this morning. I am a terrible people pleaser and will minimise and be overly polite and accepting when put on the spot. What should I be expecting to happen?

They need to apologise and they need to commit to putting plans n place to prevent it happening again cause their current system has failed.

You could try writing some bullet points down to make sure you cover the points you want to during the conversation

jenandberrys · 29/06/2023 08:47

ChocHotolate · 29/06/2023 08:40

My husband is also a scout leader and agrees with the youth leaders above.
The school have always been great and I've never needed to complain about anything up until now.
The teacher will be contacting me this morning. I am a terrible people pleaser and will minimise and be overly polite and accepting when put on the spot. What should I be expecting to happen?

I am not sure anything should happen. They made a mistake by only giving the medication in the morning. It was clearly an error but not one with very serious consequences. I should imagine they will be apologetic and you should accept the apology.

WhenIWasAFieldMyself · 29/06/2023 08:49

Good that somebody is getting back to you.
What will happen? They will apologize and promise to ensure it won't happen again.

GrainOfSalt · 29/06/2023 09:17

They need to do a risk assessment and put in place procedures so this never happens again. So what procedures will they put in place e.g alarm on the phone of whoever has responsibility/ double responsibility for checking. Ask for a response in a time frame to show this has been done. Potentially refer your request/ the outcome of your conversation to the governors. If fyou have a phone chat follow up with an email with your requests/ the outcome of the conversation and ask for a response to show a paper trail.

This should be treated as a never event. They need procedures in place

jenandberrys · 29/06/2023 09:20

GrainOfSalt · 29/06/2023 09:17

They need to do a risk assessment and put in place procedures so this never happens again. So what procedures will they put in place e.g alarm on the phone of whoever has responsibility/ double responsibility for checking. Ask for a response in a time frame to show this has been done. Potentially refer your request/ the outcome of your conversation to the governors. If fyou have a phone chat follow up with an email with your requests/ the outcome of the conversation and ask for a response to show a paper trail.

This should be treated as a never event. They need procedures in place

What form of risk assessment are you suggesting? You know what will be a ‘never’ event soon, school residentials.

Needmorelego · 29/06/2023 09:23

Take this seriously.
Make sure the school take it seriously.
A situation with medication happened on a residential at my child’s primary school. They almost got sued.

WhenIWasAFieldMyself · 29/06/2023 09:27

jenandberrys · 29/06/2023 09:20

What form of risk assessment are you suggesting? You know what will be a ‘never’ event soon, school residentials.

Show quote history

Also true.

Together with staff on residentials refusing to give medication and insisting the students are solely responsible for their own care.

@GrainOfSalt the standard school trip RA covers all of that already. (Templates available) What it doesn't cover is human error. Like in most contexts.

GrainOfSalt · 29/06/2023 09:28

Well exactly what's on the risk assessments I have written for eg zoo trips. Risk: Fred, George and Charlie have asthma Action: Medication list kept by trip leader and checked before coach. Mr X to check FG and C have inhalers. Risk Bill has Coeliac disease Action: Mr x to check ice cream ingredients before afternoon treat.

It's really straightforward and no need to cancel residentials

MichelleScarn · 29/06/2023 09:29

How did you find out? Did be come home and say 'they never gave me my meds at night' did he not think to say each morning 'I didn't have my meds last night'?
Agree that when schools agree to take on residential they should do what they say, but it has to be a joint responsibility, soon no teacher will be willing to take on all these tasks.

GrainOfSalt · 29/06/2023 09:30

But human error shouldn't happen every night of a residential. That is poor planning/ prepping

Zonder · 29/06/2023 09:31

This does need to be taken really seriously. I hope it's not just a placatory call and then draw a line. It must never happen again. Next time it could have enormous consequences. Imagine if they forgot to give a diabetic child their insulin?

Original poster
ChocHotolate · 29/06/2023 09:31

Really helpful everyone, I am grateful.
I'm surprised there was no master list of children who needed medication in the morning and the evening and that these could be ticked off when given.
The teacher is calling me at lunchtime, I will definitely have a couple of bullet points ready so I don't get flustered.
I will always be polite as I am incredibly grateful that DS was given the opportunity to go on the residential and that the teachers were able to take him

OP posts:
WhenIWasAFieldMyself · 29/06/2023 09:34

GrainOfSalt · 29/06/2023 09:28

Well exactly what's on the risk assessments I have written for eg zoo trips. Risk: Fred, George and Charlie have asthma Action: Medication list kept by trip leader and checked before coach. Mr X to check FG and C have inhalers. Risk Bill has Coeliac disease Action: Mr x to check ice cream ingredients before afternoon treat.

It's really straightforward and no need to cancel residentials

That's what every RA will say.
But as we've seen on here, people start going on about sueing.

The unions are already bubbling away in the background about responsibilities above and beyond on school trips and it's already hard enough to find staff willing to do them as a result of the "sue them" culture that's creeping in.