Allergen and Anaphylaxis Management

This course gives school staff a practical understanding of allergens and how to manage them safely in school. By the end of the course, you will:

• Understand what food allergies are and how they differ from food intolerances
• Recognise allergy risks and the signs of an allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis
• Know how to respond appropriately to an allergic emergency
• Understand how to use adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) safely
• Understand your responsibilities in supporting pupils with allergies
• Be able to help create a safe and allergy-aware school environment

This first module sets out what you will learn and how to get the most from the course. It introduces the learning outcomes, explains how to move through the course and save your progress, and covers the accessibility features available as you work through each lesson.

Here we look at why allergy awareness is so important in schools, and introduce Benedict's Law and what it asks of schools. You will learn the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance, how allergic reactions develop, and how to identify the 14 major food allergens, as well as what can happen when allergies are not managed properly.

Anaphylaxis can come on very quickly, and a calm, confident response from staff saves lives. This module helps you recognise the ABC symptoms of anaphylaxis, walks step by step through responding to a suspected reaction (including giving an adrenaline auto-injector and calling 999), and shows how different AAIs, such as EpiPen and Jext, are used safely.

Allergy safety is a shared responsibility and part of safeguarding and health and safety. This module explains the purpose of a school allergy policy, the role of the Allergy Lead, and how Individual Healthcare Plans (IHPs) support pupils with allergies day to day and in an emergency.

You will put everything you have learned into practice with a short assessment based on realistic school scenarios. The pass mark is 80%, and if you do not pass first time you can retake the assessment as many times as you need.

Includes a downloadable '14 allergens' poster and further resources you can use and display around your school.