Policy
This policy outlines strategies that schools can adopt to support students needing continence care to attend school.
Summary
- Schools must support students requiring continence care.
- It is recommended that schools develop a Student Health Support Plan which details family and school staff roles and responsibilities for students requiring continence care.
- To inform the Student Health Support Plan , schools should request that the student’s medical/health practitioner complete a Toileting, Hygiene and Menstrual Health Management — Medical Advice Form
Details
Schools must support students requiring continence care.
This policy does not cover young children for whom continence care is related to their age and level of development.
A range of strategies and actions are available to schools to support students with continence care are outlined below.
Strategies and actions schools may adopt
General
In general, children should be allowed to go to the toilet when they need to go or when a medical need has been identified.
Request advice
Schools should encourage parents or carers to seek professional advice on causes or management of persistent continence issues in cases where advice has not yet been sought.
Develop a plan
It is recommended that schools develop a Health Support Plan which details family and school staff roles and responsibilities.
To inform this plan, schools should request that the student’s medical/health practitioner completes a Personal Care Medical Advice Form — Incontinence.
Where appropriate, schools can use a Personal Hygiene Learning Plan to involve students in step-by-step toileting processes to:
- self-manage toileting tasks, if possible
- track students progression as it relates to toileting and personal care
Provide equipment
If it is a reasonable adjustment that the student requires, schools should provide equipment to support continence care, such as hoists and slings.
Definitions
Incontinence
Incontinence is the lack of control over bowel or bladder functions and can be caused by:
- medical conditions such as gastroenteritis, causing short term incontinence
- lack of bowel nerve function, causing long term incontinence
- constipation, causing faecal soiling
- bladder over-activity, causing day wetting
- medical intervention, such as a side effect of medication
- development delay or physical and intellectual disability
- life experience such as behaviour associated with a history of abuse
- lack of learning opportunity
Related policies
Reviewed 27 May 2024