This allergy awareness week, we wanted to highlight allergy management in the context of school safeguarding.
As a place for growth and learning, schools should be a sanctuary for children. But safeguarding in schools not only encompasses protecting kids against neglect and abuse. It also underscores the need to address medical concerns, particularly ones that are potentially life-threatening, such as allergies.
In this article, we’ll discuss safeguarding in the context of schools, how allergy is an overlooked area of safeguarding, and ways by which schools can respond to the growing demand to have access to life-saving devices for anaphylaxis.
What is safeguarding in schools and how does allergy care fit into it?
In general, the term safeguarding refers to the collective responsibility to protect people’s health, well-being, and human rights. It also highlights the need to ensure that they don’t experience neglect, harm, or abuse. People in most need of safeguarding include adults with disability or those who receive care, and of course, young people and children.
In the context of educational settings, the essence of safeguarding remains, with the government further defining it as:
Protecting children against maltreatment
Preventing impairment on the child’s physical and mental health, as well as their development
Making sure that children grow up in an environment where they are safe and being cared for effectively
Acting decisively to ensure all children achieve optimal outcomes
Overall, safeguarding aims to create a culture where people who work with children can readily identify concerns and respond accordingly. This way, students can fully benefit from what the school has to offer.
How does allergy care fit into safeguarding?
While there’s a rightful emphasis placed on taking action against neglect, abuse, and maltreatment, some health aspects of safeguarding may be missed. In particular, reports say there’s a critical gap in allergy management within schools.
Responding to anaphylaxis, a life-threatening form of allergy, should also be prioritised because its fatal symptoms can occur within seconds.
In school-aged children, cow’s milk stands as the most common single cause of fatal food-induced allergic reactions. This is particularly alarming since dairy milk is a staple in school menus in the UK. Besides milk, peanuts and tree nuts are also among the leading causes of anaphylaxis
Prevalence of Food Allergies: Approximately 8% of children in the UK have a food allergy.
Living in Fear: It's a startling reality that 1 in 5 people with allergies live in fear of death due to anaphylactic shock.
These statistics not only shed light on the severity of the issue but also on the diverse range of concerns that must be managed effectively within schools.
Having a comprehensive allergy plan, which includes spare adrenaline autoinjectors in schools, represents a pivotal step towards safeguarding students from the lethal threat of anaphylaxis.
This measure is not just about preparedness; it's about creating an environment where children and their parents can feel secure in the knowledge that the school is equipped to handle such emergencies.
“The importance of addressing ready access to auto-adrenaline injectors can not be understated and has been outlined again and again in numerous reviews, and t
he s
afe storage and easy accessibility to a spare adrenaline injector pens in the Anaphylaxis Kitts is both simple and really effective.
The passion to improve people's life chances is evident in the Kitt Team, whose approach to training and ability to communicate is spot on”
Jon Needham,
Director of Safeguarding
Oasis multi-academy trust
The Six Safeguarding Principles: Implementing a comprehensive allergy management plan
Safeguarding in schools is a multidimensional approach that requires adherence to six core principles to ensure the safety and well-being of all students. These principles are Empowerment, Protection, Prevention, Proportionality, Partnerships, and Accountability.
For schools, these 6 safeguarding principles can be foundational to the creation and implementation of a comprehensive allergy plan. A school’s allergy plan, after all, aims to prevent allergic reactions, ensure access to adrenaline auto-injectors for emergency use, and foster an environment of empowerment through education. Having a comprehensive allergy plan, therefore:
Empowers the staff and students through education and training on what anaphylaxis is and how to properly respond to it.
Protects students through measures, such as allergen avoidance strategies and emergency plans for when someone suffers from anaphylaxis.
Prevents harm by taking measures so that children with allergies are not exposed to triggers.
Encourages proportionality by tailoring the response to an allergic reaction to fit the severity of the situation.
Builds partnerships with parents, healthcare providers, and the community to manage allergies effectively.
Holds the school accountable for maintaining a safe environment for all students, including those with allergies.
Remember that each child diagnosed with an allergy should have an Allergy Action Plan.
For more information about the individual plans and some templates to use, visit the BSACI page.
The critical role of adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs): Spare pens in schools
For children with allergies, particularly those at a higher risk of experiencing anaphylaxis, having access to spare adrenaline pens in the school can spell the difference between life and death.
An adrenaline pen or auto-injector delivers a specific dose of adrenaline, the emergency medicine that can reverse the symptoms of anaphylaxis. Due to the rapid onset of anaphylaxis, immediate access to adrenaline auto-injectors can be crucial for intervening in life-threatening scenarios.
In response to the critical need for immediate and accessible anaphylaxis treatment, UK law has adapted to better safeguard students. In 2017, the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017 was enacted, allowing schools to obtain, without a prescription, "spare" adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs).
These devices are intended for emergency use in instances where a pupil known to be at risk of anaphylaxis has a severe reaction but does not have their personal AAI accessible, or in a scenario where someone experiences anaphylaxis unexpectantly, doesn't have their own adrenaline pen, and requires immediate treatment.
Our Kitts come with a subscription supply of adrenaline pens for use in emergencies.
Aligning with the safeguarding principles through Kitt Medical’s service
Even with schools now allowed to stock spare adrenaline auto-injectors, several challenges remain, particularly in the areas of education, training, and maintenance of these emergency medications.
Kitt Medical offers a comprehensive solution to these challenges with their specialised service:
Emergency Medications Provided: We supply over 300 UK schools and academies with both 300 mcg and 150 mcg adrenaline auto-injectors, suitable for different age groups and body weights, ensuring appropriate treatment options are always on hand.
Visible and Accessible Kits: Our Kitts are wall-mounted and designed for high visibility and accessibility, unlockable with keys so that anyone can easily take one to where an emergency is.
Automatic Resupply: There's no additional charge for automatic resupply of used or expired adrenaline auto-injectors, removing the burden of inventory management from school staff.
CPD-Accredited Training: Included with every subscription, Kitt Medical provides a 20-minute online anaphylaxis training course that is CPD-accredited and easily accessible to the school staff.
Integrated Incident Reporting: Post-emergency, schools can report the use of medications through Kitt Medical's portal, which helps track incidents and facilitates the swift replenishment of supplies.
In schools such as Clifton College in Bristol, they’ve employed various measures including installing seven Anaphylaxis Kitts across the large school grounds, in order to ensure emergency allergy treatment medication can be accessed quickly and effectivley, wherever you are on campus.
Conclusion
An effective allergy management, particularly one that addresses concerns on anaphylaxis, should integrate the six safeguarding principles. In doing so, the school and community can better protect the well-being of students, but also foster a safe and inclusive educational environment.
Central to this safeguarding strategy is the accessibility of adrenaline auto-injectors. These devices are critical in providing immediate emergency treatment for anaphylactic reactions, significantly reducing the risks associated with severe allergies. Ensuring that these emergency medications are readily available and that school staff are trained in their use is non-negotiable in the pursuit of student and staff safety.
Kitt Medical’s innovative solutions - from the Anaphylaxis Kitts to the CPD-accredited training - ensure that schools are equipped not only with the necessary tools but also with the knowledge to manage allergy and anaphylaxis effectively.
