Asthma

Resources

Local policy template for schools

• A downloadable Asthma policy template (staff login required) for Victorian government schools is available on the School Policy Templates Portal. Schools can modify the template to suit their local circumstances.

Student plans

• Asthma Action Plan – for parents or carers to provide to the school, completed by the student’s medical practitioner (schools note: some medical practitioners may develop their own asthma action plans, and these should be accepted by schools where they contain the information required by this policy)
• Student Health Support Plan (DOCX) – required only if a student has asthma that is not well-controlled, and needs individualised supervision, care or adjustments

Staff training

• General staff training – Asthma First Aid for Schools – mandatory 1-hour asthma training session for all individual school staff, at no cost to schools. To be completed online or face-to-face at least once every 3 years
• Targeted school staff training – 22556VIC Course in the Management of Asthma Risks and Emergencies in the Workplace – for staff with higher-level responsibilities or in higher-risk settings, this training is face-to-face and accredited for 3 years. Paid for by each school
• National Asthma Council Australia – schools in the inner-west local government areas of Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay and Brimbank have access to additional free asthma training. This course provides training tailored to the specific context of inner-west Melbourne. This course is optional, and does not replace the required general and targeted school staff training above

Asthma emergency kits

• Asthma Australia – Asthma Emergency Kits
• Asthma Australia: Asthma Emergency Kit Log (PDF) – free template to monitor when kit contents have been used, and supports kit maintenance
• Asthma Australia: Asthma First Aid Poster

Useful websites for further information

• Asthma Australia – resources for Victorian schools
• Better Health Channel – Asthma action plans
• Better Health Channel – Thunderstorm asthma
• Better Health Channel – Thunderstorm asthma multicultural resources in a number of community languages