Essex Conference February 2011- for school staff

Supporting Pupils with Diabetes in Essex Schools – The Launch of the new Essex Diabetes Protocol

This protocol was developed in response to a group of parents making a request for more support for pupils with diabetes in Essex schools. Essex and Southend LINk has worked in partnership with Essex Local Education Authority and Diabetes UK (Eastern Regional Office), a Paediatric Diabetes Specialist Nurse from Addenbrookes Hospital and other interested parties to create a protocol/guidance document for implementation in Essex schools. The problem in schools is a nationwide issue and it is hoped that this protocol will be used as guidance for other counties wanting to produce their own guidance. This document can be reproduced provided acknowledgement is made therein to the Essex County Council.

Many parents living in the Essex area had been experiencing problems at local schools. Some of the problems had been on-going for years with no solutions. Children unable to receive support with insulin injections – meaning that parents were unable to work because they had to be available to attend the school to administer the injections. Children not receiving adequate supervision or support and being excluded from taking part in extra curricular activities and sports. One parent was told that the Director of Essex Children and Families had highly commended her child’s school for having thirteen trained staff to look after her child, whereas the school, at the same time, deselected her child from a sporting event, due to “insufficient staff to ensure her safety”. Such was unwillingness of some schools to support pupils with diabetes, that some parents were forced to remove their children from school and find other schools or indeed home educate. Enough was enough.

The parents decided to approach Essex Education Authority to discuss these pressing problems and to work together to find some solutions.

After contacting various people at Essex Education Authority, the parents arranged an appointment to speak with Gary Pocock. They collected case studies regarding the difficulties experienced in schools. Fiona Faure, a local parent, arranged through her contact, John Carr, to meet with Peter Blackman, the chair person (at the time) of Essex and Southend Links to discuss the problems being experienced locally.

On the 27^th of July 2009 several parents, Fiona Faure, Rebecca Gumble and Julie Horsnell together with Peter Blackman from Links met with Gary Pocock, Head of SENs and Children with Additional Needs for Essex (at the time) together with the SENs Manager, Alison Stanford. Another parent was unable to attend this important meeting because she had to attend her son’s school to administer a lunchtime injection. After a long meeting Gary Pocock agreed that he would take the problems back to Essex for discussion. The parents had decided that what was actually needed was a clear protocol for supporting children with diabetes in Essex’s schools.

Six weeks later all met again together with Jane Harper-Smith (Assistant Director of Health for Essex Education Authority) .The parents were told that the council acknowledged that there were problems and agreed that a protocol was the way to proceed. The parents were asked to form part of a working party which would comprise a number of people including healthcare professionals. Claire Pesterfield an experienced PDSN from Addenbrookes was co–opted to the group. Claire Pesterfield and Jane Harper-Smith each prepared a protocol, one clinical and one educational. An outside consultant Angie Field helped Essex Local Educational Authority draft the protocol. Working together the documents were finalised in November 2010. The document was then published by the Essex County Council.

Shortly before the Protocol was due to be published the parents from the working party were contacted by Essex and Southend LINks asking if they would be interested in being part of an Essex and Southend LINKs Working Party to arrange a conference to launch the protocol to Essex’s schools. Essex and Southend LINK put in a bid on their own initiative for funding to host a conference to launch the Protocol and to roll it out across Essex schools. They were fortunate to win this bid and Kim Connor was appointed to finalise the project and to arrange and deliver the conference sponsored by the Essex and Southend LINK. The parents liaised with Kim Connor and a date for the conference was set.

Sharon Tillbrook from Diabetes UK Eastern Regional office was also approached by Fiona Faure to support and be involved with the planning and organising of the conference sponsored by the Essex and Southend LINKs.

Hannah Roberts and Hannah Scott from JDRF were also invited by Fiona Faure to display a stand at the conference, Fiona also arranged for a barrister from Hardwicke’s, Deborah Hay to speak at the conference about the legal aspect of diabetes in school and also secured Dr Rowan Hillson (NHS Clinical Director) as a speaker.

Parents (Jacqui Ellis and Debra Radley) from the UK Children with Diabetes Advocacy Group also manned a stand where they spoke to delegates and out printed information sheets and leaflets. Rebecca Gumble was responsible for the display board with quotes from children and parents who had experienced difficulties at school. The UK CWD AG team also presented several slide shows and video clips about children with diabetes at school.

Julie Horsnell was the official UK CWD photographer and assisted Diabetes UK staff (Sam) with the sound system.

Diabetes UK had a stand which was run by Joanne Cloughton.

LINKs had a stand, run by LINK members and a registration desk for delegates.

The NHS South West Community Services also held a stand which was run by Ruth Francks and Isabel McNally.

Many thanks to Essex and Southend LINKs, without their financial assistance this conference would never have taken place.

Thanks also to Diabetes UK, in particular Sharon Tillbrook and her team and volunteers from the Eastern Regional Office for their support and help in arranging the conference and supplying delegate bags and for providing press coverage as well as a speaker, Libby Dowling, Clinical Advisor from Diabetes UK Head Office.

Thank you also to Essex Local Education Authority for providing two speakers, Alison Stanford and Elaine Taylor, to speak at the conference to schools about the protocol and the insurance aspect.

Many thanks to the dedicated group of parents who had worked tirelessly for years to make life a little better for pupils with diabetes.

Special thanks to: