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Wellington Public School

Wellington Public School

Where every child is known, valued and cared for.

Telephone02 6845 4080

Emailwellington-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Dealing with Medication Conditions Procedure

Aim

 Wellington Public School Preschool will facilitate effective care and health management of children with acute episodes of illness and medical emergencies.

Background

Medical conditions include, but are not limited to asthma, diabetes or a diagnosis that a child is at risk of anaphylaxis. In many cases these can be life threatening. Our Preschool is committed to a planned approach to the management of medical conditions to ensure the safety and well-being of all children at this service

Goals

 

Our Preschool will minimise the risks around medical conditions of children by:

·         Collaborating with families of children with diagnosed medical conditions to develop an action plan for their child;

·         Informing all staff, including casual staff, and educators, of all children diagnosed with a medical condition and the action plan procedures for these;

·         Providing all families with current information about identified medical conditions of children enrolled at the service with strategies to support the implementation of the action plan;

·         Ensuring all children with diagnosed medical conditions have a current action plan that is accessible to all staff; and

·         Ensuring all staff are adequately trained in the administration of emergency medication.

 

Legislative Requirements

 

Education and Care Services National Law 2010

Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011: 90, 91, 94

 

Link to National Quality Standards

Quality Area 2.1.1: Each child’s health needs are supported

 

Who is affected by this Procedure?

Parents/guardians and staff at WPS Preschool

 

Implementation Practices

Enrolment of children into the centre

 

The Teacher will:

·      Ensure that any parent with a child enrolled at the service that has a specific health care need, allergy or other relevant medical condition is provided with a copy of this Medical Conditions policy/procedure;

·      Inform parents of the requirement to provide the service with a medical management plan of their child’s condition;

·      Collaborate with families of children with medical conditions to develop a risk minimisation plan to ensure the child’s safety and wellbeing:

·      To ensure that the risks relating to the child’s specific health care need, allergy or relevant medical condition are assessed and minimised; and

if relevant, to ensure that practices and procedures in relation to the safe handling, preparation, consumption and service of food are developed and implemented; and

·      if relevant, to ensure that practices and procedures to ensure that the parents are notified of any known allergens that pose a risk to a child and strategies for minimising the risk are developed and implemented; and

·      to ensure that practices and procedures ensuring that all staff members and volunteers can identify the child, the child’s medical management plan and the location of the child’s medication are developed and implemented; and

·      if relevant, to ensure that practices and procedures ensuring that the child does not attend the service without medication prescribed by the child’s medical practitioner in relation to the child’s specific health care need, allergy or relevant medical condition are developed and implemented; and

·      Ensure that all staff and educators are aware of the medical management plan and risk minimisation plan;

·      Ensure that staff are adequately trained in procedures contained in the medical management plan; and

·      Inform other families enrolled at the Preschool of the need to prohibit any items which may present a hazard to children with diagnosed medical conditions.

 

Communication and display of medical information

The Teacher will:

·      Ensure all medical management and risk minimisation plans are accessible to all staff;

·      Ensure that all plans are current and kept up to date;

·      Develop a communication plan to ensure that relevant staff members and volunteers are informed of the medical conditions policy, the medical management plan and risk minimisation plan for the child;

·      Develop a communication plan to ensure that parents can communicate any changes to the medical management plan and risk minimisation plan; and

·      Update the communication plan as needed;

·      Ensure they are aware of enrolled children with medical conditions and be familiar with the medical management and risk minimisation plans of each child diagnosed with a medical condition; and

·      Will consult the communication plan to ensure they are aware of their communication responsibilities.

Management of asthma and anaphylaxis

The Teacher will:

·      Ensure that all staff are adequately trained in the management of asthma and anaphylaxis, and that training includes identifying medical emergencies; and

·      Ensure that all staff are adequately trained in the administration of emergency medication such as the Epi-Pen or asthma medication.

·      Be alert to the immediate needs of children who present with symptoms of anaphylaxis and asthma; and

·      Administer emergency medication in accordance with their training, as required.

 

Documentation and record keeping

The Principal will:

·      Ensure records are confidentially stored for the specified period of time as required by the Regulation.

The Teacher will:

·      Provide a copy of the Medication Record to medical staff in the event further medical intervention is required.

·      Complete a Medication Record when a child receives emergency medication; and

·      Will provide parents with a copy of the Medication Record.

 

Document Availability

This procedure will be readily accessible to all educators, staff, families and visitors, and ongoing feedback on this procedure will be invited.

Related Policies

·         Asthma Management

·         Anaphylaxis Management

·         Diabetes Management

Review

This procedure will be reviewed annually.  Review will be conducted by School Principal, Preschool Staff, parents/carers and any interested parties.