A two-year-old boy has been excluded from a nursery before he started after his mum told staff he is allergic to sesame and milk. Atlas was due to start at the nursery in January and his place was booked and paid for
But when mum Lily Boulle sent in his paperwork she was told his offer had been rescinded because staff were not trained to use Epipens, reports The Mirror.
Lily said: "When we went to look round, they said they had a 'red plate' system where children with allergies would have their food on a special plate and would have someone sit with them. But after I sent over his paperwork I got a phone call to say they couldn't take him as he had an Epipen."
Lily said the nursery said Atlas could still have a place if she signed a waiver to say it was ok for staff not to administer his medication if he needed it. The mum said staff asked if the two year old could administer the auto-injector himself during an allergy attack.
At eight months old Atlas's face began to swell and he had trouble breathing - needing an ambulance ride to hospital - when he ate hummus.
Lily said: "If staff don't have training for Epipens, what else don't they have training for and more worryingly how many people have signed that waiver. People shouldn't be given that option, it's awful."
The Wantage Nursery and Pre-School's deputy manager, who asked not to be named, said: "We can't comment on anything to do with the children or their parents."
Allergy UK's chief executive Carla Jones said: "It's always upsetting to hear that families who live with allergies are encountering challenges like this.
"This situation sadly highlights the gaps we know exist in the understanding of allergy and the regulations and guidelines around keeping children with allergies safe in early years and schools settings. This presents a problem for both the child, their families and the settings.
"It is why in our Patient Charter, we are calling for there to be mandatory allergy training for educators and for people to better understand allergy and take it more seriously." Allergy UK has a number of resources on its website, available for free to nurseries and families, on best practice to help to fill this gap."
