To Think This Is OTT School Trip Food Intolerance Protocol ???

[rockinhippy]

Excuse if this is a bit waffled - exhausted, but this is playing on my mind a bit & may not have time to post the question & update replies, before I need to deal with after the School hols ?

It's DDs first over night School trip next year, I've done all the form filling, paid the deposit etc, included covering letter & NHS print out given by her dietician, on which I've highlighted the relevant bits - this wasn't asked for, but thought it easier for them to understand her pretty simple to deal with food intolerances etc - the School are already aware of this - but as its a trip thought giving easy to follow print out would be helpful - I also included a note saying I would update info on a leg injury nearer the time as expect her to be fully recovered by then, but won't know until later due to so potential complication IF she doesn't take things slowly - so figured I'd covered all bases & besides its MONTHS away - Summertime.

Last week I was collared by one of the office staff, demanding that I produce a hospital dieticians letter to back up the info I'd already given - this was not mentioned in ANY of the paperwork & I've got to be honest, though I'm usually pretty laid back with most people, this particular woman can get up my nose - she's rude, abrupt & seems to love to over complicate things & IMHO often over steps the mark as regards her role - a bit of a power tripper - IYSWIM -

I protested that I'd already provided a copy of the hospital paperwork, despite nothing in the paperwork asking for it - but was told this wasn't good enough & had to be an actual letter from the hospital dietician - I protested they would expect payment for such a letter (our LHA do) & I wasn't going to be paying when I'd already provided all they needed - she then tells me I should be keeping files on all of DDs hospital appointments & letters & I can just give her a copy of the original letter WTF - who the hell is she to tell me how I should be organising my paperwork & there never was such a letter anyway - she kept on insisting I give her the Dieticians name - its was years back & due to my own health problems & DDs deal with various Hospital Doctors & I just couldn't remember

she was very insistent she wanted the letter & name quickly "for insurance purposes" - I left it as "I'll look into it, but its not top of my list of priorities right now as the trip is 8 month away & I've Xmas to deal with" - she also demanded a copy of DDs physio treatment plan WTF

DH picks DD up the following day & she collars him & demands the letter I'm meant to have given him for her

I've had other minor run ins with her - where she comes across as very disbelieving of DDs problems & obviously thinks I'm just fussing & wrapping her in cotton wool - trust me, nothing could be further from the truth - we just happen to have been unlucky & DD does have a habit of getting things that are "not normal"

AIBU in thinking this woman is just making things difficult again & on a power trip,

OR as its our first experience of School trips - is it normal procedure to be expected to produce realms of medical letters for an over night School trip - for a child whose problems aren't life threatening??

TIA :)

She could be a mini Hitler type or then again, they could simply be using the world's most pedantic insurance company.

If you think she's being a twonk, you could always have a word with the Head or Deputy Head I suppose?

she sounds like she's gotten the wrong end of the stick somewhere. Or she's just a pain in the arse!! We have a couple of kids with really important dietary problems but for residential trips we have never needed anything more than you have provided ie, information from mum filled in with everything we needed to know. We don't have hospital letters and wouldn't want them, just more paperwork for the staff to loose .... it may be that the place they are staying overnight is causing the school some problems in relation to your daughter's foot intolerances.

I would not speak to mad office lady but to teacher in charge of the trip. And then just keep telling office lady you have spoken to teacher and to go away.

Does she even have the right to demand such letters and names? Is that not an invasion of your dd's privacy? After all, medical information is confidential between the healthcare provider and the patient.

Not a good way of handling it, but the insurance company would want to know this information and would want official paperwork, not just a letter from a parent.
The school does need this information, but the woman who spoke to you went about it all the wrong way.
If school already has the information, including dietician's letter, on file, I don't see why they can't just send that, unless the insurance company want something dated more recently.

The school are probably desperately trying to find an excuse not to take your DD on the trip. They will be terrified that you will sue if one of the other children looks through a shop window at whichever food it is that your DD is allergic to.

What level of intollerance does ur dd have,? Is it one issue or a whole mass? Maybe she is trying to cover all bases? ( and being an Arse at the same time?) And maybe the same thing about her leg? If your dd is still young maybe they are worried she won't be fit? How old is yr dd? And is she knowledgeable enough to articulate her needs?

No2 went on a residential trip - one of his year has a lot of food intolerances. Mum arrived with a n enormoug chiller bag of his special foods.

School still managed to hospitalise him though - butter in the mashed potato. Mind you we were warned at least one would end up in hospital - such is the nature of trip - but at least it wasn't a broken limb (like usual!)

See the HT - no need to deal with rude staff.

It sounds to me like she thinks this is a Munchausen's case. The parent getting attention as the result of a child's medical problems is a symptom. Maybe she thinks you are making it up so wants the letter to prove your daughter's problems are genuine? I really cannot think why else she could be behaving that way.

I work for a commercial insurer (one that is known for being pretty pedantic tbh) and there is no way we would ever ask for that level of detail. I do work on some policies for schools and the like and all I have ever asked for is that 'appropriate risk assessments' are completed. Which basically means we expect the school to ask the right questions (ie any allergies/intolerances) and take appropriate action (inform adults & the accommodation).

