Promoting student health care

The primary purpose of health care provision in schools is to implement health practices that maintain and promote the good health of all students and staff.

Overview

The Department of Education and Training assists students to access necessary health care while they are attending school or school-based activities. The Care and Protection focus area provides advice and support to schools and districts in the area of student health care through:

• the implementation of the Student Health Care policy
• interagency consultation on key health issues
• provision of expert advice on specific health issues in the form of Student Health Care Advice Papers
• coordination of the School Health Service negotiated, implemented and monitored through Local Area Service Agreements in partnership with the Department of Health.

Background

Providing quality health care services for students is a shared community responsibility.

The Student Health Care policy was revised in 2005 and focuses predominantly on the procedures and actions to be undertaken by a school in order to address health care or medical matters that may need management during school hours. Procedures outlined in the policy include those related to:

• health information collected at enrolment
• the promotion of good health practices and outcomes
• the completion of Health Care Authorisations for those children with particular health care needs
• the administration of medication
• managing intensive health care needs
• management of medical records
• medical emergencies and duty of care
• managing communicable diseases
• staff training

Effective implementation of the policy and procedures is supported at district level by the Student Services Team and the Local School Health Service.

Outcomes

• improve the understanding and knowledge of Department staff of key health issues through dissemination of the Student Health Care policy and the provision of expert advice
• increase knowledge base of the school nurses
• increase understanding and application of appropriate processes for the management of student health care in schools
• improve collaborative, interagency approaches to student health care through participation on relevant committees including:
  - Anaphylaxis State Working Party
  - Joint Consultative Group with the Department of Health
  - Asthma Friendly Schools Committee
  - WA Health Promoting Schools Association
  - Young Carers WA