Allergy child and yondr pouches at school

[Raindancer411]

Has anyone’s secondary school brought in the yondr pouches and how has it been risk wise for the kids? I am worried about him/his friends not having instant access to call 999, and having to wait until someone finds a teacher and they do it. Every second counts as they always tell us.

Presumably your DC carries an epipen with them? There should be a risk assessment put in place which will detail what should happen if they need an ambulance.

Having attended school and worked in one for 12 years, I'm not aware of any incidents where a student had to call 999 in an emergency.. I know a single anecdote isn't evidence, but I think the incidence of what you are suggesting ever happening is vanishingly small.

Even in a huge secondary school, I can't think of anywhere a pupil would be that isn't within shouting distance of a teacher or adult member of staff, or a desk phone during school hours. There are adults all over the place, classrooms, corridors, kitchens, halls, gyms, playgrounds, fields, libraries, offices. Students are not left to their own devices unsupervised at any time.

We don't have the pouches yet but do have a no phones in school policy, and it's only a good thing.

Sorry, edited to add, I missed the part about your child having an allergy which might require the calling of 999. I can see why you would be more nervous about not having instant access to a phone. But I still think it would be very very rare for a student to have to go and find an adult if something were to happen. At most they might have to shout across a field or run 10 metres to the nearest corridor or classroom. At almost all times they will be in sight of someone with access to a phone and a shout or wave would get their attention pretty quick smart. There will be risk assessments and policies on how to handle the situation, perhaps ask your school to see what they have put in place to mitigate the risk.

At our school children who legitimately need their phones during the day (eg diabetics who need it to track blood sugar) have a Velcro yonder pouch which they can open during the day solely for the legitimate purpose. These children have sanctions if they have the phone out without a legitimate need.

If your child has a severe enough allergy that an epi pen might not work and seconds count for the ambulance, you would be likely to be able to get one of the exception pouches. Have a chat with the school maybe.

Thanks all. The consultant when we last saw them was surprised how big his skin prick reaction was, and each reaction can be vastly different, so I have to think worst case. Our children are precious to us. He does carry two pens and even then I had to fight to have him carry two. They wanted one in the office and only one on him!

He has also been threatened to have his allergen thrown at him, it he didn’t tell anyone as was worried at the reprisal.

I have emailed the school and if they are worried about social media I have looked at a phone that just names calls, but I will have to see what they say. I was interested to see how it has worked in other schools as none around us have the pouches yet.

If he has a reaction to dairy, then he uses his epipen and whilst doing so another person contacts someone who then phones 999. It would not be the person having the reaction who makes the call!