What does your primary offer to help protect your child with potential anaphylaxis?

[Zestlemondosoap]

Just that really? I have a 6 year old who recently had an anaphylactic reaction whilst at home to milk. Thankfully paramedics attended quickly and gave him a shot and monitored and advised to go to hospital overnight for more obs.

Since this, we have highlighted to school that he had a reaction etc but getting the head to sit down and go through their policy and his action plan has been painful. All suggestions we gave to minimise risk were shrugged off and met with,” ooh that’s a bit tricky”

Please share what your primaries have done to accommodate and keep risks to your child to a minimum?

My DD’s risk of anaphylactic shock is v low but they do have an allergy that could cause it. School has been very proactive in developing an allergy plan with us and they manage it so carefully that sometimes they restrict too many foods from her! I would ask to speak to the head teacher in person and maybe take a template with you to fill in if they are too feckless to manage it themselves. Ours outlines what DC reacts to, what immediate treatment should be and what to do next if that doesn’t work and/or there is a more severe reaction. The school kitchen hold a copy, as do the office and the classroom.

If head doesn’t respond to request for meeting, contact the head of governors, this is really important stuff.

Thanks that’s good to know that school takes it seriously. I would rather they take it more seriously than less tbh.

I think we will have to do that , take in a template as you suggested. I know , it’s stressful enough having a reactive child but then putting faith in school that they will look after them makes it difficult if they are not putting things in place to help minimise the risk

It’s tricky to say really. What were your suggestions to minimise risk? We saw the SENCO, not the head teacher. Relevant staff are epipen trained, all staff are aware of the allergy, children in her year group are aware, DD carries her pen with her in a pouch when not in the classroom, children who sit around DD at lunch, so on her table either side/opposite, can’t have the allergen in their lunch. All has been well so far, touch wood.

(I'm a parent and a volunteer.)

The child's parents inform the catering company directly, with evidence from the GP. The catering company inform you which meals are safe for your child, and the catering staff have your child flagged up on their list at every meal. If it's something more risky than an intolerance (eg anaphylaxis or coeliac) the child gets their meal on a specific colour tray. If such children have packed lunches, then they sit with the hot dinners as the staff know that their danger food won't be present.

Whenever there is a child who brings an epipen, their class teacher and class TA do a refresher course. The rest of the staff (and some volunteers) do epipen training every few years as part of the regular first aid training.

What triggers her reaction? Ingesting milk? Touching? Inhaling? This will make a difference to what they do.
Does she have an epipen?
Does she have school lunches?
What has her doctors recommended?
In my school we have all had epipen training.
Children with allergies are served first and have eaten separately when needed.

Gosh it’s scary isn’t it.

When DS started school I introduced myself to the kitchen staff and was given a tour of the kitchen and discussed how allergies are managed and took ds to meet the staff too under the guise of giving him confidence in them. They had his picture on the wall at the serving hatch with the allergy identified.

His class teacher also had a photo board of kids with allergies - lots of kids. There was a care plan done every year that would go on trips too along with medication.

Also receptionist (default First Aider and knowledgeable beyond pay grade!) held
Emergency meds in filing cabinet in reception next to lunch hall.

Ds sat on the allergy kids table
for lunch too which made catering his birthday parties a challenge as all those kids became his friends.

Harder than meal times were cooking lessons and tasting sessions, craft sometimes when they would use old food boxes, other kids birthdays when they would bring in cakes and sweets. In the end I sent a treat box for ds and on those occasions he got to pick something from his box which was kept in the teachers desk.

Ds was taught from an early age to not accept food or sweets from friends and as soon as possible how to ask an adult what to check the ingredients for for him and after that to check them himself.

Despite this being a surprisingly common problem
It was never treated as routine.

If you are getting nowhere I recommend trying the receptionist.

