Ilkley business provides free allergy training to 16000 learners

High Speed Training, the Ilkley based leading provider of online training and e-learning, has reached the milestone of certifying over 16,000 learners through its free Allergy & Anaphylaxis courses for schools and education organisations across the UK.

Created in partnership with industry experts, this course equips school staff with the confidence to recognise, prevent, and respond to allergic reactions. It outlines the most common allergens and the risk they pose in a school setting, as well as the procedures that schools should have in place to manage allergy risks.

The course is officially supported by the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, an organisation dedicated to safeguarding children with allergies. Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, Founder and Trustee of the Foundation, emphasises that allergy awareness is a critical responsibility for every adult in a school setting.

Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE (Natasha Allergy Research Foundation Founder & Trustee) says:

"Everybody in schools needs to understand how to safeguard allergic children. We need training for everybody in schools, so it's not the parents having to tell teachers how to keep their child safe. How can we expect people to safely look after children in their care if they’re not given the tools and resources with which to do it?"

Jan Parnell, Director of Education at the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, adds:

“Making sure that the whole school has allergy awareness training is essential. And particularly knowing how to respond to an allergy emergency. It's sort of a non-negotiable really for all staff. So we've created really good high-quality resources, free to schools so that they can be supported in their safeguarding and also supported in their inclusive practice.”

The free course was created with Natalie Hopkins, Allergy Trainer & Founder of The Allergy Badge. A parent to a child with life-threatening allergies herself, Natalie is a dedicated allergy and anaphylaxis trainer and is accredited in anaphylaxis by the Royal College of Nursing.

Expert advice was also provided by Dr José Costa MD FRCPCH, a Paediatric Allergy Consultant with over 16 years of experience. Dr Costa holds a postgraduate certificate in Paediatric Allergy from Imperial College London and is a fellow of the Royal College Of Paediatrics and Child Health and a member of the British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

The comprehensive Allergy and Anaphylaxis for Schools course provides staff with the confidence to:

• Identify common allergens and recognise the signs of life-threatening anaphylaxis.

• Respond effectively in emergencies, including the proper administration of adrenaline auto-injectors.

• Understand the wider impact of allergies, including mental health effects and "allergy bullying".

• Implement robust policies and documentation to ensure inclusive practice.

Gareth Greenwood, Strategic Partnerships Lead at High Speed Training said:

"Reaching 16,000 certified learners is a testament to the urgent need for this training, but it is also a reminder of the scale of the challenge we face in keeping children safe. We have created an expert-led course that will equip school staff with the knowledge and confidence to create safe environments for children and young people.

"Teachers and educators are on the frontline when it comes to managing student health, and we know how challenging this can be, from both a workload and a budgetary perspective. By offering this course free of charge, we want to ensure that as many people as possible have access to this vital knowledge, removing the barriers to safety and ensuring that no school is left behind due to a lack of resources."

The course, which is assured by City & Guilds and accredited by CPD, can be taken for free by all UK education staff, and can be found by visiting High Speed Training’s Allergy & Anaphylaxis for Schools course

Alongside the free Allergy course, High Speed Training have created a free Safeguarding INSET pack, including advice on how to identify and report potential abuse and tips to create an effective safeguarding culture. The free pack, which has been shortlisted for a Teach Award and is fully customisable to suit all schools and age groups, can be downloaded by visiting www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/inset-pack.

The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation also offers its Allergy School, supported by His Majesty the King and closely involved with the King’s Foundation. The Allergy School is a free toolkit designed to transform understanding of food allergies, helping children, teachers, and club leaders feel more confident around them. High Speed Training’s course is included within the toolkit.

A registered B-Corp, High Speed Training has also donated over 240,000 breakfasts to schoolchildren across the UK in partnership with Magic Breakfast, a charity that provides free breakfasts to children at their schools.