Medical needs for 0 to 5 year olds

To help manage this need you can:

• establish and maintain especially good communication with parent carers: consider a regular weekly meeting in person or by telephone and a communication book or use of online journal
• liaise with parent carers and professionals regarding how they would like other children and families informed of the child’s needs, being mindful of equipment and illness within their own families - many charities produce story books and online material which explains this in an appropriate way for small children
• ensure that you have the equipment that you need, for example support equipment such as lockable medicine cabinets, first aid bags, fridge - some medications such as inhalers, blood glucose testing and adrenaline pens should be immediately available
• ensure parents and staff have access to the medication policy to be reviewed and updated regularly - gain parent’s permission to administer medication
• have a good understanding of any documents related to managing medical needs in the school or setting
• access training prior to transition, such as rotated medication, care training, or manual handling
• identify what additional support may be required for example diet, toileting, use of equipment, cooking, mealtimes and to take part in outings
• ensure that you feel supported and equipped to support the child, their family, and your class through any losses - seek support from professionals and charities - also discuss with your special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) or lead professional - bereavement training may be appropriate
• review and update individual support plans (health and care plan or risk management plan) with your SENCO to ensure that they reflect the level of need being presented and are informative for other members of staff (cover teachers, for example)
• discuss use of information communication technology (ICT) equipment with your SENCO to support communication and learning
• provide achievable opportunities for the child to experience success and be as independent as possible - provide scaffolding opportunities to take part in paired or small group work, for example give children the opportunity, where appropriate, to be involved in managing their own health needs
• consider fatigue levels and how these impact on the child’s ability to engage - make plans for rest and sleep as required
• understand how medical conditions can impact on the child’s ability to learn, speak to parent carers and relevant professionals for information
• consider how you could promote regular home school contact when or if a child is not in provision to maintain a ‘sense of belonging’ with peers and the school or setting community - use your online journal to share learning for the class or achievable pre-recorded activities - if the child is absent for longer periods consider sending a card from the class, sharing a story online, offering parent carers the opportunity to meet up and maintain connection with school life
• consider with parent carers if a buddy system would work well: one or two families can be approached to support or check in with the family - this offers a different form of support to school which may be appreciated by the family and could be more frequent and informal
• plan for the child’s return after a period of absence to help the child and family ease back into school life - a gradual build-up of hours in school may be appropriate, as may support for reintroducing relationships, friendships, and routines - this should be considered as part of the child’s individual plan

To help manage this need you can:

• if a child is newly diagnosed with diabetes, speak with the paediatric medical team who will contact the child’s setting - liaise with the team to secure training and advice - if you are unsure of the specialist nurse’s contact details, parent carers will have these
• be aware that all diabetic children will have a medical care plan - make sure that you have read and understood this
• communicate with parent carers regularly, in a mutually agreed way - most are happy for education staff to shadow or watch them administering medication if the child is new to your setting
• be aware that most diabetic children are discharged from hospital with a continuous glucose monitor - there will likely be a mobile phone app connected to this to allow monitoring, therefore the child will always need access to their device - an adjustment to the setting’s mobile phone policy is crucial to facilitate this
• access the free of charge JDRF training modules prior to having the specialist nurse’s training - these modules include basic awareness and information about insulin pump care
• access the DigiBete website for information and video learning:
  • there is a section for education professionals
  • some children or young people use the DigiBete app for support
  • find more information on DigiBete
• be aware that medication and testing kits may need to be handed over daily between home and school - prepare to facilitate this
• be aware that you may need to keep snacks on site for treatment in the event of hypo-glycemia (low blood sugar levels) and provide access to these when necessary
• support the child to develop independence to check that insulin is in date - medication in pumps should be changed monthly