School unco-operative

[HOBIE]

I have to agree that teachers shouldn't be forced to do anything they are not comfortable with. At the end of the day I wouldn't feel confident giving a medication I did not have a full understanding of and what if they did make a mistake by accident, the guilt and trauma of that could be devastating. It should be a choice for a teacher if they want to take on this responsibility - let's not diminish this as something that's simple, a mistake could be catastrophic.

However, the school should ensure that there are measures put in place to allow this child to be in school with her peers and not isolated. There needs to be give and take here. Schools are under enormous pressure and they need support and help to ensure they can meet the needs of all their pupils.

I hope it's sorted soon and she can return to school. Possibly being fitted with a pump could help?

I really really don't want to read it in newspaper that a "Teacher has made a mistake at lunch time". 😱😱😱

 

[trophywench]

Nor does anyone Hobie!!

Schools and teachers are firmly 'in Loco Parentis' during working hours. Yes, they have ALWAYS had that responsibility towards the children in their care. If they are not prepared to TAKE that responsibility then they should never have entered the profession in the first place!!

ALL children WILL be taught to inject themselves asap - someone from USA on the other forum was 11, and she took charge of her own jabs the next day, same as me at 22. BUT importantly we were both in-patients at the time. I don't think you can expect a newly diagnosed child to take charge 'in the wild' before they are ready and a couple of weeks isn't enough. Carb counting , let alone correction doses and reductions for exercise etc takes a while to sink in and become automatic hence even if they are jabbing themselves they'll need a bit of help/encouragement/supervision !!

And her mum has already repeated what she said - the jabbing part is purely temporary!!

 

[HOBIE]

Nor does anyone Hobie!!

Schools and teachers are firmly 'in Loco Parentis' during working hours. Yes, they have ALWAYS had that responsibility towards the children in their care. If they are not prepared to TAKE that responsibility then they should never have entered the profession in the first place!!

ALL children WILL be taught to inject themselves asap - someone from USA on the other forum was 11, and she took charge of her own jabs the next day, same as me at 22. BUT importantly we were both in-patients at the time. I don't think you can expect a newly diagnosed child to take charge 'in the wild' before they are ready and a couple of weeks isn't enough. Carb counting , let alone correction doses and reductions for exercise etc takes a while to sink in and become automatic hence even if they are jabbing themselves they'll need a bit of help/encouragement/supervision !!

And her mum has already repeated what she said - the jabbing part is purely temporary!!

So you think Teachers should do it do injections & judge little tommy needs 5 units Mary lou needs 12 wild Luke needs 22 do you. Oh & I need to teach this afternoon & go to see my mother -in-law at tea time !

 

[Northerner]

So you think Teachers should do it do injections & judge little tommy needs 5 units Mary lou needs 12 wild Luke needs 22 do you. Oh & I need to teach this afternoon & go to see my mother -in-law at tea time !

Why should it be such a problem for an intelligent person to deal with? I have managed it, as have millions of others...🙄

 

[Redkite]

So you think Teachers should do it do injections & judge little tommy needs 5 units Mary lou needs 12 wild Luke needs 22 do you. Oh & I need to teach this afternoon & go to see my mother -in-law at tea time !

No the teacher or teaching assistant or other member of school staff who is responsible for a child's diabetes care does NOT make dosing decisions - that is clearly laid out for them in the child's care plan. An easy-to-follow chart of what to do at different BG levels and different carb amounts. This is normal practice in schools now Hobie. 🙄

 

[HOBIE]

Hi Northy. It could be the best Teacher in the world but ! Little Tommy did not have his weetabix & only had half this morning then ran daft in the school playground with his mates. The teacher gives him his normal 10 & then there is a public out cry cause little tommy was not well 😉 I can see the headlines in the press 😱 I would not want to part of that & I know about because I have been & done it 🙂 2 units of insulin can make a BIG difference !

 

[Hanmillmum]

HOBIE you need to read what people are posting - "doses are adjusted accordingly", BG is checked before any dose - all this via a care plan which is in enough detail for anyone to pick up for any eventuality. It's not rocket science to do this. Again as already posted several times, the teacher doesn't have to do it, the school by law has to have someone to assist where needed.

