INFORMATION ABOUT THE ACCESS SUMMIT ASSESSMENT SERVICE

DSA ASSESSMENT GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE

CODE OF PRACTICE AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT FOR ASSESSMENT CENTRE STAFF AND ASSESSORS - Originated by QAG

QUALITY ASSURANCE POLICY- Originated by QAG

DSA ASSESSMENT GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE - taken from QAG documentation and modified by Access SUMMIT - August 2006

The purpose of The Assessment

• To enable students to identify the appropriate support needed as a consequence of a disability / specific learning difficulty including;
• reasonable adjustments to be made available by the college / university;
• equipment / resources / support to be funded by The DSA;
• To ensure students know how to obtain the provision identified.

General principles

• The Access SUMMIT Assessment Service operates strictly according to the following:
  • Guidance from The DfES;
  • This states that a DSA Award can be made:
    • in respect of expenditure not covered elsewhere in the Regulations, and must arise from undertaking the course as well as from the disability;
    • but may not be made for disability-related expenditure which the student would incur irrespective of whether or not s/he was a student; and
    • cannot be made for expenditure relating to services which can reasonably be expected to be provided by the student's college/university;
    • and must be "reasonable and appropriate" to individual needs
    • and must be solely for the use of the student.
• The recommendations made will be appropriate to and with reference to the disability / specific learning difficulty for which evidence is available;
• There will be appropriate and personalised justification - there will be no general/glib justifications along the lines of "the resources recommended will enable the student to gain maximum benefit from the chosen course of study";
• Overlapping recommendations will be avoided - where they are necessary clear justification will be given;
• All recommendations will be costed; where at all possible no recommendations will be made which are "to be confirmed".
• Efforts will be made to source information about a student's course and the support available from the department and support service at the student's institution in the Assessment Report;
• There are times when this information is not available, in which case there will be reference(s) to the sources of information used;
• Where a student's needs are in excess of the provision available from The DSA, this will be explicit, and additionally an assessor will make contact with the student's HEI to highlight and if possible negotiate a way of resolving any potential shortfall.

The Assessment Appointment:

Institutional Provision - Reasonable Adjustments

• Students must have the opportunity to identify and discuss appropriate reasonable adjustments to be made by The HEI;

Specialist Equipment Allowance

• Students must have the opportunity to discuss, identify and evaluate appropriate assistive technology resources;
• Every recommendation will be backed up with a clear explanation / justification as to why it is necessary;
• There will be no general descriptions of a resource's functions - justifications should be given as to how a particular resource will address an individual student's need/difficulty;
• Where more expensive solutions are given - there will be clear reasons why these have been made including reasons why cheaper solutions will not be adequate;
• Where possible an SLA Approved, one-stop-shop supplier will be used.

Non Medical Helper Allowance

• Students must have the opportunity to discuss and identify appropriate personal support provision;
• The support recommended will be directly related to the additional needs the student has in relation to accessing the course curriculum;
• Recommendations will, where possible, take into account changes in course structure and delivery, and should make refer to this;
• No recommendations will be made which replace or overlap with a University's responsibility e.g. academic tuition or counselling;
• Recommendations for training will relate to assistive technology only - not general IT training needs.

General Allowance

• Top ups from The General Allowance to either of other two allowances where there is a high level of need may be made, but will be justified.
• Recommendations exceeding £150 for additional photocopying and consumables need additional justifications;