Admission
All parents and Carers of the pupils are given a set of admission forms that have within them sections on health issues covering allergies and medication requirements at the time of admission. The school asks for details that will be important in the event of a child needing any medical intervention and that will support the identification of all medical history to this point. This information informs the child’s Health Plan held on the school’s computer system. The Health plan is sent home annually for parents and carers to update and comment upon.
If there is an issue with a parent not providing the required details this must be pursued to ensure the safety of the child whilst at school. If the child has a medical issue that is personal to them this will be handled sensitively by the staff team to ensure that attention is not brought to it thus reducing the potential for teasing by other students. As a school we have found that it is best practice for the boys to remain with their local PCT if there is an ongoing medical intervention; this will always ensure good continuity of care and quick access to support. At present we have found that keeping the boys with their home based provision of dental and optical care is the most productive method of ensuring they assess these two areas of health care.
Medical Resources
On the residential units there are locked medical cabinets for prescribed medications held behind a locked door to the room they are situated in. In addition non prescribed medication such as paracetamol and strepsils are kept in this cabinet in a separate area along with clear guidelines for their use. A first aid kit is located in each unit and there are appointed persons on duty at all times in all units and during the school day.
Breckenbrough School does not have a nurse or sick bay. Pupils will be cared for in their rooms by residential staff. In the case of an infectious illness or an illness needing constant care, school would endeavour to get the pupil home to their parent/ carer. In the case of any accident or serious medical concern, the pupil would be referred immediately to the GP or the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton.
First Aid
The school has three staff that are qualified as First Aiders, supporting them are the rest of the teaching and care staff who are qualified as Appointed Persons. Both groups of people are trained to HSE agreed standards and are re-trained every 3 years.
First Aid boxes are located in all buildings of the school for use by qualified First Aiders and appointed persons. These are checked at the end of each term to ensure correct levels of stock are being maintained.
Hygiene
Good hygiene standards should be applied at all times and in all School Activities. Kitchen and food preparation areas and procedures need particular attention. The school is subject to inspection by the Environmental Health Officer and H.S.E. all staff required to prepare food for School consumption are trained to Royal Institute of Public Health Standards in Basic Food Hygiene.
The School provides gloves, aprons, bags and medicated products for the hygienic care of children.
Diet
The school provides a wide range of nutritional foods for the pupils and staff that eat together in the two dinning rooms. Boys are encouraged to talk with the catering team individually and through the school council to address any group or specific needs that they have. Boys are monitored to ensure that they eat a good balanced diet and any concerns are passed to the Head of Care who will explore with the parents the school’s concerns. This information will be shared with the staff team as appropriate. This information will be logged on the child’s health plan on the DFS.
Drugs
The school has a zero tolerance to pupils bringing any form of illegal substance onto the premises. The pupils receive education within the curriculum as to the risks they could be taking if they choose to expose themselves to drug use outside of school. We are aware as a staff team of the prevalence of illegal substances and the ease with which they can be bought by a child of any age and therefore take our safeguarding role very seriously in educating our pupils to live their lives without engaging in high risk behaviours linked to all illegal substances.
Sexual Health
The pupils receive education on this area within the PHRSE curriculum. The current issues surrounding sexual health and the potential impact on their lives are discussed. Issues such as accessing their local PCT health support are worked through as well as the actions they can take if they feel that they or a partner have a medical issue.
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