First Aid
At Cams Hill School we have a dedicated First Aid Room staffed during school hours by a first aid qualified Health and Wellbeing Officer supported by staff first aiders. We must stress that this provision should not be used as a pre-cursor or replacement to visiting your GP if your child is unwell. It is vital that if your child is unwell and requires medical attention that you seek an appointment with your GP.
Managing Medical Conditions
Pupils with extra medical needs at school may require a Medical Care Plan. This ensures we are able to meet the medical needs of individual pupils and to take appropriate action should an emergency occur. Please contact us by email or telephone if you wish to talk to us regarding your child’s medical conditions. Conditions which might require a care plan include allergies, Diabetes, Asthma, and Epilepsy. This list is not exhaustive, so if you are unsure or have any concerns please contact us to discuss. Care plans are developed in collaboration with parents, carers, health care professionals, school nursing service and appropriate school staff such as the SENCO.
Epipens/Inhalers
Epipens must be kept in the pupil’s zipped blazer pocket and a spare ‘in date’ pen must be held in the First Aid Room with a current consent form. The school will carry out spot checks. Inhalers must be with the child at all times. If your child has severe asthma the First Aid Room can hold a spare, a consent form will be required.
It is the responsibility of the parent/carer to ensure both Epipens and Inhalers are in date.
Medication
It is school policy to only administer prescribed medicines (e.g. antibiotics) if it is essential that they are given during the school day, with the exception of paracetamol for occasional use only, providing we have written parental permission via a signed consent form. Our school policy states we will only administer ONE dose of paracetamol after 11am – parents must write in the pupil planner the time of the morning dose given that day, or none if none taken – otherwise the Health and Wellbeing Officer will phone for authorisation to administer a dose.
Prescribed Medication
If your child requires prescription medication during the day they should bring it to the First Aid Room, with an accompanying note. A separate consent form will also need to be completed (download Prescribed Medicines Consent Form here) – this can also be requested by contacting the admissions team by email (if it’s for a new pupil), the First Aid Room or from reception.
Prescribed medication kept in the First Aid Room must be in the original container as dispensed from the chemist, clearly labelled with the name of the pupil, the name and dose of the medicine, the expiry date and the frequency of administration.
Please collect all medication at the end of the school day if required, or once they are no longer required. It is a parental responsibility to ensure that all medicines are in date. Please collect all medicines at the end of the school year, any not collected which have expired will be disposed of.
PLEASE NOTE: Pupils are not allowed to carry medication around the school site with them, with the exception of emergency medication such as Epipens and Inhalers. For these pupils we ask parents/carers to provide the medical room with a spare inhaler or Epipen for use in an emergency. It is a parental responsibility to ensure these are kept in date.
Becoming Unwell at School
If your child becomes unwell in class the teacher must write a note in their pupil planner giving them permission to visit the First Aid Room. This ensures that the school is aware of your child’s whereabouts at all times. In an emergency situation or if the pupil is not considered to be well enough to go the First Aid Room, the Health and Wellbeing Officer or another first aider will be called to attend in person, to assess the needs of the pupil and take appropriate action.
Pupils are not allowed to go home unaccompanied if feeling unwell. If due to medical reasons the school decides a pupil should go home, a parent, guardian or nominated carer must collect them from the school reception and sign them out. It is parental responsibility to collect an unwell pupil promptly if they are deemed unfit to remain in school.
It is also important that the school is informed of ALL changes to telephone numbers as soon as possible, or ANY other changes in circumstances to enable us to contact parents/carers quickly in the event of an emergency.
Diarrhoea & Vomiting – stay at home for 48 hours from last episode.
As per NHS guidance, should your child have an episode of diarrhoea or vomiting they should stay at home until at least 48 hours after the last episode to prevent spreading any infection to others.
Protocols for First Aid Room Risk Assessments
For pupils who come to school whilst injured we are duty bound to carry out a risk assessment including children who attend school in plaster or on crutches. This risk assessment is to ensure that it is safe for your child to attend school and to make any specific arrangements or adjustments which need to take place to help them access lessons.
In order for this to happen, a parent/carer must accompany your child to school on the first day that they come in following the injury/medical situation. Please contact the school beforehand to ensure that the Health and Wellbeing Officer is able to meet with you. It is crucial that you accompany your child into school for the risk assessment because, in the unlikely event that it is deemed unsafe for your child to be at school, you will need to take them home until it is safe for them to return. It is also good practice for you to be there to understand the adjustments that the school can make. Regrettably, if you send your child to school with an injury without pre-arranging a risk assessment meeting, you may be contacted to come and collect your child and organise a meeting with the Health and Wellbeing Officer for the following day.