DS individual risk assessment - can I disagree??

[mumbar]

Hi, probably one for the teachers or mn with experience.

Short version - DS had allergic reaction to ketchup, needed antihistamine in school, secretary told me he wouldn't be allowed school dinners at all. Then had heyfever needed antihistamine 4x a day, spoke to school about it, told needed another bottle of antihistamine (same stuff) stating 4x day (other one said 4/6 hours as needed) - but secretary told me nothing wrong him him and wouldn't keep giving it to him on my say so

Complained to HT, seems sorted.

DS now YR 2, allergies got worse during summer with hives attacks on face a lot and welts on shin with pressure, scratching etc. Now has prescibed washing stuff. GP thinks it is pollen. His school has a science club which DCs can do, every fornight lunchtime.

When form came home it asked for allergies, I filled it in and note came home to say they were doing risk assesments for experiments and DS would have his own due to allergies. I was pleased and shocked as I really thought they'd say he can't join.

I don't want to make too much fuss as when they said DS couldn't have school dinners I kicked up a fuss - as ketchup is an extra not part of the meal iyswim. He can have them if caterers get a special form but my point was school didn't tell me this and I was cross about poor inclusion policy.

I'm sure school are doing this as I complained and I'm pleased but his allergies are getting worse (seem controlled now by tablets daily).
My question is - if I'm unsure about his participation or disagree with risk assessment can I get it changed/ discuss changing it??
And will school think I'm a PITA mum if I decide an experiment is too risky after making such a fuss about inclusion??

Surely on a day to day basis you let these teachers risk assess and work with your child, so why shouldn't they be able to do this as part of a club? I doubt that they will even send the risk assessment home anyway.

They have written to say they are doing risk assessments and would send them home - thats the only reason I know. They told DS they wanted to speak to me before the club starts. TBH I'm struggling with the fact he's fine for weeks and I start to think I'm being overprotective then he has a bad hives attack and now GP has said it worse than I thought when I thought I was being overprotective iyswim?

I'm in a quandry between knowing its ketchup so knowing school dinners would be fine (hence the fuss) to now not knowing the other causes and being worried.

OMG I really am a PITA

I'm not sure if I am understanding you correctly. It sounds to me as if school are trying very hard to keep your ds safe and prevent bad allergic reactions by risk assessing him. You seem to see the risk assessments as a negative. Perhaps you need to have a conversation with the teacher running the club, ask to talk about the risks with them and then make a decision as to whether you are happy for him to attend the club or not. It may well be that whilst you would like him to do everything he wants to in school, you need to be a little cautious until you know more about how his allergies affect him?? No, you don't sound like a PITA, just a bit confused. Go and talk to the school. Thye sound like they are trying to do everything right!

OP,
I would think that it would be reasonable for you to work together with the school to develop the risk assessments. It will also protect the school from accusations of unreasonableness, eg if they expose him to something that they were not told about.

The question is, what control measures will you accept? If there is a medium chance of risk with medium consequences, how would you feel about that? Where do you draw the line?

I think it would be wise to ask to meet whoever is co-ordinating the science club talk things through.

No-one will want to see your child come out in hives if it can be avoided, hence the risk assessment, but I imagine your DS will also develop an awareness of things that set off his allergies and let adults know too; my own 5-year-old DD had a hideous attack of hives over the summer which lasted for almost a fortnight and didn't respond to anti-histamine. She knows that sunscreen is problematic and that it's possible that either caterpillars or leaves may also be! As we don't know quite what caused the attack we an only advise her to be careful and to inform an adult to contact us for medication if a rash appears.

She's been incredibly mature about it and I've no doubt she would let somone at school know if she was worried that an experiment/other activity might lead to a reaction.

Talk to your DS and to school.

I think my concern is having fought with the school to accept that DS has allergies - as the cause is unknown (secretary accused me of making it up ). They are now doing everything they can to protect him - which is great - I'm having 2nd thoughts about the safety of experiments and I'm worried if I now say - 'actually I'm worried about the risks' they'll think I'm being a controversial PITA. Thing with a risk assesment is weighing up the risks of the unknown is near on impossible iyswim. Although they can go on what GP said about pollen being a probable cause and nothing to be used on his skin, and scratches causing hives (thinking a simple do not touch sign is needed!)

Actually I'm just a concerned mother (PFB, only child, single parent family) Get the picture

SE13 thankyou. Yes DS knows when he's going to have a hives reaction as he gets agitated and his skin itches. Thing is one day (before he started the tablets) he asked the office for antihistamine and they refused saying he was fine. By the time he came home he was in a state. I sent a picture to the school and they've not refused since and take it seriously now - hence the risk assesments.

Do you think your GP would write a letter to the school explaining that your DS is able to accurately pinpoint the onset of a reaction and so must be given prescribed anti-histamine at that point?

