Anaphylaxis

5. Staff training

Clause 12 of Ministerial Order 706 (PDF) sets out the minimum requirements for anaphylaxis management training in schools that have students enrolled who are at risk of anaphylaxis and the guidelines provide further details on the training requirements.

Schools have 2 options for staff training:

• Option 1 – Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) Anaphylaxis e-training course
• Option 2 – face-to-face training.

The department recommends that all Victorian school staff undertake Option 1 which:

• is free to all Victorian school staff (and the general public) and can be accessed on the ASCIA website
• requires that staff show the school anaphylaxis supervisor that they can competently use an adrenaline autoinjector to successfully complete the course. This capability must be tested within 30 days of completing the online training course.

Who is required to undertake anaphylaxis management training?

The Order specifies that school staff must undertake training in anaphylaxis management if they:

• conduct classes attended by students with a medical condition relating to allergy and the potential for anaphylactic reaction or
• are specifically identified and requested to do so by the school principal or their allocated staff member, based on the principal/staff member’s assessment of the risk of an anaphylactic reaction occurring while a student is under that staff member’s care, authority or supervision.

Schools are encouraged to consider whether volunteers at the school and regular casual relief teachers should also undertake training.

Canteen operators must ensure all food handlers, including volunteers, have adequate food safety skills and knowledge to keep food safe. This includes food allergen management. Food handlers must either complete a food safety training course in, or be able to show they understand safe handling of food, food contamination, cleaning and sanitising equipment, and personal hygiene.

School staff involved in food preparation can complete All about Allergens training for food service to gain knowledge about food allergens and develop best practice procedures to ensure safe food provision to students and staff with a food allergy. Refer to the All about Allergens resource hub for further information on food service management.

How soon must the training take place?

The training must take place as soon as practicable after a student at risk of anaphylaxis enrols and, where possible, before the student’s first day at school.

If for any reason a relevant staff member has not yet completed training, the principal or their allocated staff member is responsible for developing an interim individual anaphylaxis management plan in consultation with the student's parent/carers. The principal or their allocated staff member should also consider whether consultation with the school anaphylaxis supervisor, the school nurse (if appropriate), or the student’s treating medical practitioner is required when developing the interim plan.

Schools are required to keep a record of all staff anaphylaxis management training courses and the dates of the twice-yearly briefing sessions should be maintained as evidence of compliance with the training requirements of MO706. The record should include the names of staff who have undertaken the training course and the date the training is due for renewal, as well as the names of the staff who attended the twice yearly briefing to staff (if this applies to all staff, schools can simply write ‘all staff’).

What type of training should be undertaken?

Schools must deliver an in-house anaphylaxis school briefing twice a year for all relevant staff. It is recommended that all school staff attend this briefing.

In addition, school principals must choose one of the following options that will meet their anaphylaxis training requirements under the Order:

• Option 1 – ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training Victorian Schools course
• Option 2 – face-to-face anaphylaxis management course by an accredited VET provider

Option 1 – ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training Victorian Schools course

The ASCIA e-training course is:

• delivered online
• recommended by the department for all school staff to complete
• free for Victorian government schools
• developed specifically for Victorian school staff to increase the quality of the course delivery and consistency of training so all school staff are trained in the same way.

Refer to ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training for Victorian Schools.

Requirements for school staff for schools choosing Option 1

Relevant school staff must:

• complete the ASCIA e-training course every 2 years
• have a school anaphylaxis supervisor verify their competency in the correct use of adrenaline autoinjectors (Epipen and Anapen) in line with the Anaphylaxis Management School Training Checklist, within 30 days of completing this course
• have the ASCIA certificate signed by a school anaphylaxis supervisor.

Requirements for school anaphylaxis supervisors for schools choosing Option 1

Two staff per school campus must:

• perform the role of school anaphylaxis supervisor and sign the ASCIA certificates of staff within their school. To become a school anaphylaxis supervisor, staff must complete the following courses:
  • the ASCIA e-training course every 2 years
  • the Verifying the Correct Use of Adrenaline Injector Devices 22579VIC every 3 years (provided by Hero). Staff must also have a certificate in the ASCIA e-training course, completed within the previous 12 months of enrolling into Verifying the Correct Use of Adrenaline Injector Devices 22579VIC
  • complete the First Aid Management of Anaphylaxis 22578VIC every 3 years (provided by Hero).

Summary of information for ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training

• Completed by – All school staff
• Course – ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training for Victorian Schools followed by a competency check by the school anaphylaxis supervisor
• Provider – ASCIA
• Cost – Free to all schools
• Accreditation – 2 years

Demonstrate appropriate use of adrenaline autoinjectors

To successfully complete the Anaphylaxis e-training for Victorian Schools course, a school anaphylaxis supervisor must verify staff members’ competency in the correct use of adrenaline autoinjectors (Epipen and Anapen) within 30 days of completing this course.

