An Individual Healthcare Plan – also known as IHP or IHCP – is a written document that includes the role of all the people who may be required to contribute to a child’s care while they are school. It takes into account the views and experiences of parents, information from your GP or other health professional, and input headteachers and teachers, support staff and the school nurse. The school nursing team is often responsible for writing up the plan.
An IHP is mainly needed by children with complex medical needs, including both physical and mental health conditions, and is there to ensure that schools know what needs to be done to support the child, when and by whom.
IHPs are not the same as EHCPs, which set out the support needed by children with special needs, although some children may require both.
IHPs are confidential and should be reviewed at specified times to ensure they are up to date.
Who decides whether a child needs an IHP?
There is no strict set of criteria which determines whether or not a child should have an IHP, and the process can be instigated by a parent who is concerned for their child’s condition while they are in school, or by a staff member, such as the headteacher.
Parents who are concerned about their child in school should discuss with staff their medical needs to start the process of getting an IHP.
The IHP should be drafted collaboratively between the family, the child and the school staff.
What information should an IHP include?
- Child’s details. including name, address, date of birth, class
- Details about their condition: the name of their condition, a description and the symptoms. This might include the views of their child and their perspective on the condition and how it affects them
- Daily requirements – what medication they need to take and the dosage, and when should this be administered and by whom
- Possible side effects of medication and how to manage these
- Family contact information – names, contact numbers, addresses, relationship to the child
- GP and hospital consultant (if relevant) contact names and numbers
- In a medical emergency, what action to take and who to contact
- Date of when the plan was created and next review date
In short, an IHP should aim to provide all necessary information about how to best care for the child and what to do in emergency situations.
*For further information go to https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions–3
