Schooling & Children's Education and Care (CEC)

The Best Practice Guidelines for Anaphylaxis Prevention and Management in Schools and Children's Education and Care (CEC) services were launched in late 2021. These guidelines can be accessed at https://www.allergyaware.org.au.

These Guidelines aim to provide best practice guidance alongside associated support documents to reduce the risk of anaphylaxis in CEC/schools while supporting children/students to participate in the full range of CEC/school life.

The Allergy Aware website has information specific for:

As a parent it can be very stressful when your child at risk of anaphylaxis commences CEC/school. In the parents/guardians section of the Allergy Aware website, you will find resources to help you safely manage your child's journey through CEC and school.

RISK MINIMISATION STRATEGIES - AN ALLERGY AWARE APPROACH

Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA) first developed risk minimisation strategies for schools and childcare (CEC) in the early 2000's. These have since been updated:

The Best Practice Guidelines for School and CEC emphasise an ALLERGY AWARE approach to risk minimisation. This focuses on a range of risk minimisation measures such as not sharing food, hand washing, education of staff and peers rather than the blanket banning of certain foods children/students are allergic to.

A&AA shared our risk minimisation strategies with ASCIA and National Allergy Strategy (NAS) and these strategies are now found in the Best Practice Guidelines.

See the Best Practice Guidelines risk minimisation strategies for schools.

See the Best Practice Guidelines risk minimisation strategies for CEC.

Aside from the information on the Allergy Aware website, further information about prevention and management of anaphylaxis in CEC/schools can be found below:

A discussion guide about keeping children/students safe at CEC/school written by Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia's CEO, Maria Said, can be found at: Approaching the management of anaphylaxis in schools/childcare

ANAPHYLAXIS EDUCATION

Anaphylaxis e-training

This free online training is available for:

school/CEC staff
general community , such as parents and carers

There is also a 15 minute refresher training available for those who have completed the courses listed above.

RESOURCES - CHILDCARE

In addition to the Best Practice Guidelines for CEC services and the range of childcare resources, additional resources can be found here:

Childcare resources

RESOURCES - SCHOOLS

National School Curriculum Resources to help educate students can be found here:

CEC REGULATIONS

National Regulations around anaphylaxis training for CEC staff is available through the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) website (https://www.acecqa.gov.au).

NOTE: Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia is currently researching the links to specific allergy and anaphylaxis information in the national childcare regulations for quick access. This page will be updated with those links as soon as we have them.

SCHOOL STATE/TERRITORY REGULATION/PROCEDURES/POLICY GUIDELINES

The Best Practice Guidelines have been developed to provide guidance and support to schools across all states and territories of Australia. However, it is important to note the following:

Where state or territory legislation exists, schools must comply with the legislation in their jurisdiction.
State and territory based guidelines may also exist and schools are encouraged to comply with the guidelines in their jurisdiction.
The Guidelines may recommend measures which are additional to the legislation and/or guidelines in your jurisdiction and implementing these additional measures where possible is encouraged.

NSW	NSW Education: https://education.nsw.gov.au/student-wellbeing/health-and-physical-care/health-care-procedures/conditions/anaphylaxis NSW Health Anaphylaxis procedures for schools: https://education.nsw.gov.au/student-wellbeing/health-and-physical-care/health-care-procedures/conditions/anaphylaxis/anaphylaxis-procedures-for-schools2 For parents of students within NSW Department of Education schools or preschools, information is available at: https://education.nsw.gov.au/parents-and-carers/wellbeing/health-and-safety/supporting-children-with-anaphylaxis-at-school NSW anaphylaxis education program: https://www.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/find-a-service/health-medical-services/anaphylaxis-education Association of Indepedent Schools NSW: https://www.aisnsw.edu.au/teachers-and-staff/supporting-students/students-with-diverse-needs
Victoria	Department of Education and Training Victoria: https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/anaphylaxis/policy
Queensland	QLD Education Health support needs: https://education.qld.gov.au/students/students-with-disability/supports-for-students-with-disability/health-support-needs/supports-at-school-for-students-with-health-support-needs
South Australia	Department of Education SA: https://www.education.sa.gov.au/schools-and-educators/health-safety-and-wellbeing/specific-conditions-and-needs/supporting-children-and-students-anaphylaxis-and-severe-allergies
Western Australia	WA Department of Education policy: https://www.education.wa.edu.au/web/policies/-/student-health-care-in-public-schools-procedures
Tasmania	Department of Education: https://www.education.tas.gov.au/parents-carers/parent-fact-sheets/allergies-asthma/ Department of Education Health and wellbeing: https://www.education.tas.gov.au/students/school-and-colleges/health-and-wellbeing/ Department of Education Specific health issues procedures: https://publicdocumentcentre.education.tas.gov.au/library/Document%20Centre/Specific-Health-Issues-Procedures.pdf
ACT	ACT Department of Education: https://www.education.act.gov.au/ Note: The ACT guidelines are currently not publicly available
Northern Territory	NT Department of Education: https://education.nt.gov.au/policies/health-of-students/anaphylaxis

Content updated April 2022

Schooling & Children's Education and Care (CEC)

IN AN EMERGENCY