Sue Clarke came up with the idea for the AllergyWise course back in 2005 when she was working for Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust, combining her roles as a senior child and family nurse and health visitor. Her aim was to ultimately reach every school and nursery in the country, with an intensive one-day course designed to improve the quality of life for children with allergies.
'My own son has a severe allergy and I remember how when he was young, he could only attend nursery if I stayed with him the whole time, because staff were not equipped to deal with a reaction,' she says.
'When he went on to school, staff were still lacking in confidence and worried about using an EpiPen. Now he is at university and completely self-sufficient, but I wanted to improve the experience for other parents and affected children.'
According to the charity the Anaphylaxis Campaign, one in 50 children in the UK is currently allergic to peanuts, tree nuts or both, and symptoms can be unpredictable. A significant number of children are also allergic to other foods such as kiwi fruits and substances such as latex.
While only a very few risk a life-threatening reaction, the unpredictability factor means that all children with allergies have to be well cared for.
A reaction that is severe, or thought likely to become so, is treated with an injection of adrenaline into the muscle of the thigh. Children who are at risk of severe reactions are usually prescribed their own adrenaline injection kits to be used swiftly if a reaction occurs. Most teenagers can carry their own injections with them while at school, but in the case of younger children, an adult needs to take responsibility for treatment. Each allergic child's injection kit is brought into school or nursery by the parent and a member of staff is trained in its use.
However, despite the growing incidence of allergies in young children, there are still a lot of misconceptions about treatment and care, and some confusion among practitioners about the use of EpiPens and Anapens.
Interactive sessions
AllergyWise was piloted earlier this year in five areas of the UK and it is now rolling out nationally, funded and supported by the Anaphylaxis Campaign.
A total of 16 training sessions will have taken place by the end of this year and 40 sessions are planned for 2008.
The three-year project will provide a total of 108 free training sessions, train 2,160 school nurses and practitioners and reach more than 43,000 schools. It will cost £314,000.
'Each session lasts for five hours and uses the information pack as a basis to focus on everything that practitioners need to know,' says Sue Clarke, who is its senior trainer. 'Two other medically qualified trainers and I lead the sessions and they are fully interactive, to ensure that participants get the most out of them.'
Ms Clarke reports that the feedback received from the piloted areas was excellent. 'All the participants found the course valuable and praised the fact that it gave them all the information they needed to feel confident about dealing with allergies.
'We've taken on board some constructive criticisms,' she adds. 'For example, some of the participants said that they wanted photographs of allergic rashes, and so we have incorporated these into the pack. We've also made the pack itself more robust, with a plastic cover, so that it doesn't wear out.'
It is hoped the AllergyWise training will result in a significant reduction in the risk of fatal allergic reactions and fewer overall allergic reactions in school and nursery.
'It will ensure that teachers and practitioners are really well trained and confident in dealing with a reaction should it happen,' says Ms Clarke.
Further information
Anaphylaxis Campaign helpline: 01252 542029
Allergywise
Each course is designed to:
- Provide nurses, teachers and practitioners with up-to-date, accurate information
- Enable them to train school and nursery staff
- Enable schools and settings to provide optimum care for allergic children
- Give reassurance to children
Course content includes:
- Managing food and promoting allergen avoidance
- Recognition of symptoms
- Training in use of EpiPen and Anapen
- A wealth of allergy information
The training pack includes:
- Comprehensive training plan
- Presentation materials (flip cards and video clip)
- Facts sheet on food allergy
- Evaluation forms
- Trainer EpiPen and Anapen.