 

[Northerner]

That still assumes that a teacher would not be capable of making the same decisions as any other adult, or seeking help if unsure..

 

[Bloden]

I wouldn't like the responsibility BUT every child has the right to an education and schools have to be prepared for these things. It's hard enough for T1 kids, why make it harder? 😱

 

[KookyCat]

My sister in law is deputy head at a small primary with three tots who have type 1 two have pumps and 1 uses MDI. All teachers are trained what to for kids with diabetes, epilepsy, asthma and a cardiac disorder that one tot has, they have a care assistant who specialises in administering insulin via injection or pump and can use a defibrillator. It can be done, and very sensibly the schools just need to consider how they use the funds to do it. Regardless of their condition children have a right to a safe education so if a school isn't fulfiling their obligations under the law they should be helped to do so. Some schools will undoubtedly take time to adjust but very soon school should be a safe place for all kids which is just how it should be. Good luck getting it sorted 🙂

 

[Andy HB]

Don't usually read the parent's thread for obvious reasons, but this caught my eye.

In my day there was a dedicated school nurse! Don't they exist any more? If not, perhaps they should be re-instated.

 

[Redkite]

Some schools still have nurses, but many just have a first aider, and staff can't be compelled to do injections unless they were hired specifically to do that role. My son's primary school had no nurse and I had to go in every lunchtime to inject him (I ended up becoming a dinner lady!). There is a school nurse at his secondary school, and although he doesn't need her to be able to inject insulin, she has been trained on the emergency glucagon injection, and we keep one in the school medical room fridge. And before anyone thinks that's way OTT, he came extremely close to needing it one day in October when they had been doing an unplanned session of mountain biking in P.E.!!

 

[Sally71]

In our area there are school nurses but one nurse is shared by several primary schools and the nurse is actually based at the local health centre! I've never actually seen our nurse and don't even have a clue what she looks like, but others have seen her, I think she only comes to the school when there is a special reason for her to. We have been really lucky and my daughter's teachers have always read the care plan carefully and just got on with it so the nurse has never been needed for her. I don't know whether it would have been different if she was on injections though!

 

[redshaw]

I hope your problems with injecting at school are now over, as your daughter is probably up and running.

I read all the posts on here, and feel compelled to contribute from the viewpoint of having type 1 for over 30 years from the age of 13, seeing the children with diabetes at primary school, the ones at our high school (where I work), and working with the person who implements the Health Care Plans.

Firstly, primary school children will need help with looking after their diabetes at school. And from what I have seen they get it. However, my neighbour still needed to bring her daughter home for lunch everyday to ensure she actually ate. But that has resolved itself, and that is what DLA is for, to cover not working or reducing your hours.

Secondly, unless very newly diagnosed, a 12 year will be expected to inject herself (unless she has a disability that prevents that). We were inpatients back in the day, and made to do our injections from the very second dose. Secondary school WILL NOT normally receive any extra funding for diabetic students. But will make provision for them. Extra funding is normally only available for severely disabled children who require an assistant with them. A diabetic doesn't.

The Health Care requirements doesn't specify that secondary school students must have someone in to do their injections. I wouldn't want to be held responsible for giving insulin to a teenager who subsequently decides not to eat their lunch. We hold any medical supplies the students need and extra hypo treatments. I have even stocked the cupboard with spare meters and strips, just in case. We have policies that they can test and eat in class. I have even held CPD sessions for staff on how to understand their diabetic students and all the things they have to cope with all day.

Teenagers do not want to be different from their friends, and there could be nothing worse than having to go off to Mrs X to have their injection, and being "special".

I hope your daughter is finding coping easier now with a little experience under her belt. It will get easier, and I wish her the very best. By the summer she will be a pro and able to cope independently.

 

[Copepod]

Welcome to the forum, redshaw. Please introduce yourself in Newbies section, and join in as much or as little as you choose.

 

[HOBIE]

I would go to your school Redshaw ! Well put & well done showing other teachers. 😉 Welcome