Health Care Needs Policy

Purpose

To ensure that Frankston Special Developmental School (SDS) provides appropriate support to students with health care needs. 

Objective

To explain to Frankston SDS families, staff and students the processes and procedures in place to support students with health care needs at school.

Scope

This policy applies to:

• all staff, including casual relief staff and volunteers
• all students who have been diagnosed with a health care need that may require support, monitoring or medication at school. 

Policy

This policy should be read with Frankston Special Developmental School’s First Aid, Administration of Medication, Anaphylaxis and Asthma policies.

Student health support planning

In order to provide appropriate support to students at Frankston SDS who may need medical care or assistance, a Student Health Support Plan will be prepared in consultation with the student, their parents, carers and treating medical practitioners.

Student Health Support plans help our school to assist students with:

• routine health care support needs, such as supervision or provision of medication
• personal care support needs, such as assistance with personal hygiene, continence care, eating and drinking, transfers and positioning, and use of health-related equipment
• emergency care needs, such as predictable emergency first aid associated with asthma, seizure or diabetes management.

Students with complex medical care needs, for example, tracheostomy care, seizure management or tube feeding, must have a Student Health Support Plan which provides for appropriate staff to undertake specific training to meet the student’s particular needs.

At enrolment or when a health care need is identified, families should provide accurate information about the student’s condition or health care needs, ideally documented by the student’s treating medical/health care practitioner on a Medical Advice Form (or relevant equivalent)

Frankston SDS may invite parents and carers to attend a Student Support Group meeting to discuss the contents of a student’s Health Support Plan and assistance that the student may need at school or during school activities.

Where necessary, Frankston SDS may also request consent from families to consult with a student’s medical practitioners, to assist in preparing the plan and ensure that appropriate school staff understand the student’s needs. Consultation with the student’s medical practitioner will not occur without parent/carer consent unless required or authorised by law.

Student Health Support Plans will be reviewed:

• when updated information is received from the student’s medical practitioner
• when the school, student or parents and carers have concerns with the support being provided to the student
• if there are changes to the support being provided to the student, or
• on an annual basis.

Management of confidential medical information

Confidential medical information provided to Frankston SDS to support a student will be:

• recorded on the student’s file
• shared with all relevant staff so that they are able to properly support students diagnosed with medical conditions and respond appropriately if necessary.

COMMUNICATION

This policy will be communicated to our school community in the following ways:

• Included in staff induction processes and staff training
• Available publicly on our school’s website
• Discussed at staff briefings/meetings as required
• Hard copy available from school administration upon request

Further information and resources

• the Department’s Policy and Advisory Library (PAL):
  • Health Care Needs
  • Health Support Planning Forms
  • Complex Medical Care Supports
  • Child and Family Violence Information Sharing Schemes
  • Privacy and Information Sharing

POLICY REVIEW AND APPROVAL