Individual Health Care Plan (IHCP)

[TangoCharlieWhiskey]

Hi
I've not been on the forums for a while, but have had an email out of the blue from school about a IHCP for DS. I'm hoping others will be able to shed some light....

DS has been at this school for over 4 years and has only a year & a half before leaving. His health is stable and he's had only a few days off each school year.

He's had allergies since a toddler and the school has been aware of them since he started there.

He has an epipen & antihistamine at school and they have had extras provided for overseas trips. He's never had any time off school related to his allergies, not even for appointments.

The timing of this form seems odd. Surely this information should be on file already? Are IHCPs new? Would this explain the 4+ yr delay?

I'm just trying to unpick this weird request... the form doesn't even seem to be designed to cover allergies!

Thanks

It's probably nothing to do with your DS's condition, more that they have either a new SENCO, new system or they are in fear of the O-word visit and are tightening up. The information is almost certainly already there but possibly not in "the correct format".

When our last but one SENCO left, the next one moaned about how nothing had been done correctly yadda yadda, then 3 years later she's handed it on and there is another flurry of paperwork from the present incumbent.

DS should already have an IHCP. If he hasn’t then arranging one now is the right thing to do. If he does perhaps they mean updating it/checking everything is still the same.

It seems a pretty poor show if they don't have something on file for the 4 plus years he's been there, especially when you think they've taken him abroad...

So I was thinking that maybe I ask if I can update the existing IHCP or use it for reference... I must admit to being quite terrified of the thought of him being in the hands of staff who had nothing to refer to from the school should he have a reaction.

Could the secondary school have used the IHCP that DS had in primary (assuming he did actually have one in primary) until now? Although even then it should have been updated.

We require new health care plans every year, whether the information has changed or not! It's simply not worth the risk of using an out of date one!

Same school!

Would this be for allergies? Or something else? Would there have to have been school missed or is it based on risk?

I’m just thinking if it’s the latter then again what have they been using for the previous years…

We have health care plans for any child who either

1. needs to , or might need to, take any medication in school- it would cover everything from asthma medication, through epipen, diabetes and adhd medication
2. has a medical condition that requires, or might require, medical assistance- colostomy bags, dressings, etc.

So yes, allergies would be covered as they might require use of an epipen.

Thanks everyone - so from what I can understand, one is required and the school are simply setting it up 4.5 years later than it should of been done.

I can now discuss this with them with a feeling of being better informed.

Much appreciated.

Hi all,

so I completed the form. The school have confirmed “We are implementing individual healthcare plans for the first time this year, so I am unable to send you one from last year.”

is this IHCP some form of contact between student & school? Ie can I ask for a completed copy of it?

thanks

The form that you have completed may well BE the health care plan! Our forms are. They include address details, details of GPS and specialists, medication taken, when to be taken, indicators of need, when NOT to be taken, what dose to be given and how. Any possible side effects are also included. The parent then signs to say they give permission for the medication to be administered and we record the details of the medication provided on the form( amount supplied etc)
We then record every time medication is administered, how much, what time and how much is left ( if possible to measure). It's an ongoing record. For some conditions, this will be a daily record, some may be weekly/monthly depending on need.

Thanks for the reply SpanielEyes. There is a section at the bottom of the form yet to be completed by the school…. And that’s the bit I’d like to see completed. I’m unclear whether I ‘can’ ask for a copy of the form once the school have completed it… what’s Your opinion? Thanks

You can ask for a copy, if the school refuse you, or DS depending on his age, can make a formal SAR To give you an idea of what an ICHP looks like here is the DfE’s template but your school may use a slightly different layout.

Thank you.m for this. There wasn’t anywhere for me to sign, which I did think was interesting.

I’m intrigued to see what they put underneath as it includes what training is needed to meet the needs above. As my child has been at the school for 5 hrs & this is the first time they’ve put a plan in place to deal with his allergies, I’d like to see if any of the staff are actually trained to use an epipen!

Our school attaches them to the student's record in our management system. That used to be SIMs but is now something else. Our parents can consent as to how much information is shared with teaching staff: for example, the child with multiple allergies often has theirs freely available so teaching staff can refer to it if the student has an allergic reaction. Something not immediately obvious (eg coeliac) doesn't need to be shared unless you are doing something involving eating or preparing food. In my classroom that won't happen.

OP, as I said in my last post, I suspect your school has realised that they aren't doing things properly and adopting a "better late than never" policy.