Calls for more support for children with allergies in Wales’ schools

Councillors in Caerphilly have backed stronger support for children with allergies, following a new law requiring English schools to stock life-saving injector pens.

Teachers in England must complete training and each school must have an allergies policy under the new law, which is hoped will save lives and also help children avoid absences due to allergy-related illnesses or medical appointments.

At a meeting on Tuesday June 2, members of Caerphilly County Borough Council’s education committee unanimously backed a notice of motion calling for similar national protections in Wales.

The calls for more allergy awareness in schools follow the ‘Benedict’s Law’ campaign for change, which was launched after five-year-old Benedict Blythe died from an allergic reaction at his Lincolnshire school in 2021.

Cllr Amanda McConnell, who proposed the notice of motion, said the measures in England will lead to “strengthening protections for children with severe allergies”, but will not automatically apply in Wales, where education is devolved.

Ahead of the meeting, councillors from across the chamber added their names in support of the motion.

Following the committee’s backing, the motion will now be presented to the full council – and if it wins enough support, the local authority will ask the Welsh Government to consider similar measures for Wales.

In a report, the council’s catering service said it was “fully committed to safeguarding pupils and operating robust procedures to manage allergies and dietary requirements in line with best practice”.

But the effectiveness of those food controls “relies on a consistent, whole-school approach”, the service said.

Bringing in ‘Benedict’s Law’-style rules in Wales “would provide a clearer, statutory framework to strengthen allergy management in schools”, and a “collaborative approach between catering and school staff is essential to minimise risk and protect children with serious allergies”, it added.

The new law comes into force in England in September.