Hi, thanks for your response. We know that the staff are epinpen trained and have the allergy action plan from the hospital and his epi pen and meds in the office.
We suggested that his classmates are made aware of his allergy as they will be with him at play time and lunch time and can help alert staff quickly if they spot him looking unwell. Also more awareness throughout the school of allergies in general perhaps in the form
Of an assembley? Sitting him on the end of a table at lunch to avoid any potential allergens from other peoples lunches crossing him. Creating a no sharing food rule at lunch time. Staff keeping a bit more of a closer eye on him after lunch time. Ensuring any spillages after milk break and lunch are cleaned up promptly?

@Dilbertian

(I'm a parent and a volunteer.)

The child's parents inform the catering company directly, with evidence from the GP. The catering company inform you which meals are safe for your child, and the catering staff have your child flagged up on their list at every meal. If it's something more risky than an intolerance (eg anaphylaxis or coeliac) the child gets their meal on a specific colour tray. If such children have packed lunches, then they sit with the hot dinners as the staff know that their danger food won't be present.

Whenever there is a child who brings an epipen, their class teacher and class TA do a refresher course. The rest of the staff (and some volunteers) do epipen training every few years as part of the regular first aid training.

Thanks, the head has reassured us that there are multiple staff on site who have epi pen training and this is updated regularly.

We have been in touch with the catering company and they have been great so far with the lanyard and coloured tray and creating a milk free options for us to choose from but he had a recent reaction in school( hives and itching, flushing face) after he threw up after a school dinner which was allergen free, so not sure what happened there, whether it was cross contamination from someone sitting nearby ?

Thanks everyone. They have his pic up with his allergies in the staff room and the kitchen I understand , but yea, I think we are going to have to push for them to take it seriously and draft out a few things that they can do to help minimise the risk to him.

The worry is that he is only 6 and does go into a shock mode when he reacts, so may not be able to verbalise at that point

From what I’ve read online and heard from others, most schools will have statutory guidance from a supporting children with medical conditions policy that they need to follow.

DD had a friend with a milk allergy in Reception/Yr1. There was a very clear no touching each others food rule, morning snack (with the free milk, it was available throughout KS1 there) had to eaten at the table, which was then cleaned by the TA. The allergic child sat on the juice table. (They had the choice).

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

DD had a friend with a milk allergy in Reception/Yr1. There was a very clear no touching each others food rule, morning snack (with the free milk, it was available throughout KS1 there) had to eaten at the table, which was then cleaned by the TA. The allergic child sat on the juice table. (They had the choice).

Thanks, this is good to know, I just want to know what everyone else’s schools are capable are doing before we go in to discuss our options

@StrictlySinging

Gosh it’s scary isn’t it.

When DS started school I introduced myself to the kitchen staff and was given a tour of the kitchen and discussed how allergies are managed and took ds to meet the staff too under the guise of giving him confidence in them. They had his picture on the wall at the serving hatch with the allergy identified.

His class teacher also had a photo board of kids with allergies - lots of kids. There was a care plan done every year that would go on trips too along with medication.

Also receptionist (default First Aider and knowledgeable beyond pay grade!) held
Emergency meds in filing cabinet in reception next to lunch hall.

Ds sat on the allergy kids table
for lunch too which made catering his birthday parties a challenge as all those kids became his friends.

Harder than meal times were cooking lessons and tasting sessions, craft sometimes when they would use old food boxes, other kids birthdays when they would bring in cakes and sweets. In the end I sent a treat box for ds and on those occasions he got to pick something from his box which was kept in the teachers desk.

Ds was taught from an early age to not accept food or sweets from friends and as soon as possible how to ask an adult what to check the ingredients for for him and after that to check them himself.

Despite this being a surprisingly common problem
It was never treated as routine.

If you are getting nowhere I recommend trying the receptionist.

Thanks for your reply and letting me know what the school has done for your DS, they sound on top of it.

I agree with the part about the receptionist , I find out office staff excellent, but I guess the issue for me was the head’s very blasé responses at the meeting.

Preparing a list of things that we will ask if they can implement at school to help him avoid risk and also we do tell DS not to accept or eat any food other than what we send in for him.

As you saw allergies are becoming more and more common and schools do have a duty of care to safeguard all children , especially kids who have medical conditions