Providing for children with long-term medical needs

Brief description of the project

These case studies demonstate various approaches taken to provide improved education for children with long-term medical needs. They include the setting up of Parent Partnerships, making the most out of ICT resources, using shared timetables and providing information days for teachers.

See Methodology for further details.

Methodology

1. Parent Partnerships

Utilising Parent Partnerships to work more effectively and strategically with parents who have children with long-term medical needs.

One Parent Partnership model was designed to be an inclusive one and aimed to work strategically to assist the LEA and schools to develop effective partnerships with parents. The Partnership continues to focus on the ideas of self-advocacy, empowering parents and developing their skills, rather than adopting a casework approach.

Following consultation and research the information and support needs of parents were identified. A number of groups were established, one of which was designed for parents of children with long-term medical needs that prevent regular school attendance. An eight week course was run collaboratively with a school nurse, which was developed to help parents identify their needs as distinct from their child’s needs, and to help them share information that they already had.

2. Making the most of ICT

Access to education for children with medical needs using ICT.

Schools can use ICT in a variety of ways to help pupils absent because of medical needs to access education. One particular school used digital cameras, video diaries and an internal e-mail system to enable pupils to learn in a creative environment as well as allowing them to keep in touch with friends and classmates in their mainstream school during the time of illness/injury.

Video conferencing is also used in one hospital site to enable pupils who are too ill to attend schoolrooms to participate in lessons, which reduces isolation pupils may experience during such times.

3. Shared timetables assisting reintegration programmes

Following a period of convalescence the hospital school worked together with the mainstream school to establish a part-time timetable. The pupil was able to access some subjects at school but also received home teaching from one of the hospital teachers for various subjects during the afternoon. An IEP was written by the Learning Support teacher and reviewed after the half term. During this reintegration process the hospital teacher was also able to access the mainstream school’s resources, such as the science laboratory, to deliver science to the pupil in a one-to-one setting during school time.

4. Information days for mainstream teachers

One hospital school has organised oncology information and workshop sessions for mainstream teachers who have pupils who are undergoing treatment.

These sessions are organised as informal and informative and provide an opportunity for mainstream teachers to meet members of the multi-disciplinary team from the Young Oncology Unit including, the hospital teachers, social worker, clinical psychologist, oncology nurse, ward sister and consultant, so that they can develop a greater understanding of the experiences of their pupils and how their illness may affect their education. The hospital school has also organised individual information sessions for teachers who are unable to attend the workshops due to teaching commitments.