The School High Health Needs Fund

Eligibility

To be eligible for the fund, students must meet the criteria set out in these guidelines.

The SHHNF is not intended for:

• helping students with their learning needs or for catching up on work missed through absence from school
• students with high health needs as the result of an accident - they will have their care needs provided by ACC
• students with a mental health condition that requires management of their behaviour for the safety of themselves and others
• students with moderate health care needs. Examples of moderate care needs are:
• Muscle stretches of about ½ hour per day as part of a therapy programme
• Monitoring blood sugar or insulin levels 2 -3 times daily
• Helping with dressing/undressing for swimming or PE
• Helping with movement between classes and carrying books/bags
• Pushing buggy or wheelchair for Education Outside The Classroom
• Managing seizures that occur infrequently or in clusters with long periods in between that are seizure free
• Managing safety in the playground during breaks and lunchtime
• Providing oxygen or nebuliser when the need is infrequent
• Ensuring a student does not become over-tired (e.g. student with cardiac condition)
• Helping with toileting by adjusting clothing, monitoring hygiene, wiping bottom, opening a door that is too heavy for the student
• Monitoring that a student is sitting appropriately ( i.e. not W sitting)
• Providing for enuresis (bed-wetting) on school camps
• Administering medication in accordance with school policy
• Arranging the safe disposal of continence pads, syringes, catheter tubes etc
• Providing health and safety consumables e.g. disposable gloves.

The Criteria

All students must meet Criteria 1 - 4. Some students may also meet Criterion 5.

Criterion 1
The student has a high health need that requires care at school.

Criterion 2
The student requires care for supervision, physical help, crisis response, or to ensure they receive the appropriate treatment or intervention.

Criterion 3
The care is essential to allow the student to access their usual educational environments and is expected to maintain or improve the student's attendance at school and their health status.

Criterion 4
The high health need must be of such intensity, and/or frequency, and/or duration, that care is required to:

• preserve life,
• prevent severe effects on physical health,
• prevent accidents or injury to the student, or
• control infection.

Criterion 5
The student has a high health need that is expected to be self-managed over the medium to long term. Eligibility depends on the nature of the need, the requirement to train the student in appropriate procedures, and the developmental level of the student.