AQW 42796/22-27

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 19/03/2026
Answered On Date: 13/04/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail any progress made on updating staff training with reference to allergies in schools, following the case of Benedict Blythe in 2021.

Answer:

The Education Authority (EA) Special Education Needs Inclusion Service Medical Needs team operates a central point of contact for schools and parents who have questions around inclusion of children with medical needs including those with allergies and anaphylaxis and provides a range of resources on its website to support teachers, non-teaching staff and parents in allergy management.

Since 2022 all EA catering staff receive general Food Safety training, alongside separate Allergen Management training. In addition to this, a Special Diets Management training module was introduced for all catering staff in August 2025. Each module is delivered to new staff upon appointment to their job, and the training is refreshed annually for all catering staff.

Special diets and allergens have also been the subject of recent awareness-raising initiatives, including toolbox talks and quality assurance assessments.

Individual pupils with an Anaphylaxis Care Plan or Individual Healthcare Plan will have specific support and training identified in these plans. The pupil and their family should be known to the Paediatric Anaphylaxis Nursing Specialists team who can provide specific support, if required. Schools currently arrange completion of the relevant training via the respective Health and Social Care Trust.