MEDICAL NEEDS
What is a medical needs plan?
At Valentine some of our children have medical needs/conditions that require the use of medicine or carefully tailored plans to ensure that they can access the curriculum and school life just like their peers.
Medical needs plans are co-produced between:
- Healthcare (Nurses, School Nurse, GP and Hospital Medical Teams)
- Parents/Carers
- School staff
Medical plans are typically written by a senior staff member, under the guidance of the SENCo. The meetings scheduled take place termly to ensure that we are aware of any up-to-date medical guidance and/or changes to your child's medical condition.
Can I just leave medicine at school if my child needs it?
If your child is prescribed a medication for a short period - for example: because of an infection or due to illness, we will work with you to ensure that this can be administered in school - as per the guidance from medical professionals. This ensures that your child is able to attend school regularly and does not regress academically.
Before handing in the medication - a staff member will need to meet with you to complete a medical needs plan to make sure that school have enough details and information related to the illness/need.
Note: we do not hold in school over-the-counter medicines such as Calpol/Ibuprofen. Parents are welcome to come in to administer these medicines - but we cannot do this unless guided by medical professionals.
What if my child has a more severe illness?
Where a child is diagnosed with an illness that compromises their ability to maintain a tangible link to full-time education, we will work alongside you and the medical team to ensure continuity of care for your child.
Sometimes, it may be necessary to contact the hospital school to share curriculum objectives, or our understanding of your child's current academic performance. It may also be necessary for us to provide work-packs and video lesson guidance. Where we can, we will try to accommodate LIVE teaching to ensure that your child maintains a connection with school.
| Valentine Medical Needs Co-Ordinator |
Tristan Benfield Contact: info@valentineprimary.co.uk |
My child has intimate care needs
For children who need routine or occasional intimate care (e.g. toileting or accidents), parents will be asked to sign a consent form.
Children with more complex needs, where those needs sit outside of the support covered in the permission form, will have an intimate care plan created in discussion with parents/carers.
Where there isn't an intimate care plan or parental consent for routine care in place, parental permission must be sought before performing any intimate care procedure. Parents will be contacted via telephone immediately to seek permission to change your child. However, if the school is unable to contact you, and an intimate care procedure needs to be carried out, the procedure will be carried out to ensure that your child is comfortable and their dignity respected. The school will inform you immediately.
Our policy aim is to protect the dignity of the child - whilst ensuring that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect staff. The policy takes into account statutory safeguarding guidance - including Keeping Children Safe In Education.
Safeguards for staff at VALENTINE include:
- Intimate care procedures taking place in pairs, always.
- Staff receiving training - whether online or face-to-face on policy and procedures.
- For children with complex needs, who may be older, agreeing protocols that maintain the child's dignity.
Southampton city council
How we work
We work to achieve this through collaboration and a multi organisational approach. As a parent, you should be a part of this. Please contact your child’s home school as early as possible to share anything about your child’s medical needs. The home school is the school at which they are on roll. Even if you do not yet have a diagnosis, discussions can begin to take place about how to support them.
We work with several groups. These include:
- NHS/healthcare partners
- Social Care
- School Attendance Support Service
- Your child’s home school
Our support
Support aims to be timely and focused on each case. The views of both child and parents is important for all groups involved in planning. Our support may be through guidance, consultation and/or monitoring. It covers more common conditions through to complex cases.
Complex cases may result in a referral to the Medical Outreach Service. These cases need further consultation and a careful multi-agency approach. The service aim is reintegration and may link to ongoing therapeutic intervention from other partners.
Helping your child
Reintegration and a stable placement within a school will benefit your child. Children with a sense of community have improved recovery rates. Long stays in hospital can be lonely so we encourage schools and parents to maintain contact with their peers during these.
To provide children and young people with the best chance of future success we want to meet their needs. This means meeting social and emotional needs. It also means enabling access to good quality education.
Southampton City Council Inclusion Officer for Pupils with Medical Needs
Address: Inclusion Services, Southampton City Council, Civic Centre, Southampton, SO14 7LY
Telephone: 023 8083 3098
Email: medical.education@southampton.gov.uk
Southampton City Council Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Team
Address: Civic Centre (North Block), Southampton, SO14 7LY
Telephone: 023 8083 3013
Email: 0-25services@southampton.gov.uk
Southampton City Council School Attendance Support Service
Address: Civic Centre, Southampton, SO14 7LY
Email: school.attendance.support.service@southampton.gov.uk
Southampton Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
Address: The Horizon Centre, William Macleod Way, Southampton, SO16 4XE
Telephone: 0300 123 6661
Email: snhs.camhswest@nhs.net
