Worthing dad ‘furious’ after coeliac daughter, 5, served gluten at school

Hope Bailey-Kane was served pizza and potato wedges containing gluten in September, despite having a specially coloured tray to identify her dietary requirements, her dad, Steven Bailey, said.

The five-year-old was sick several times, suffered a ‘severe’ headache, and experienced stomach cramps for several weeks after the incident, Mr Bailey said.

Hope was just 16 months old when she was diagnosed with coeliac disease – an autoimmune condition that causes the body to attack its own tissues after gluten is eaten.

Mr Bailey said: “We have to keep our daughter on a strict gluten-free diet, so I am furious about what has happened.

"At 15 months, she weighed less than she did at nine months because she was so poorly. This incident brought those terrible memories flooding back, and seeing her in so much pain again was heartbreaking.

“Despite all the safeguards that were supposed to be in place, she was given food containing gluten and made seriously unwell.

“It appears to have been a serious failure in the catering process.”

The meal was provided by school catering supplier FEED (Feeding Excellence Every Day), which is overseen by ISS.

Mr Bailey has criticised the company's handling of the incident, which he said ‘raised serious questions about allergen training and food safety procedures’.

ISS said it has ‘taken steps’ to ensure its ‘robust special diets process is fully operational’ at the school.

A spokesperson for the company added: “Our utmost priority is delivering a safe, consistent and reliable service for all schools and their pupils.

"We will be sharing the outcome of our review and the actions we have taken with the pupil’s parents and the school in the coming days.”

Mr Bailey said he is especially concerned that the incident happened just weeks after Benedict’s Law – legislation designed to improve allergy safety in schools – came into force. The law was named after five-year-old Benedict Blythe, who died in 2021 after being accidentally exposed to cow's milk protein at school.

Despite the distressing incident, Mr Bailey has praised Hope’s school, saying: “The school have been fantastic and thorough in their investigation, and with the health care plan they have for my daughter at their after-school club. They have been badly let down.”

Hope is now taking packed lunches to school every day to avoid becoming unwell again.

Mr Bailey added: "We have received no assurances from the caterers that they can keep her safe if she chooses to eat school meals again in the future.

“My concern is not just for my daughter. I want to know what safeguards are in place to ensure this cannot happen to another child with coeliac disease or another serious allergy at any school where FEED by ISS provides catering.”

FEED secured a seven-year partnership with West Sussex County Council (WSCC) this year to provide school meals across the county.

Under the contract, the company is expected to provide around 25,000 meals a day to primary school pupils, according to ISS.

A WSCC spokesperson added: "We are aware of this incident and are working closely with the school and the catering contractor to thoroughly investigate the incident.

"All council-maintained schools and academies participating in this contract operate robust lunchtime allergy management procedures and the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in West Sussex remains our highest priority."