Benedict’s Law Update: Is Your School Allergy Ready?

Back in May, we shared some exciting news about our Allergy & Anaphylaxis Awareness training and the changes coming to schools through Benedict’s Law.

Since then, things have moved on again – and there’s an important update for schools.

There is now a regulated Level 3 qualification specifically designed to support allergy and anaphylaxis awareness in schools and education settings: the Qualsafe Level 3 Award in Allergy and Anaphylaxis Awareness (RQF).

And, of course, we’re bringing it to Splat in the only way we know how…

Serious Skills Taught Playfully. 🫟

So, what does allergy safety in schools look like?

Allergy safety isn’t simply about making sure your first aiders know what to do if somebody experiences anaphylaxis.

It needs a whole-school approach.

Schools should be thinking about things including:

🟢 A whole-school allergy policy

🟢 Staff understanding allergies and how to respond in an emergency

🟢 Individual Healthcare Plans and Allergy Action Plans

🟢 Access to emergency medication

🟢 Reducing the risk of accidental allergen exposure

🟢 Recording and reporting serious incidents and near misses

🟢 Supporting the wellbeing and inclusion of children and young people living with allergies

And one of the really important messages is:

Allergy awareness isn’t just for your first aiders.

An allergic reaction could happen in the classroom, playground, dining hall, corridor or on a school trip.

The person who is there when it happens might be a teacher, teaching assistant, lunchtime supervisor, caretaker, office team member or another member of the school community.

They need to be able to recognise what is happening and know what to do next.

What does the Qualsafe Level 3 Award cover?

The Qualsafe Level 3 Award in Allergy and Anaphylaxis Awareness (RQF) has been developed for people working or volunteering in schools and education settings.

It covers much more than simply recognising anaphylaxis.

Learners develop their understanding of:

🧡 Allergies and allergens

🧡 Different types of allergic reactions

🧡 The difference between allergies, intolerances and coeliac disease

🧡 Recognising anaphylaxis

🧡 Asthma and asthma attacks

🧡 Emergency medication, including adrenaline auto-injectors and inhalers

🧡 Responding appropriately to suspected anaphylaxis and asthma emergencies

🧡 Allergy policies, Individual Healthcare Plans and Allergy Action Plans

🧡 Reducing risk within an education setting

🧡 The impact allergies can have on a child or young person’s health, wellbeing and inclusion

🧡 Recording and reporting serious incidents and near misses

In other words, it isn’t just:

“Can you use an EpiPen?”

It’s about helping staff understand the bigger picture of keeping children and young people with allergies safe.

A regulated Level 3 qualification

This is now a regulated Level 3 qualification, rather than simply an attendance-based awareness session.

The qualification has 2 guided learning hours and includes a multiple-choice assessment at the end, with learners needing to achieve the required pass mark to successfully complete the qualification.

That gives schools a recognised way of developing and demonstrating allergy and anaphylaxis knowledge within their team.

What about adrenaline?

Emergency medication is an important part of the training.

Staff need to understand when emergency medication may be needed and how it fits into the response to an allergic reaction or asthma emergency.

But we also know that knowing something in theory and feeling confident enough to act when a child needs you are two very different things.

That’s why our training is practical, human and reassuring.

We want to take people from:

“Oh no. What if this happens when I’m there?”

to:

“OK. I know what I need to do.”

First aid training alone isn’t the whole answer

Your school may already have fantastic Paediatric First Aiders – and they are incredibly important.

But allergy awareness needs to reach beyond the designated first aid team.

An allergic reaction isn’t going to politely wait until the first aider arrives!

The person closest to the child needs to recognise what is happening, raise the alarm and respond appropriately.

Allergy training – the Splat way 🫟

Allergy and anaphylaxis are serious subjects.

But serious training doesn’t have to mean sitting through two hours of slides while somebody talks at you.

Absolutely not.

Our approach is:

Serious Skills Taught Playfully.

Expect interaction.

Expect practical activities.

Expect scenarios.

Expect to actually think about what you would do.

And, because this is Splat, probably expect at least a little bit of daftness too.

Our aim is for people to leave feeling:

💚 More knowledgeable
🧡 More reassured
💜 More prepared
💛 And much more confident about what they would actually do in an emergency.

Because ultimately, that’s what matters.

Is your school Allergy Ready?

If you’re responsible for allergy provision, staff training or pupil wellbeing within a school or education setting, now is a good time to look at what your team already knows – and where the gaps might be.

The Qualsafe Level 3 Award in Allergy and Anaphylaxis Awareness (RQF) gives schools a regulated qualification specifically focused on allergy and anaphylaxis awareness within education.

And we’ll make sure your team actually enjoys learning it too. 🫟🧡

Want to get your school Allergy Ready?