To promote the safety and well-being of students, the District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) is committed to supporting students in schools who have anaphylaxis, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and other serious medical conditions. These medical conditions, hereafter referred to as prevalent medical health conditions, have the potential to result in a medical incident or a life-threatening medical emergency.
Supporting students with prevalent medical health conditions in schools is complex. A whole-school approach is needed where education and community partners, including health care professionals, have important roles to play in promoting student health and safety and in fostering and maintaining healthy and safe environments in which students can learn. These supports enable students with prevalent medical health conditions to participate in school to their full potential, in all school and school board activities (e.g., field trips, overnight excursions, DSBN-sponsored sporting events).
Supports for students with prevalent medical health conditions include annual training of staff, educating the school community on prevalent medical health conditions, developing an individualized student Plan of Care, and allowing students in certain situations to carry their own medication and self-administer.
Individual student Plans of Care, developed in consultation with parents/guardians and health care professionals, will outline the procedure for trained DSBN staff to administer prescribed rescue medication in a life-threatening medical emergency.
These supports and resources cannot be implemented in a manner that violates existing provisions of collective agreements and the Ministry of Education Policy/Program Memorandum No. 81, Provision of Health Support Services in School Settings.