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Post by Philippa on Feb 10, 2016 21:41:48 GMT
So Maisie's school have always been made aware that there is a high possibility she may have a nut allergy. The welfare officer contacted me 3 weeks ago to confirm these details and to discuss a care plan. This in place I was informed her details would be placed in relevant areas in school and they sent me home a copy of the care plan.
Well today she came home and started writing and came out with Nutella. Not something we have ever had in the house as her dad has a severe nut allergy. So on further probing she said they had had pancakes the other day with Nutella spread and strawberries. Fortunately she didn't have a reaction but the reaction of her dad is not pretty, he will be taking her to school in the morning anyway!!!!
Would you go straight to the head or confront the teacher??? I feel it may well be passed off as a bit of a mistake if we confront the teacher but this is a child's life we are talking about.
I'm disgusted this has happened and so soon after the care plan was put in place by the school.
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Post by honeypot on Feb 10, 2016 22:35:21 GMT
Oh dear. There is a big difference between writing a care plan and making sure that its implemented and that all the people that need to know are aware of the problem and know what to do. I think some people think that data protection prevents people telling others the relevant information, when really the child's best interests come first. I would ask what training the teachers/support workers have had and ask to see the school policy on allergy and if all the staff that see your daughter are aware of her allergy. I would write a letter or e-mail to headmaster/mistress and the head of the school guvnors an ask what they have actually done. Its too important not to do something.
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Post by Philippa on Feb 10, 2016 22:47:59 GMT
Thank you honeypot. I'm struggling to get my head round it really. But I know my hubby will go into school in the morning all guns blazing. There's no talking to him, he's very placid & quiet but where Maisie is concerned and because he has such a severe nut allergy himself he's not prepared to be reasoned with.
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Post by brindlerainbow on Feb 10, 2016 22:49:40 GMT
Oh dear that's not good. Her medical notes should be kept in the register so that supply teachers etc can see them and all staff should be informed. I'm guessing as well that she has been prescribed an epi pen by the doctor to be administered if she comes into contact with nuts. There should be 1 in her bag at all times as well as 1 in a secure place in the class room but that all staff know where it is. At the school I worked at we had a child with a nut allergy, we had 3 epi pens in school for her and we had all been trained on how to use them although she too knew how to use it and the 1 time she had nuts ( mother put a cereal & nut bar in her packed lunch!!!! ) she calmly went and got it from her bag and administered it herself and was fine. Speak to the teacher and find out what happened, be interesting to see if the teacher was aware of the allergy and if not, why not!!
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Post by Philippa on Feb 10, 2016 22:59:49 GMT
Her teacher is aware and she was doing the pancakes!!! My next door neighbour is the welfare officer who called me to discuss and I was told that she would have her picture in the kitchen for dinner staff, on the school office wall & in the register. She doesn't have an epipen as we haven't yet had her tested for definate but it was put in place as a precaution as her dad gas such a severe allergy. I'm guessing she has taken after me and doesn't have the allergy but that aside they fed her nut products when it has been requested she didn't have contact with nuts. Their exact words on the plan they sent home was that Maisie would not be fed or placed in direct contact with nuts or nut products! Priceless.
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Post by penduk on Feb 11, 2016 7:41:50 GMT
Some nut allergies start with each intake building up until one triggers a reaction, then the amounts get smaller each time until any contact with nuts triggers a reaction. This is how it worked with my nephew anyway.
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sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
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Post by sarahp on Feb 11, 2016 7:58:57 GMT
Of course a severe allergy is serious and can be life threatening, I'm allergic to wasp stings myself and carry an epipen, but could I suggest that you get Maisie properly medically diagnosed? Perhaps in the absence of the relevant medical diagnosis and treatment the school did not take your understandable fears as seriously as they would for a properly diagnosed allergy? As I understand it, a tendency to be allergic is inherited, but not to a specific allergen although I'm not medically trained and a chat with your GP would elucidate the situation. Very funny things, allergies, I wasn't allergic as a child and only became so after a massive wasp attack in my 30s when I had a couple of dozen stings at the same time. There is definitely an environmental affect going on as well as the genetics, and there seems to be lots of research going on atm also involving the mother's diet when pregnant and early exposure, or not. My children (now 39 and 42) happily ate eggs and peanut butter as small children with no ill effects, but I can imagine the sharp indrawn breaths of modern mothers at that one! There is known to be a higher rate of allergies, including asthma and eczema, in modern children, but they don't know why.
