Our primary school says if children need medicine at specific times 'pop' in & DIY

[wonkywillow]

Surely this penalises busy working parents, with occupations where they can't just 'pop' in? Or a parent who simply has other pressing commitments..

Can schools actually do this? They seem to be negating their responsibilities towards providing education and support for children with long term medical conditions that require regular medication.

[Feenie]

Tell me exactly where I said it was ok.

[headintheproverbial]

Being 'a working parent' is not a protected characteristic and therefore is not something in relation to which you can make a discrimination claim.

So relying on a potential disability discrimination claim makes more sense.

[wonkywillow]

Don't piss them off in future then.

Oh grow up! There is no threat. I am duty bound to point out shortfalls in provision at my child's own school. I have been successful in the past doing this and no doubt, should the need arise, would be successful again in the future.

[Feenie]

'dutybound '

[wonkywillow]

So relying on a potential disability discrimination claim makes more sense.

I can see that. But parents of children with additional needs are also, albeit indirectly, discriminated against in this way. It can affect their ability to work when schools fail to meet their children's needs. This happens in all sorts of ways from illegal exclusions to having to attend more meetings than necessary, to advocate for their child, so a school complies with what they are legally bound to.

[wonkywillow]

**

Resorting to type then....

[Nightfall1983]

Interesting how differently this is done in different schools. Only a couple of weeks after starting Reception in september my DS required 4-a-day antibiotics for 2 weeks. I specifically asked the GP is it was possible to have a 3 dose version but sadly not. Being new to the school I didn’t know what the protocol was but I went to the office and filled in a comprehensive form, handed them over and that was that. As it turned out his class teacher administered them, the dose was just before lunch when the children are clearing up and washing their hands and she said it was no particular bother. The meds had to be kept in the fridge and the classroom had a milk fridge so it was kept in there. Simple and minimal fuss for DS - at the time I didn’t realise how lucky we were!!

[Feenie]

Ditto.

[Feenie]

The meds had to be kept in the fridge and the classroom had a milk fridge so it was kept in there.

That's not great practice - and within easy reach of any child with a possible allergy.

[grannytomine]

When my DD was at senior school they told us if the girls wanted the morning after pill the school would either take them to a clinic or arrange for a nurse to come to the school. Parents weren't informed or asked if this was OK. If they needed paracetamol for a headache they would phone the parents and ask them to come in.

I found it odd that my 13 year old could decide to take the morning after pill but couldn't be trusted to make a decision to take paracetamol.

[wonkywillow]

That's not great practice - and within easy reach of any child with a possible allergy.

Would you be saying that if a parent questioned this? Or close ranks. Like what appears to be happening on this thread...

[Feenie]

If a parent questioned the sense of not keeping a dangerous substance in an unlocked milk fridge in the classroom?

[RavenWings]

I guess the problem comes when no staff are willing to take on the role. It is a huge responsibility and it needs to be taken on willingly with highly trained staff because if mistakes were made the consequences are huge.

Absolutely. As a teacher, I won't and don't administer medicine. There's far too much that could potentially go wrong and I'm not making myself liable for that. With epipens and the like we would have training on administering it, but other things like insulin are generally covered by our SNAs. They have training for it. I would not take it on just because a parent wanted me to.

[Feenie]

No one's closing ranks. They're telling you the reality of working in a school. As in, for example, the difficulties of finding staff full stop, never mind staff to administer medicines with possible repercussions.

[wonkywillow]

They're telling you the reality of working in a school. As in, for example, the difficulties of finding staff full stop, never mind staff to administer medicines with possible repercussions.

With all due respect, I don't need that information. What is more relevant, to what I was asking in the OP, is what schools have to legally provide in terms of administering medicine and whether the school I mentioned is correct to tell parents to come in to administer medicine that needs to be taken at specific times.

[OddBoots]

wonkywillow so is the reason for this thread to promote capgainging for better funding for schools so they can afford to do this? If so I am right behind you.

[exLtEveDallas]

At one of my previous schools there was a child that needed ADHD meds to be given at 9am and 2pm. Two members of staff volunteered.

After a period of time, a number of exclusions and a lot of 'tweaking' of medication it was discovered that the child had been pretending to take the medicine - either spitting it into his juice bottle or keeping it in his mouth to spit into the toilet.

Rather than being annoyed/embarrassed by her kid, mum went loon, went to the council and the local papers and caused holy hell for the school and the volunteer staff in particular. Took a very long time for the fuss to die down, and almost caused a very well liked and appreciated TA to quit.

Result? Now no-one will volunteer to help this child. Mum has to come in and she is very vocal about how she is going to lose her job, it's all the Schools fault, discrimination etc.

Schools can't win.

[exLtEveDallas]

Oh and there is no legal challenge to the child not getting the medicine from staff. It's not on anyone's job description and the union has warned it cannot be added as a reasonable expectation.

[bangingmyheadoffabrickwall]

My own child's school and the school where I work both hand a form to parents to detail and sign regarding what medication, time and dosage and the length of course.

Simples.

My own child's school switched BACK to this after they briefly sent out a newsletter detailing that no medicine could be given to any child (assume long term health needs had a 1:1 person assigned to administer medication as a few in my school do - CF, diabetes etc). In an area where lots of parents work, we're rural so getting back isn't easy (an hour away for me - 35 minutes for DH) there was a backlash and parents simply said that for an infection with a 7 day supply of antibiotics they'd keep them at home (obviously) and they realised that attendance would be an issue.

Even the rules regarding sick bugs are different. Same county, different schools. DS's school has a strict 48 hour rule whereas mine has a 24 hour rule. DS's school won't hesitate to ring and send home if they're 'too early to come back' whereas mine happily accepts a child back a mere 18 hours later! Maybe has something to do with the 14% persistent unauthorised attendance!
Sorry - total digress!

[wonkywillow]

ext, how old was the child? Could this child be deemed culpable in terms of being responsible enough to take medication? ADHD can affect people's ability to make good decisions and not everyone likes how the medication can make them feel. Should the mother feel embarrassed because her child has this serious health condition? Why?

[bangingmyheadoffabrickwall]

I have been shouted at by a parent because I forgot to send them to the office for their noon dose of antibiotic

[RavenWings]

ADHD can affect people's ability to make good decisions and not everyone likes how the medication can make them feel. Should the mother feel embarrassed because her child has this serious health condition? Why?

Very fair. But then I don't see how the school can be culpable - what are they supposed to do, read his mind? Deny him a drink/bathroom visit until he shows then he swallowed it? Force it down him?

It's no one's fault, it's just one of those situations. Unfortunately in this case I'd be refusing to administer meds too. It's not in the job description and the mother already threw the school efforts back in their faces.

[exLtEveDallas]

Child was 9, wonky. 10 now.
Mother was allowing him to forgo the medication at the weekend, so as far as he was concerned he didn't need to take it in the week.

[Changednamejustincase]

It is a parent's responsibility to medicate their child not a school's.

If they are doing something else when their child needs medicine then they need to make other arrangements.

[Nightfall1983]

Well I don’t know where the milk fridge is actually - maybe it’s in a locked/lockable cupboard? The medication of course has a childproof cap on it too. I’m not really arguing with your points, I do see what you are saying, I’m just musing.