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Teacher consideration

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Interested party

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Parent of person with diabetes
Hello. What are the regulations or advice around a new teacher starting at a school during the pandemic please? Type 1. What type of risk assessments need to be carried out and what sort of measures or concessions need to be put in place please
 
I'm not aware of specific advice relating to teachers (@Josh DUK could we check with the clinical team?), but you may find this page helpful.

Work and diabetes

This information is about how to manage diabetes at work and to support you in knowing your rights at work. Jump to:
www.diabetes.org.uk www.diabetes.org.uk
 
Hi @Interested party Are you a teacher ? And if so I assume you’re in a teaching union ? Advice is available from them for row assessment son the current situation as for things in place to help on a human scale speak to head teacher or HR person and see what you think you need. I have a time slot to inject before lunch / breaks added in to parents eve / place to go and a procedure for help in case of hypo that takes longer or more than eat a few sweets to sort out.
 
Hi there! No not for me . My son is a student teacher. Took time off due to having covid symptoms and I feel he was penalised for it. For example, he did not drive to test centre due to having diabetes, so this slowed down the process as it was posted ( before lateral tests came in). Has been placed on Action Plan and I feel he has been victimised since. No help from school no risk assessment in place. Sugar levels up and down due to stress and anxiety. Again no help or support, only concerns about possible mental health issues ( which I feel they have caused). No help from uni. Only now that hes talking about it. I 've put him in touch with disability assessment at uni, but he is a shell of his former self
 
Interested party said:
Hi there! No not for me . My son is a student teacher. Took time off due to having covid symptoms and I feel he was penalised for it. For example, he did not drive to test centre due to having diabetes, so this slowed down the process as it was posted ( before lateral tests came in). Has been placed on Action Plan and I feel he has been victimised since. No help from school no risk assessment in place. Sugar levels up and down due to stress and anxiety. Again no help or support, only concerns about possible mental health issues ( which I feel they have caused). No help from uni. Only now that hes talking about it. I 've put him in touch with disability assessment at uni, but he is a shell of his former self
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It could be useful for your son to have a chat with the Diabetes UK Helpline, and talk those things through with them: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/how_we_...06.1128694390.1614331845-383353105.1602578606
 
Type 1 is covered by the Disability Discrimination Act. When I was being moaned at at work some years ago (lots of sighing and eye-rolling about my blood tests, etc), a mention of the DDA stopped that in its tracks @Interested party
 
I second what @Inka says.

Has he told the school he’s diabetic? I think the biggest problem I’m schools is they don’t get what diabetes is and entails.

Is he able to speak to his mentor at school? Our school has a teacher who trainees / student teaches meet with weekly or daily etc. To check if concerns or issues.

I’m not sure if a student teacher shakily be in an action plan unless it’s to make sure all the bits that need meeting to qualify are met and nothing is missed out if he has been off for a little while.

I hope he gets it sorted out I think after the last 12 months the country will need all the teachers they can get !

I would add to get to the stage I am at with school breaks and plans it took 3 years, a visit to occupational health, Inout from HR and a bit of an unpleasant situation with a previous head (they didn’t stay at the school long)
 
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I would suggest contacting your union as a matter of urgency as they have been extremely useful for me over the past few years. HR in my school have been terrible. Sadly SLT and HR in schools seem to be ignorant of the condition, the needs of diabetics and the rights that we have in the workplace. It took me 3 months in the autumn term to have a decent risk assessment put in place - the new timetable has meant a 20 minute lunch break was imposed, my levels inevitable spiked massively after lunch and I was having bad hypos around 11am each day. They did not seem to understand why I couldn't toe the line like everyone else. I now have someone from another department who babysits my group at the end of period 3 each day, so that I have 35 minutes in which to check levels, inject, eat and prepare for period 4.

If you are in a school with a union rep, speak to them. If you are in a school without a rep (like me) contact the union directly. There are many things that schools will put in place that go against statutory pay and conditions, but if no one stands up and says something it becomes the norm.
 
Inka said:
Type 1 is covered by the Disability Discrimination Act. When I was being moaned at at work some years ago (lots of sighing and eye-rolling about my blood tests, etc), a mention of the DDA stopped that in its tracks @Interested party
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Yes That's definitely the feeling I' m getting! Thank yu Inka
 
Thank you Ivost66. I will get him to do that
Ivostas66 said:
I would suggest contacting your union as a matter of urgency as they have been extremely useful for me over the past few years. HR in my school have been terrible. Sadly SLT and HR in schools seem to be ignorant of the condition, the needs of diabetics and the rights that we have in the workplace. It took me 3 months in the autumn term to have a decent risk assessment put in place - the new timetable has meant a 20 minute lunch break was imposed, my levels inevitable spiked massively after lunch and I was having bad hypos around 11am each day. They did not seem to understand why I couldn't toe the line like everyone else. I now have someone from another department who babysits my group at the end of period 3 each day, so that I have 35 minutes in which to check levels, inject, eat and prepare for period 4.

If you are in a school with a union rep, speak to them. If you are in a school without a rep (like me) contact the union directly. There are many things that schools will put in place that go against statutory pay and conditions, but if no one stands up and says something it becomes the norm.
Click to expand...
 
Interested party said:
Hi there! No not for me . My son is a student teacher. Took time off due to having covid symptoms and I feel he was penalised for it. For example, he did not drive to test centre due to having diabetes, so this slowed down the process as it was posted ( before lateral tests came in). Has been placed on Action Plan and I feel he has been victimised since. No help from school no risk assessment in place. Sugar levels up and down due to stress and anxiety. Again no help or support, only concerns about possible mental health issues ( which I feel they have caused). No help from uni. Only now that hes talking about it. I 've put him in touch with disability assessment at uni, but he is a shell of his former self
Click to expand...
Surely his first port of call is his DSN and or consultant if he can't sort out his blood sugars on his own?
 
Interested party said:
Hello. What are the regulations or advice around a new teacher starting at a school during the pandemic please? Type 1. What type of risk assessments need to be carried out and what sort of measures or concessions need to be put in place please
Click to expand...
Hello @Interested party ,

The link provided by Billy Bronco does provide information regarding people working throughout the pandemic. You may find it useful to give the helpline above a call to answer detailed questions. It may also help to contact your sons school to see what additional options they have put in order to protect students.
 
Interested party said:
Yes That's definitely the feeling I' m getting! Thank yu Inka
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The equality Advisory Support Service are excellent in situations like these. I have used them a number of times and recommended them often to others who have also found them very helpful.

And just in case anyone else reads this thread and is Type 2 and needs this information - we are also covered and count as 'disabled' for the purposes of being protected from discrimination and the Act that covers this these days is the Equality Act 2010 which superseded the DDA when it came into force.

Equality Advisory and Support Service

www.equalityadvisoryservice.com www.equalityadvisoryservice.com
 
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