For an interesting horse analogy (the allergy mechanisms are the same) - there are no midges in Iceland, and all Icelandic ponies imported to the UK get sweetitch, but their offspring born here have no higher incidence than any other breed, and exposure as a foal to both midges and flies is doing them a favour, not the opposite. I do know though from my own pony breeding that there is a hereditary component, but the situation is way more complicated than just that. We are talking ponies here, and as far as I know they very rarely if ever get anaphylactic shock as humans can do, which is what epipens are designed to counter.
Please don't think I'm unsympathetic, I just think it fairer for both Maisie herself and the school to find out the exact situation rather than worry over something that may not be a problem.
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Post by Philippa on Feb 11, 2016 8:28:19 GMT
Thanks Sarah yes this has been discussed already but the fact of the matter here is that a protocol is in place of which I have a copy stating she should not be fed nuts or nut products. Regardless of whether we have her tested its our perogitive to decide if we feed her these things or not surely???
And yes, I'm also of the age your children are and also ate nuts & eggs when small.
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sarahp
Happy to help
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Post by sarahp on Feb 11, 2016 9:14:35 GMT
Yes of course it is your perogative,and of course the school should follow your wishes. I was just suggesting a way forward fair to all parties.
My post above was written before I'd seen penduk's and my experience has been as she says, so it's not just applicable to nut allergies. There are treatments available to desensise against allergies which involve administering tiny amounts of the allergen in increasing doses - I know in my case at least it has to be done in hospital just in case.
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Post by gillwales on Feb 11, 2016 9:26:10 GMT
Hi
Sorry to hear of Maisie's allergy, I have an intolerance to black pepper and and spice with heat, but it is not drastic. I would go into the Head, ask for the teacher to also be pressent and get in writing a statment re your daughter's condition. State that you want this circulated and that every member of staff should sign it to state that they have read it and understood it. You should be given this or a copy, and get a written guarenttee that all new or tempory staff will also be made to read , understand and sign this document. THat way it should prevent a re-occurance, which is the most important thing. You cannot undo what has happened but you can make sure it does not happen again. Go to your GP and report what has happened, this way it is on record and it might be if importance for her future health.
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Post by brindlerainbow on Feb 11, 2016 10:10:36 GMT
I think the problem here is that without a definite diagnosis it makes things tricky. Luckily Maisie didn't have a reaction to nutella but without a proper diagnosis that states she does have an allergy the school are a bit snookered. With the best will in the world it's impossible for staff to watch every child all of the time and there will be times when at lunch time or break time children will swap snacks that they may be unaware has nuts in or that the friend they are swapping snacks with has an allergy. Without a proper diagnosis if Maisie did have a reaction because a friend gave her a few peanuts then there would be no epi pens in school or anyone who has been correctly shown how to administer one so a no win situation for all concerned. I know this time the teacher was at fault, maybe she genuinely didn't realise nutella had nuts in although the name is a bit of a giveaway!!!!! But if I want a chocolate fix I would go for nutella but for a peanut fix it would be peanut butter
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Post by Philippa on Feb 11, 2016 12:40:56 GMT
A definite diagnosis isn't really the issue. The fact is she may have an allergy and there is a care plan in place stating she shouldn't be fed nuts or nut products and what to do should she have a reaction. This was drawn up by the school. The issue is that a teacher fed a child in their care who has a medical care plan in place the one thing that she shouldn't have!!!
We have spoken with the head this morning. She was very understanding of our concerns and I'd like to think it won't happen again.
We will have her tested in time but a lot of allergies don't show up at this age and while she has always shown signs of hay fever it is not confirmable until she's older.