Where schools choose the option of the ASCIA Anaphylaxis e-Training course for Victorian Schools, principals must identify 2 school staff per school or campus to become school anaphylaxis supervisors. These staff may include a school-funded school nurse, first aider or other health and wellbeing staff, or senior teachers.

A key role of the supervisors is to undertake competency checks on all staff who have successfully completed the online training course. These competency checks must be undertaken within 30 days of a school staff member completing the online training course.

To perform the role of a school anaphylaxis supervisor, staff must complete the following courses:

• ASCIA Anaphylaxis e-Training course for Victorian Schools completed every 2 years
• Verifying the Correct Use of Adrenaline Injector Devices 22579VIC completed every 3 years. Staff must have a certificate in the ASCIA e-training course (available from the Hero portal), completed within the previous 12 months of enrolling in the Verifying the Correct Use of Adrenaline Injector Devices 22579VIC
• First Aid Management of Anaphylaxis 22578VIC completed every 3 years (available from the Hero portal).

Hero offers course combinations to ensure school anaphylaxis supervisors can complete the prerequisite courses at the same time as the 22579VIC Correct Use of Adrenaline Injector Devices.

Cost: Free from Hero (for up to 2 staff members per government school/campus)

Visit the Hero portal or email schools@herohq.co

Summary of information for Course in Verifying the Correct Use of Adrenaline Injector Devices

• Completed by – 2 staff per school or per campus (school anaphylaxis supervisor)
• Course – Course in Verifying the Correct Use of Adrenaline Injector Devices 22579VIC
• Provider – Hero
• Cost – Free from Hero (for government schools)
• Accreditation – 3 years

School anaphylaxis supervisor role

The principal is responsible for appointing appropriate staff members to take on the role of school anaphylaxis supervisor. If available at the school, a first aid coordinator or school-employed nurse may be an appropriate person to become the school anaphylaxis supervisor and take a lead role in supporting the principal and other school staff to implement the school’s anaphylaxis policy. A health and wellbeing coordinator or leading teacher may also be appropriate.

The role of the school anaphylaxis supervisor is to:

• ensure they have currency in the Course in Verifying the Correct Use of Adrenaline Injector Devices 225579VIC (every 3 years), First Aid Management of Anaphylaxis 22578VIC (every 3 years), and the ASCIA Anaphylaxis e-training for Victorian Schools (every 2 years), and provide the principal or their allocated staff member with evidence of completion
• assess and confirm the correct use of adrenaline autoinjector (trainer) devices by other school staff undertaking the ASCIA Anaphylaxis e-training for Victorian Schools
• send periodic reminders to staff or information to new staff about anaphylaxis training requirements and liaise with the principal or their allocated staff member to ensure records of the anaphylaxis training undertaken by all school staff are stored by the school
• provide access to the adrenaline autoinjector (trainer) device for practice use by school staff
• provide advice and guidance to school staff about allergy and anaphylaxis management in the school as required
• liaise with parent/carers (and, where appropriate, students) to manage and implement individual anaphylaxis management plans
• where possible, lead the twice-yearly anaphylaxis school briefing.

Refer to the Resources tab for the school anaphylaxis supervisor checklist.

Option 2 – face-to-face anaphylaxis management course by an accredited VET provider

For schools wanting to undertake face-to-face training, completion of the following face-to-face training course will meet the anaphylaxis training requirements.

Summary of information for Course in First Aid Management of Anaphylaxis

• Completed by – School staff determined by the principal
• Course – Course in First Aid Management of Anaphylaxis 22578VIC
• Provider – Any RTO that has this course in their scope of practice
• Cost – Paid by each school
• Accreditation – 3 years

General first aid training does not meet anaphylaxis training requirements under Ministerial Order 706.

Twice-yearly school briefings

In addition to the online (option 1) or face-to-face (option 2) anaphylaxis management training outlined above, an in-house anaphylaxis school briefing with all school staff must be conducted twice a year. It is recommended that this be led by the school anaphylaxis supervisor or another staff member with current anaphylaxis training.

The briefing must include information on:

• the school's anaphylaxis management policy
• the causes, symptoms and treatment of anaphylaxis
• the identities of students diagnosed as being at risk of anaphylaxis, their allergens and the location of their Individual Anaphylaxis Management Plans and their medication/s
• how to use an adrenaline autoinjector, including hands-on practice with an adrenaline autoinjector trainer device (which does not contain adrenaline)
• the school's general first aid and emergency procedures
• the location of adrenaline autoinjector devices prescribed for individual students that have been purchased by their family
• the location of adrenaline autoinjector devices that the school has purchased for general use.

It is recommended that the briefing also include information on staff anaphylaxis training and renewal requirements and how to access ongoing support and training.

Refer to the template presentation (PPTX) for school staff to use to conduct the briefing.