Education staff, care services, parents, guardians, and health professionals work together to manage a child or student with diabetes in education and care settings.

About diabetes

Diabetes is a serious condition that can affect the entire body. It can be type 1 or type 2, each with its own particular characteristics.

Find out more about diabetes including:

• differences between type 1 and 2
• symptoms
• managing diabetes.

Health support plans and agreements

If the child or student has diabetes, the education or care service should refer to health support planning for children and students in education and care settings to make sure that the appropriate plans and agreements are in place. This is in addition to the diabetes-specific plans and agreements listed on this page.

Plans and agreements for type 1 diabetes

All children and students with type 1 diabetes must have a diabetes action and management plan, and an insulin medication agreement – HSP331 (DOC 167 KB) .

The relevant action and management plan must be completed by a health professional in consultation with the child or student’s parents or guardians.

For early childhood, primary and secondary school settings:

• multiple daily injections action and management plan (PDF 598 KB)
• manual insulin pump action and management plan (PDF 635 KB)
• automated insulin pump school action and management plan (PDF 849 KB) .

Plans and agreements for type 2 diabetes

The relevant action and management plan must be completed by a health professional in consultation with the child or student’s parents or guardians.

All children and students with type 2 diabetes must have a diabetes action and management plan and, if relevant, an insulin medication agreement – HSP331 (DOC 167 KB) .

For early childhood, primary and secondary school settings:

• medication (not insulin injections) action and management plan (PDF 490 KB)
• insulin injections action and management plan (PDF 564 KB)

The medtronic 670G hybrid closed loop insulin pump (PDF 401 KB) and the Basal IQ (BIQ) – Tandem T-Slim (PDF 742 KB) should be used with the child or student’s management and action plan.

Emergency care and first aid procedures

An individual first aid plan – HSP124 (DOCX 120 KB) should be completed by a health professional where the first aid response is NOT the standard first aid response for diabetes.

The child or student’s diabetes action and management plan provides first aid instructions in the event of low blood sugar hypoglycaemia (hypo) and high blood sugar hyperglycaemia (hyper).

All education and care staff must provide first aid measures following any care plan or support agreement, and contact emergency services if needed.

Training for education and care staff

Staff must be appropriately trained to support children to administer or aid in the administration of insulin. Training and support must be individualised as outlined in the diabetes action and management plans for each child.

Diabetes in Schools training

Diabetes in Schools provides training to give schools the knowledge, skills, and confidence to support students with type 1 diabetes.

They offer 3 levels of training:

• level 1 introductory training is designed for school staff to complete online
• level 2 intermediate training is designed for school staff to complete online
• level 3 individualised skills based training is delivered face to face for school staff who support students diabetes management.

To register for this training visit the diabetes in schools website. For more information you can email sa [at] diabetesinschools.com.au .

National Diabetes Services Scheme

The National Diabetes Services Scheme’s mastering diabetes in preschools and schools (PDF 388KB) help teachers and families to:

• support children with type 1 diabetes in education and care services
• build strong communication between families and schools.

How parents and caregivers can help

Parents or guardians must:

• notify the school, preschool or care service if their child has diabetes
• complete health care plans and agreements with their health care professionals and provide them to the school, preschool or care service
• provide required medication to the school, preschool or care service.

If a medication agreement is in place, parents and caregivers must fulfil the roles and responsibilities outlined on medication management and care.

How health professionals can help

Health professionals support schools, preschools, care services and families by helping to develop the care plan and any supporting medication and care agreements.