Every Child Deserves the Safest Environment Possible at School
Twenty percent of severe food allergic reactions in childhood happen at school. Healthcare professionals, charity sector leads and policy experts have led a series of initiatives to ensure safety for children with food allergy at school, including;
- Offering spare adrenaline auto-injectors in school for those with food allergy
- Standardised Allergy Action Plans
- And now this key guidance document to support children with food allergy accessing safer care at school
The document covers what to look for in school plans, catering at school, risk assessments, managing sports and a wide range of resources from the stakeholding bodies.
The Need for a Consensus View on Managing Food Allergies at School
Managing children safely at school is such a critical issue, when their parents’ watchful eye should not need to be present. The structure and policy underpinning safety at school should be outstanding for every child, especially those managing the multiple and wide-ranging concerns of those with food allergy.
Some of the commonplace rules are not necessarily evidence based. For instance, the ‘nut-free-school’ policy does not seem to show a significant decrease in the rate of adrenaline usage in the state of Massachusetts, where nut-free tables made a difference. Nonetheless, nuts are clearly not the only allergen and the most important process is to build a cohesive and safe plan around the needs of each child.
Planning and Ensuring Safety
The Spring is a common season for considering Future Schools, planning a return from half term, and deciding how to ensure a safe term. The first step is to ensure you are clear on whether any foods may represent a genuine risk, before looking for appropriate resources and support where required.