Every Child Matters - Children with Diabetes

♦Melanie Green, 30, from Melksham, moved her eight-year-old son Jack toanother school after failing to get help from staff to cope with his diabetes.Staff refused to touch the needles and Mrs Green says she had to give hisinjections in a toilet. She claims the health of children like Jack is sufferingbecause schools cannot cope. Mrs Green, who now works as a dinner lady,wants local education authorities to ensure all schools have staff that aretrained to give or monitor medication. She has discussed the problem withMichael Ancram, MP for Devizes, who has written to Ed Balls, Secretary ofState for Children, Schools and Families. For almost four years Mrs Greenhad to go into Jack's school to give him his insulin injections, which he needsup to four times a day as well as four daily blood sugar tests. She said the onlyspace that was provided for his injections was a disabled toilet."I had to go in every day at lunchtime to do his injection or make sure that hedid it right because there was no staff trained or willing to be trained to lookafter him," she said."There are guidelines given to schools which state that children should begiven a quiet space to inject but he had to do it in a disabled toilet, which isnot a hygienic place to do an invasive procedure."His afternoon snack to keep his sugar levels up was also being missed and theschool were calling me all the time because they weren't sure what to do withhim or they would send him home if he was ill when all he would need is aninjection."Jack wasn't happy….. having your mum come in everyday makes youdifferent, and he was missing out on his schoolwork."Eventually Mrs Green lost her job as a caretaker because of the constant callsto come into school. "I got another job in a pharmacy but I just couldn'tcontinue because I was going back and forth and letting my colleagues down,"she said.Jack is now a pupil at King's Park Primary School in Melksham where histeacher Ashley Martin takes time out in his lunch hour to make sure Jack getshis insulin."His new school are so much more willing and helpful, and they don't see it asa problem," said Mrs Green. "Mr Martin or a teaching assistant supervise Jackto do his injections and they know what the signs are that he needs insulin or aglucose tablet."I know that these problems are experienced by many other parents and Iwant LEAs to have a standard system in place at all schools." Jack's teacherAshley Martin said: "Diabetes is a condition that needs to be managed andwhile Jack is in our care at school that's our job."(Mrs Green has been in touch with DUK at one point)♦We had to appeal the LA's refusal to assess Tina 4yrs in August 08 and havejust had a letter saying our tribunal hearing is set for March 2009.....an 8month process, start to finish. If we are successful (a very big if!!!) the supportwill be in place only just in time for when she starts school in September2009. Tina cannot start school if there is not one to –one-care in placebecause of the complex needs of managing an insulin pump or multiple dailyinjections.18