My DD attends the school I teach at so, not only can someone simply come and ask me if they're unsure, I can administer her medication if I feel it is necessary so no other adult's judgement comes into it. I appreciate that this isn't the case for your DS and would up my suggestion to being 1) ask the GP to write to the school and have his non-specific, anti-histamine requiring allergies put on file and 2) meet with/write to the science club leader and make him/her aware of the necessary course of action should medication be required (you may wish to set up an additional 'I give permission for X & Y, science club adults to administer 5mg of whatever medicine if any of the following occur...blah blah blah...I accept responsibility for any adverse reactions caused by the medicine'. As a teacher, I'd administer such medication with the parent's consent and that was the case long before I had my own DC, never mind a DD with long-lasting, disfiguring hives. Teaching unions may advise differently; they will probably want a first-aider to be at the club (which may be possible if it's a lunchtime thing actually...).

Good luck!

SE13 Thanks again.

Thats great advice. We are at the point now that the school accept his allergies - I had a meeting with the HT after the secretary refused to gice antihistamine to DS, I only found out the day after as she told me .

I work at a school only 5 minutes by car away and have said that they should have and sshould now ring me if they are unsure and my work (as they are a school) are happy for me to go and observe DS to see if he needs antihistamine if they are unsure, or I can advise over the phone.

Luckily his reactions are purely hives with minimal swelling to the face, but the hives come up after the 'reaction' iyswim. He itches, gets aggitated and his behaviour can seem naughty. I have given them a photo so they know what a reaction looks like as a guide.

His allergies are on file, and because the GP prescibed the daily tablets which he has at home, he also has a medical form with the course of action to be taken. I have out on the medical file, of unsure to call me or if swelling/ breathing difficulties seem apparent to call an ambulance and then me (altho it doesn't seem as if this will happen iyswim).

I do think that the understanding is there now between me and the school, hence the risk assessments.

I will read them and do as you suggest - meet with the science club leader and talk through the course of action, and hopefully come to a mutual agreement about pulling DS from the club if either party has concerns.

I just feel awful that I had to fight tooth and nail for inclusion for DS re allergies and now I'm worrying that I've done the wrong thing. I'm seeing the GP Friday as the tablets have nearly run out and I want to know where we go from here and if we continue them now the pollen count is low.??

I think I'll fight for allergy skin prick tests to find out if this is true allergy or idiopathic hives (ie no cause).

Thanks again SE13 your advice has been invaluable and made me realise I'm being a tad overprotective

Glad my ramblings helped :)

Hives on small children are horrible and uncomfortable. My usually lively and happy DD spent our summer holiday refusing to be in any photographs (even at a distance) because she was so upset by her red, blotchy, swollen, hot face/body/ears/arms/feet/hands and hated that people were looking at her :( The photos we do have were taken on my phone with the express intent of sending them to a friend of mine who is a hospital pharmacist to see if she knew what on earth the rash could be and what it might respond to.

So yes, maybe you are being unnecessarily overprotective but it's out of concern for your son. I'm sure the club leader will be able to put your mind at rest (or perhaps someone at your own school could talk through the risk assessments with you to give you some more perspective if it would help).

I'm not sure I've understood all the details about the allergies, but I can tell you as a teacher how I would feel and act in a similar case.

I would want to include your son, and for him to take part as fully as possible. The risk assessment sounds sensible.

If during the club, your son had a reaction, I would want to be sure in advance that you were happy for someone to give him medication, and that I would not be blamed for any side effects from that medication.

Also, I would want to be confident that you would not blame me for his allergic reaction if it was to a substance we did not think / know he was sensitive to.(I have been blamed in the past for a child eating something they were allergic to - they took it from another child secretly)

I know this all seems to be about blame, but bitter experience tells me that occasionally parents say they want their children to be included, but they are not prepared to accept any risk along with that. Obviously, no one wants your child to have a painful reaction, but if the alternative is never to take part in a club, or any cooking, or any outing or whatever, is the risk worth it?

I really hope the school include your child. You may be able to help by reassuring them that you will support them.

HTH

Thankhs woahwoah. I would never blame the school - i actually was annoyed at them for saying he couldn't have school dinners in case he asked for ketchup (as it wouldbe his fault) but understand their position. The well-being leader in my school gave me the information about sending the allergy forms to the caterers.

The school have his 'care plan' should he have a reaction and I certainly wouldn't blame them - as the allergens are unknown they can't possibly knowingly put him at risk iyswim.

SE13 - yes thats exactly my fears - it is so obvious on his face and I don't want him labelled as the child with the red and sore face. Guess its all to do with the protection we feel for our DC's.

Thanks again for giving me reassuring advice and perspective

Hope it works out for you and your son.

LOL, DS came home from school trip today having had a lovely day and then cried about break time. Apparently they wouldn't allow him to have a biscuit - as they didn't know if he was allergic

He always eats the snack at school (fruit) and have never been told he's allergic to biscuits. I'm a bit ed that they would usually provide food and then decide not too in case (altho all other children were given one and they haven't been told they're not allergic iyswim).

Have spoken to school and told them he is OK with them it is just ketchup - and they said its only ketchup on his notes.

Really not sure what to make of this???