Sounds like the problem is more likely to be with the school in general or this woman in particular!

Thanks to all of you for the replies :)

I should have said - DD is 9 & more than able to articulate her needs & has a very good understanding of what she can & can't eat & why, she's also excellent at dealing with stomach problems & any other health issues herself & still be at school - her IBS also badly aggravated by stress & she went through a very stressful year at School yr2 - early yr3 - due to the behaviour of another DC, yet she refused point blank to stay home no matter how ill she was - so much so that her teaching staff have commented "we've had to re learn the rules with your DD" [proud] :)

Though she does very occasionally get fed up of not being able to eat certain foods & will kick back & eat them anyway - she's been up half the night with stomach ache & diareah last night & is still feeling a bit ill today as she "accidentally" ate a pile the wrong sort of cheese yesterday - though she's usually pretty good & as she says herself, the last thing she would want would be to make herself ill whilst away from us & it would spoil the trip for her anyway, so I trust she will be sensible - besides she's a real stickler for School rules, so wont do anything they say she shouldn't & the School know that - I got some lovely comments at a recent parents evening as regards her behaviour in School :)

I said intolerance, rather than allergy, because none of it is life threatening or going to make her seriously ill in any way, so even with worse case scenario, she wouldn't end up in hospital - uncomfortable, yes, but she'd cope - sore itchy skin from food chemicals, mostly colours & diareah/stomach pain from artificial sweeteners, some preservatives & lactose in cold cows milk & uncooked cow cheeses - so like I say, especially with a healthy eating School, which hers is, it shouldn't be so difficult to manage - recent changes in School meals have meant I had to get reams of paperwork signed by our GP - so yes after a few "accidents" both with DD & more seriously with other kids being given the wrong foods - I think the LEA are covering their backsides there.

I do wonder in part if the Office Womans stroppy attitude is because I had a run in with her a couple of weeks back - DD was waiting by the office for me to pick her up for her physio appointment - DD had been on crutches & cast for 6 months after an ankle injury - DD naturally was getting fed up & being the chatterbox she is, was telling said woman that she was hoping to get her cast off that day & getting really excited by the idea - I already knew this wasn't going to happen, because the Physio had explained that because DDs calf muscle was so wasted :( & because she is double jointed, the 2 together put her at risk of badly damaging her knee - so her calf muscle size needed to increase more than it had - IYSWIM - the School knew this because they needed too, as DD can be a bit Kamikazee kid & just won't let anything stop her - the last 6 months of her on crutches have been nerve wracking to say the least - she even wanted to run a mini marathon - on her crutches

anyway I was trying to temper DDS enthusiasm, by saying, lets not count your chickens, I don't think it will happen this week, etc etc & Office Woman pipes - whilst blatantly rolling her eyes - Tsk, don't be ridiculous, theres nothing wrong with her, shes running around like crazy here, of course they'll take it off - I simply said, though admittedly very firmly as she'd p'd me off " I think DDs medical team or the ones with the experience to make that call, don't you" - DD of course didn't get the cast off for another 2 weeks??though thankfully due her determination with her physio exercises she is now pretty much back to normal :)

Trois - but at least it wasn't a broken limb (like usual noooooooo I don't want to hear that - I've had enough of that sort of thing to last me a life time over this last 7 months or so - she is Kamikazee kid & that is far more likely than her eating the wrong stuff & making herself ill on the trip.

Thanks for the insight though - all of you, over night School trips are new to me, so I don't have a clue how it all works - thinking I might check with the venue itself as regards their policy on food - lots of places now are additive free & the lactose itself is pretty easy for DD to avoid - I also will dig out my copy of the School meals forms with our GPs signature confirming DDs problems - & will have a quiet word with the head when I see her, to find out if it is genuine policy or just the Office Woman being a jobs worth & making things more difficult than necessary - if thats not enough, I'll throw the ball back into hr court - she can draught me a form to get signed as I'll be buggered if I'm paying what amounts to more than a 3rd of the cost of the trip for a letter from the dietician

thank you :)

more replies whilst I was typing :)

thanks Dee thats great to know :)

& euro I suspect you are not far from the truth there - at very least - IHO - that I am one of those annoying Hippy Mums that doesn't want my DD to eat anything I think is nasty chemicals & like I said DD has had a bit of a run of odd medical problems that I've had to keep the School updated on - on our GPs/Hospitals advice - thankfully all worked out fine in the end & DD is VERY determined & resilient so can look & act fine when she isn't - but her Teachers & Head see that for what it is, which is probably why her attitude is even more annoying

She doesn't beleive you. Many parents invent these typesof problems, either for attention or because they aregenuinly deluded. Nethertheless, it is not up to her to judge which child has a genuine problem ad which doesn't.

