Individual Healthcare Plans

Families may be the first point of contact with a school or education setting when sharing medical information or conditions. Maintaining an open dialogue with your child’s school is vital to a successful plan. Schools and families should share relevant information.

You are a key partner in developing the IHP. Get involved from the beginning and stay involved in reviewing it.

Children should be part of the development of their IHP. Parents and carers should encourage and support their child in this. Their views and contribution are of the same value as others. Avoid losing them in the process.

It is likely that all parties will have actions following meetings. Don't postpone these actions. This may delay implementing the plan. Some actions might be:

• Providing medicines and equipment
• Signing and reading of drafts or documents
• Providing any required evidence such as clinic letters or detailed prescription information

Your child’s school may ask for consent to contact medical professionals. This is particularly important when supporting pupils with medical needs. Schools sometimes need to clarify information like medications with medical professionals. This may feel like a challenge. But it is vital in schools' safeguarding of pupils and staff, supporting pupils with medical needs.

‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ Department for Education statutory guidance, December 2015:

“Individual healthcare plans can help to ensure that schools effectively support pupils with medical conditions. They provide clarity about what needs to be done, when and by whom. They will often be essential, such as in cases where conditions fluctuate or where there is a high risk that emergency intervention will be needed and are likely to be helpful in the majority of other cases, especially where medical conditions are long-term and complex. However, not all children will require one. The school, healthcare professional and parent should agree, based on evidence, when a healthcare plan would be inappropriate or disproportionate. If consensus cannot be reached, the head teacher is best placed to take a final view.”

The information recorded in an Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP) should include:

• The medical condition, its triggers, signs, symptoms and treatments
• The pupil’s resulting needs, including medication (dose, side-effects and storage) and other treatments
• Specific support for the pupil’s educational, social and emotional needs
• The level of support needed. If appropriate, some children and young people may partly manage their own health needs. Agree this with the child or young person and make it clear within the IHP.
• Who will provide this support, their training needs, expectations of their role and confirmation of skill
• Who in the school needs to be aware of the child’s condition and the support required
• Arrangements for written permission from parents and the head teacher for the administration of medicine. This may be by a member of staff or self-administered by the pupil during school hours.
• Separate arrangements or procedures required for school trips or other school activities e.g. risk assessments
• Some parents/children may raise confidentiality issues. In these cases note the individuals entrusted with information about the child’s condition
• What to do in an emergency, including whom to contact, and contingency arrangements

Also included in the plan should be:

• When it will be reviewed
• Who can alter the plan and which parts they can alter
• What is the process for reviewing the plan

As a guide for what a basic plan format looks like, see guidance for supporting pupils with medical conditions at school. Alternatively, see the Health Conditions in Schools Alliance template.

Each pupil will need a personalised plan, but the basis of each plan is simple.

It is important to stress that school staff are not medical professionals. We recommend that all IHPs involve medical professionals in some way. This could be whilst they are being written. Or send a completed copy to the key medical professional, such as the:

• Paediatric consultant
• Psychiatrist
• GP
• Specialist nursing team
• School nurse

Ask them if they are happy with the plan in a medical sense and can sign it off.

Once the plan is in place, check that the following are happy with it:

• The child (if applicable)
• Parent/carer
• School
• Specialist (if appropriate)

When they are happy with it, the following should sign the plan:

• Parent/carer
• Child (where appropriate)
• Relevant school staff
• Healthcare professional