Case Study: Pheobe goes on a school trip with an insulin pump
Phoebe, a female student in Year 6 has recently been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Her class is due to go on a school excursion. Her insulin is administered by insulin pump and she requires assistance to check her blood glucose levels during the day. Her parents and teachers want her to participate in the excursion so that she does not miss out on important school activities and opportunities. To ensure that this happens, the principal has arranged for a designated staff member to attend the excursion, and also ensures that they have appropriate support from other school staff whilst on the excursion.
Principals and/or designated staff ensure that Phoebe’s parents have supplied any equipment or medications that Phoebe requires, that the designated staff member has a copy of the student’s diabetes management plan (and associated documentation, including the emergency action plan for type 1 diabetes) while on the excursion, and that any other special factors are considered, such as ensuring that there is adequate mobile phone coverage in the location of the excursion should a staff member need to contact others or obtain emergency assistance. The school also invited Phoebe’s parents or carers to attend the excursion if they wanted to but made it clear that this was not a condition of the student being able to attend the excursion.