Anyway thanks for your help folks. I was pulling my hair out last night
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Post by ponymum on Feb 11, 2016 12:58:02 GMT
Sounds to me like a lot of things in life , Communication has broken down. The staff may be aware of the Allergy but they dont prepare the food! Im sure now it has been brought up by you and your husband that the relevant people are clear on her rquirements. THANK GOD nothing happened xx
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Post by sparkysunny on Feb 11, 2016 13:06:10 GMT
Was it definitely Nutella? There are other chocolate spreads and some people do tend to refer to them all generically as Nutella, just as we call vacuum cleaners Hoovers and ballpoint pens Biros. However, assuming it was Nutella, ask the school whether they have a no-nuts policy - if they do, they are clearly contravening this. If they do not, maybe request a meeting with senior management and/or governors to ask for such a policy to be implemented. Many schools do have a no-nuts policy which is strictly adhered to.
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Post by Philippa on Feb 11, 2016 14:41:20 GMT
Yes definitely Nutella. There are photos on the in house website. They don't have a no nut policy which is fine and I'm not expecting them to banish nuts throughout the school but when they implement something I expect them to follow it.
Yes a breakdown in communication sounds about right. It just beggars belief that her teacher allowed a nut product to be openly available to a class of 4 & 5 year olds and thought nothing of it.
They are going to place a no nut policy in her class until such time her allergy is confirmed or not. At least they are hopefully being sensible now
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lovebird
Full Member
SandbankEarlybird & Freya, Evening Performance HOYS 2013
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Post by lovebird on Feb 12, 2016 6:53:52 GMT
I am a catering manager in a private education centre, I come across dozens of allergies, from a mild rash to life threatening, I run a nut free kitchen, with labelling so well informed now, there is no excuse, one of the problems with food that that is labelled made in a factory where nuts are present is the fact that they use nut oil as a lubricant on the machines. I would also be contacting the catering manager & area manager for the catering at the school & see what their response is. On a further note, with allergies there should be systems in place to avoid x contamination, if the catering team is preparing something that has nuts present, Masie's meal should be prepared first, double covered & stored separately.
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Post by leevale on Feb 12, 2016 11:17:32 GMT
I have just read this I think what happened is an inexcusable oversight on the part of the teacher/school. Avoiding any contact with common allergens in the classroom should have been at the forefront of the teachers mind if there is a child with a possible allergy. I would make sure that Maisie knows that she mustn't have peanuts, and is able to ask before she eats any treats in the classroom. I think you are right to be very concerned. Sometimes children can bring in birthday treats containing nuts to share, make birdcake using nuts as one of the ingredients, or decorate Christingles with peanuts, and if the staff are oblivious/unaware, these could be dangerous activities too. I am a teacher with 30 years experience, and not to take this seriously is definitely unacceptable. I'm glad Maisie is ok.
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Post by Ziggy on Feb 12, 2016 20:54:57 GMT
I don't know how it works in private schools but certainly in schools that I cover as a school nurse, children with management protocols for severe anaphylaxis have these written by allergy consultants in the event of an emergency and administration of an epipen. I would consider getting her tested possibly so you then know what you are dealing with. Regardless of that though I do think the school should have respected your wishes. My eldest son has a peanut allergy. If I thought the School had not adhered to his care plan I would do my nut, pardon the pun!I personally think all schools should he nut free. Sparkysunny Sadly most chocolate spreads all have nuts in them, believe me we have checked so even if it were not nutella it would not have been a good idea.
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Post by Philippa on Feb 13, 2016 7:33:54 GMT
Thanks again for the advice everyone. Interesting to hear the views of people who work in schools too.
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Post by fanfarefan on Feb 13, 2016 13:43:33 GMT
when my son was at infant school , a little girl who he had grown up with developed a severe nut allergy , and had to use an Epipen ,,, all the staff were taught to use it , and all the children were taught about Allergies , and how it affected individuals , especially their friends ,,, there was also a blanket ban impossed on the school , banning all nut products , and that included packed lunches ,,, there were a few that moaned about it , but if it were their child they would have expected it to have been done for them ,,,, i do think that you need to get a positive diagnosis for your own piece of mind , but also so that the school take this more seriously , and serious it is ,,,i wish you all the best with the situation , and hope that the school acts appropriatley sx
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