Amberley O.S.H.C.

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4.10 Anaphylaxis Management

Amberley OSHC recognises the increasing prevalence of children attending services who have been diagnosed with anaphylactic reactions. Such reactions may be the result of severe allergies to eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, cow milk, shell fish, bee or other insect stings, latex, particular medications or other allergens as identified through professional diagnosis.

It is known that reactions to allergens may occur through ingestions, skin or eye contact or inhalation of food particles.

Relevant Laws and other Provisions

The laws and other provisions affecting this policy include:

  • Education and Care Services National Law Act, 2010 and Regulations 2011
  • Duty of Care
  • Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation 1996
  • Family and Child Commission Act 2014
  • NQS Area: 1.1.5; 2.1.1, 2.1.4; 2.2.1; 2.3.2, 2.3.3; 4.2.1; 6.1.1; 6.2.1; 7.1.2; 7.3.1, 7.3.2, 7.3.5.
  • Policies: 4.5 – Illness and Injury, 4.6 – Medication, 4.11 – Emergency Health and Medical Procedure Management, 5.1 – Food Handling and Storage, 9.2 – Enrolment, 10.8 – Information Handling (Privacy and Confidentiality), 10.9 – Risk Management and Compliance.

Procedures

Parents/Caregivers will be requested, through the initial enrolment procedures (see Policy 9.2), to ensure that Amberley OSHC is made aware of any allergies that their child may be suffering.  Information regarding the triggers and severity of allergic reactions will also be requested.

Amberley OSHCs shall take appropriate action to minimise, where possible, exposure to known allergens where children have been professionally diagnosed with anaphylaxis and this information has been presented to Amberley OSHC with certification from a medical practitioner.

Amberley OSHC shall develop and implement a risk management plan to identify the possible exposure to allergens and how these will be managed and monitored within Amberley OSHC.

Amberley OSHC will ensure that at least one educator with a current first-aid qualification and CPR qualification, anaphylaxis management and emergency asthma management training as required by the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011, will be in attendance at any place children are being care for, and immediately available in an emergency, at all times that children are being cared for.

To minimize the risk of exposure of children to foods that might trigger a severe allergy or anaphylaxis in susceptible children, our service will:

  • Not allow children to trade or share food, utensils or food containers;
  • Prepare food in line with a child’s medical management plan
  • Request families to label all drink bottles and lunchboxes with their child’s name;
  • Consider whether it’s necessary to change or restrict the use of food products in craft activities, science experiments and cooking experiences so children with allergies may participate;
  • Instruct educators preparing food about measures necessary to prevent cross contamination between foods during the handling, preparation and serving of food;
  • Ensure that all food preparation areas and utensils are regularly cleaned and sanitised (as per Policy 5.5 (Cleaning and Sanitising);
  • Monitor attendances to ensure that meals/snacks prepared at the service do not contain identified allergens when those children are in care;
  • Where a child is known to have a susceptibility to severe allergy or anaphylaxis to a particular food, the service will develop policy and implement practice for the management of children, educators or visitors to the service bringing foods or products containing the specific allergen (e.g. nuts, eggs, seafood)

All children diagnosed with anaphylaxis shall have a Personal Action Plan, outlining what to do in an emergency, developed in consultation with families, educators and the child’s medical practitioner.  Each plan shall be displayed in a clearly accessible area and be approved by the child’s family/guardian and medical practitioner as required.

Individual children’s health care and management plans shall be discussed on a regular basis with all educators at team meetings.

The service will ensure all educators receive a copy of the Medical Conditions Policy and Asthma Policy as part of their orientation/induction to the service

Risk minimisation practices will be carried out to ensure that the service is, to the best of our ability, providing an environment that will not trigger an anaphylactic reaction.  These practices will be documented, discussed at team meetings and potential risks reduced, if possible.

Each child shall have the appropriate medication including EPIPEN accessible to educators in a lockable medicine cabinet.

All expiry dates of auto-injector devices accessible at Amberley OSHC will be closely monitored. Parents will be notified immediately of any impending expiry dates of these devices and provision to the service of an up to date device arranged.

Appropriate medication shall be stored at Amberley OSHC for each child in clearly labelled and marked containers.

In circumstances where medication requires transportation between the child’s school/home and Amberley OSHC, the medication shall be signed in and out of Amberley OSHC in appropriate record books by educators.  Families may be requested to provide a spare pen to be kept at Amberley OSHC, if these arrangements are not suitable

Educators shall be regularly trained in the procedures for management of anaphylaxis by a recognised authority.

A risk management strategy shall be devised to ensure:

  • Medication is transported by a responsible adult person, and
  • In circumstances where children arrive at Amberley OSHC without the required medication, appropriate procedures shall be followed to ensure that the medication becomes immediately accessible.

Anaphylaxis plans shall be reviewed annually or as required by governing authorities.

In the case of a child who has not been previously diagnosed with Anaphylaxis, procedures as per the Emergency Health and Medical Policy (see Policy 4.11) will be followed.

Reviewed 16 March 2015, Updated 12 May 2015, Updated 30 May 2017


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