Statutory guidance

Supporting pupils with medical conditions: links to other useful resources

Updated 16 August 2017

Applies to England

1. Departmental guidance and advice

• Special educational needs and disability code of practice 0 to 25
• The early years foundation stage - sets out specific requirements on early years settings in managing medicines for children under 5 years of age
• Working together to safeguard children - statutory guidance on inter-agency working
• Safeguarding children: keeping children safe in education - statutory guidance for schools and colleges
• Ensuring a good education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs - statutory guidance for local authorities
• Drug advice for schools - published by DfE/Association of Chief Police Officers, this document provides advice on controlled drugs
• Home to school transport - statutory guidance for local authorities
• Equality Act 2010: advice for schools - to help schools understand how the Act affects them
• School Admissions Code 2012 - statutory guidance that schools must follow when carrying out duties relating to school admissions
• Health and safety - advice for schools covering activities that take place on or off school premises, including school trips
• Alternative provision - statutory guidance for local authorities and headteachers and governing bodies of all educational settings providing alternative provision
• First aid - departmental advice on first aid provision in schools
• Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) - how schools can buy, install and maintain an automated external defibrillator
• School exclusion - statutory guidance for maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units (PRUs)
• School premises - departmental advice to help schools and local authorities understand their obligations in relation to the School Premises Regulations 2012
• Mental health and behaviour in schools - departmental advice to help schools identify and support those pupils whose behaviour suggests they may have unmet mental health needs
• Department for Education - contact details

2. Associated resources and organisations - wider government

• NHS Choices - provides an A to Z of health conditions and medicines
• Managing children with health care needs: delegation of clinical procedures, training and accountability issues - published by the Royal College of Nursing in 2008, this document highlights the clinical procedures which could be safely taught and delegated to unregistered health and non-health qualified staff
• Getting it right for children, young people and families - provides information on the Department of Health vision for the role of the school nurse
• The NHS Information Prescription Service - part of NHS Choices, this service provides personalised information on health conditions that parents may wish to share with schools
• Health and Safety Executive - this website covers schools (state-funded and independent), further education establishments and higher education institutions.
• School trips and outdoor learning activities: dealing with the health and safety myths - provides information for managers and staff in local authorities and schools
• Standards for medicines management (2010) - produced by the Nursing and Midwifery Council this document sets standards for nurses, including over delegation of the administration of medicinal products
• Healthy child programme 5 to 19 - this good practice guidance sets out the recommended framework of universal and progressive services for children and young people to promote health and wellbeing
• Directors of children’s services: roles and responsibilities - statutory guidance for local authorities with responsibility for education and children’s social services functions
• Commissioning regional and local HIV sexual and reproductive health services - guidance for commissioners of HIV, sexual and reproductive health services: includes prevention, treatment, information, advice and support
• Protocol for emergency asthma inhalers in schools
• Department of Health - contact details

3. Associated resources and organisations - external

• Advice about emergency healthcare plans
• The School and Public Health Nurses Association (SAPHNA) is dedicated to the health of children and young people in their communities
• HeadMeds - provides information about mental health medication for young people and to answer the difficult questions that young people may have about their medication but may not feel comfortable asking an adult or professional about
• Medical conditions at school partnership - includes an example school policy, a form for a healthcare plan, other forms for record keeping, and information on specific health conditions
• The Council for Disabled Children (2014) has published 2 practical handbooks to help local authorities, schools, early years settings and health providers develop policies and procedures to ensure that children with complex health and behavioural needs can access education, healthcare and childcare:
  • Dignity and Inclusion: making it work for children with complex health care needs
  • Dignity and Inclusion: making it work for children with behaviour that challenges
• The Health Education Trust (HET) - promotes the development of health education for young people
• Mencap provides support to people with learning disabilities, their families and carers
• Contact a Family provides support to the families of disabled children whatever their condition or disability
• UNISON - offers advice, support and help for school support staff at work, as well as providing training opportunities and welfare services
• Medicines for Children provides information about a wide range of medicines prescribed to children. It is run by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), the Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Group (NPPG) and WellChild

4. Associated resources and organisations - medical conditions

• Diabetes UK – supports and campaigns for those affected by or at risk of diabetes
• Children’s Heart Federation - a children’s heart charity dedicated to helping children with congenital or acquired heart disease and their families in Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence (ERIC) supports children with bladder and bowel problems and campaigns for better childhood continence care
• Anaphylaxis Campaign - supports people at risk from severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis)
• British Heart Foundation - supporting those suffering from heart conditions
• Little Hearts Matter - offers support and information to children, and their families, with complex, non-correctable congenital heart conditions
• CLIC Sargent - a cancer charity for children and young people, and their families, which provides clinical, practical and emotional support to help them cope with cancer
• Sickle cell and Young Stroke Survivors - supports children and young people who have suffered a stroke or at risk of stroke as a result of sickle cell anaemia
• Coeliac UK - supports those with coeliac disease for which the only treatment is a gluten-free diet for life. The Coeliac UK website offers guidance and advice to everyone involved with supporting a child with coeliac disease in school, including training and tips for caterers as well as parents
• The Association of Young People with ME - supports and informs children and young people with ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis)/CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome), as well as their families, and professionals in health, education and social care
• The Migraine Trust - a health and medical research charity which supports people living with migraine
• Migraine Action - an advisory and support charity for children and adults with migraine and their families
• Stroke Association - supports families and young people affected by stroke in childhood
• Young Epilepsy - supports young people with epilepsy and associated conditions
• Asthma UK - supports the health and wellbeing of those affected by asthma
• Epilepsy Action - seeks to improve the lives of everyone affected by epilepsy
• East of England Children and Young People Diabetes Network - provide diabetes guidelines for schools, colleges and early years settings