Individual health support planning
All students are entitled to participate in education regardless of their health support needs. While a student's health support rests primarily with the parent, school staff have a duty to keep students safe while they are at school or are involved in school activities.
Schools are expected to consult with parents about their child's health.
When students need help with health issues at school, parents may need to consult with their medical practitioner about the implications of the child's health condition for their schooling and any actions that need to occur during the school day. Parents need to convey relevant information from the medical practitioner to the principal in writing.
Schools undertake collaborative individual health support planning to determine the best way for the individual health needs to be met. This may require the principal to seek additional support from the department so that appropriate arrangements can be made for the student's participation at school.
Arranging support
(Please note: Where allergies are indicated, refer to the Anaphylaxis and allergy procedures for schools (PDF))
- Parent advises school that a child has a medical condition.
- Principal provides a letter to parents incorporating a request form
- Parent completes form on the basis of information provided by the child’s medical practitioner.
- Principal considers the request contained in the completed form.
- Principal consults with staff.
- Principal determines whether the request can be met by procedures already in place at the school.
- Principal considers any request from the parents that their child be allowed to self administer medication and determines whether he or she supports this request.
- Principal completes the Anaphylaxis Checklist for Workplace Managers if applicable
- Parents provide prescribed medication or other consumables as agreed before the health support plan commences.
Where the request can be met in a straightforward way and there is no requirement to develop an individual health support plan, the principal sends a letter of confirmation to the parent (DOCX 60.17KB).
Where more information or planning is needed the principal will send a letter to the parent requesting a meeting (DOCX 59.04KB).
Individual Health Support Plans for students with complex health needs
An individual health support plan formalises the support for students with complex health needs. Information from the student's medical practitioner, provided by parents, will inform the collaborative planning process.
Individual health support plans should include the individual health support plan cover sheet (DOCX 66.96KB) and clear details for the following where relevant:
- an emergency care/response plan
- a statement of the responsibilities of those involved in the student's support
- a schedule for the administration of prescribed medication as provided by the treating medical practitioner
- a schedule for the administration of health support procedures as provided by the treating medical practitioner
- an authorisation to contact the medical practitioner
- other relevant documents.
An individual health support plan must be developed for:
- severe asthma, type 1 diabetes, epilepsy and anaphylaxis
- any student who is diagnosed as having a condition that may require an emergency response
- any student who requires the administration of health support procedures
The principal is responsible for assessing, in consultation with appropriate school staff, the parent and the medical practitioner, how the school will meet the health needs of the student.
The principal will arrange a meeting with the parent and appropriate school staff to discuss the management of the student's health needs.
Forms and letters
Parent request forms
Parent request for support at school for a student's health condition (DOCX 74.32KB), which includes a request to administer medication.
Parent letter where a student does not currently carry their own adrenaline autoinjector for anaphylaxis or asthma reliever medication (DOCX 61.67KB)This letter should be accompanied by the parent request form (PDF 93.69KB) for students to use their adrenaline autoinjector or asthma reliever medication at school.
Confirmation letters
Health support planning forms and letters
Individual Health Support Plan cover sheet
ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis
Emergency Care/Response Plan (DOCX 63.88KB)
Parent consent for doctor to provide information about their student’s health (DOCX 48.34KB)