Many parents invent these typesof problems, either for attention or because they aregenuinly deluded

Really ?? - gawd they should try living with it for a while, that would soon teach them not to be so bloody stupid

& yes, thats my feeling too - though DD does tell me she is "just a grumpy lady & no-one likes her" - I felt a bit sorry for her in that - more fool me - lol

How much bother is it for the school to accommodate her food intolerances? Is it hard for her to eat only the right things? It sounds like she's quite prone to eating the wrong things & needs to be closely guided to avoid them. If she eats the wrong things, will she produce a variety of difficult-to-deal with symptoms? Would it be easier to just send along a lot of her safe food with her?

I can't figure out whether her food issues are so mild that she just needs to know what's in stuff in which case why does school need to be notified at all, or whether they're quite serious & school needs to be closely involved with making sure she doesn't eat wrong things?

I sounds like she's an unusual case they don't know how to handle.

Speak directly to the teacher running the trip and the head. The woman in the office sounds like a jobsworth.

I agree with slave.My DD is ASD and alos has food intolerence's and they never asked for any of that crap.

It sounds like u have trouble keeping control of your daughter yourself, so u can't really blame the school for being cautious.

No trouble keeping control of her at all give nothing I've written here would lead any "normal" person that conclusion - she's just a perfectly normal 9 yr old, doing what 9 yr olds do - though in her case thankfully VERY occasionally

& no lljk not prone to eating the wrong things, she was given a glass of milk & a cheese roll for School lunch a while ago - not on the menu - & as previously the School meals had always been fine & the previous Cook very understanding of all the DCs allergies/intolerances, so it was never an issue before & as DD is used to safely drinking lactose free milk at home & eating mature cheese, she mistakenly presumed as the School know her intolerances, they would only give her stuff that was safe for her to eat - she ended up missing a days School as a result of her being up all night & still being in a state the next morning

& no not an unusual case they don't know how to handle they've managed her just fine since reception & we've rarely had any problems - the one above & once recently when she took a sweet off one of her friends & presumed it was safe because it looked like Haribo - they are not actually meant to have sweets in School - but I just asked her teacher to please remind them not to share sweets as it may make another DC ill - which he did - so no problems since - I also had a chat with DD about not trusting things are safe just because her friend gives it too her & she THINKS it looks like things she can have - she had nasty sore scaly eyelids, backs of her knees & elbows for a day or so as a result :(

The cheese we have in the fridge is my fault, I stupidly didn't see it properly in the wrong place & picked up the wrong block (migraine eyes) - DH is eating it, - I'm also lactose intolerant so can't - DD was told to be careful, but she admitted last night when she was ill that the big pile she'd had with her salad & earlier crackers was the mild cheddar, not her usual mature one - she says accidentally, but possibly not -

as I say, now shes older, she will on very rare occasions kick back & eat things she's been told she can't - we've managed her diet well since she was tiny, so she rarely gets to see the effects it CAN have on her health & 9 yr olds, been 9yrds she will test & sadly she's learnt her lesson last night :(

thank you slave - & thats very interesting to know Susanne & TBH is as I suspected - our friends Autistic DS at another local School has similar problems & again has never needed medical paperwork for trips, so I wasn't sure if that was the norm, though suspected it was - so good to hear another that backs that up

I will peak with her Teacher & ignore the jobsworths demands until told otherwise :)

The wrong sort of cheese?

She can eat mature cheddar but not mild? Really? Come on...........

I think she ought to be more in the habit of checking if what she is eating is safe. My 3yo checks as a matter of course, particularly with foods that can be safe but may not be (eg biscuits - some have dairy and some don't).

^The wrong sort of cheese?

She can eat mature cheddar but not mild? Really? Come on^

you obviously have a better understanding of Lactose intolerance than her dietician then Menopause

Maturing cheese/milk, as does cooking or heating helps break down the lactose & makes it more easily digestible - thats what the hospital say & it fits perfectly for DD - she can have hot chocolate with boiled milk, or pizza with melted cheese without any ill effect & of course can eat goat sheep cheese- but not a cold glass of milk of mild cows cheese - which of course isn't matured - she does mostly have lacto free or goat/sheep cheese though

silent - she has done the same since very tiny - but she trusted her School & also she's 9 - which you'll no doubt learn is a whole different ball game to parenting a 3 year old - like I say, occasionally she gets fed up & as she puts it "its not fair, why can't I be like my friends & eat anything without having to read stupid labels or get ill" - so she will occasionally rebel - as 9 yr olds do with lots of things - in someways its not a bad thing, as it reminds her we are not making it up & she really does need to be careful - after last night, I think it will be a LONG time before she pushes that particular boundary again

Anyway - thank you all for your input :)

I'm going to leave this thread now :)

I dont blame you for leaving the thread, no idea why people are giving you such a pasting!

Oh yeah, I remember OP struggling before with change in cook causing sudden problems.
It doesn't sound like you've sorted them, her needs still sound too specialist, I'm sorry to say, I know it's not fair. I really think she needs to provide mostly her own food supplemented by things that should obviously not be an issue (fruit & veg, maybe).

I completely understand & believe the mature cheese thing, I knew a few lactose intolerant people who find the same thing (mature cheese ok, mild not). The problem is how mature the cheese is, as a friend told me, you really can't rely on a mere label of "mature", they have to learn by trial & error with specific brands.