Dear Michael,
        It would also be necessary for the assessors to contact the agencies
who are going to be contracted to do the work.  Every year we have students
who are assessed, hours and charges are fed back to the LEA's.  These
figures and charges bear no relationship to either their timetable, minimum
charges or reflect local rates. Some LEA's stick rigidly to the original
assessment causing students problems and delays in obtaining the support
they need.
Ann Crocker

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael Trott [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Sunday, February 09, 2003 9:20 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: A suggestion/Contact with HEIs
>
> Thanks Bernard,
> I hope that this does help. There are more details on the work of the QA
> group at the website at the end of this email. I think contact with HEI's
> could be helped along by setting up a database of contact details.
>
> Another need is feedback from LEAs:  It would seem sensible (depending on
> your viewpoint) that after the system has been improved to the point where
> all stakeholders can have confidence in the system that LEAs will be
> advised
> that they should always copy the award/offer letter to the student. A
> suggestion has been made that once the QA system is in place that the LEA
> should only deny or amend neeeds assessment recommendations in exceptional
> circumstances and that when they do so they should advise the assessor of
> the
> reasons for that decision. This would 'complete the circle' and provide
> useful feedback to the assessor.
>
> NB Despite what some may think, this suggestion is not made to keep St
> John
> too busy on Fridays to come up with interesting ideas for discussion.
>
> I received this from the DfES last week "it was also agreed to set up a
> QApage on the DfES website to allow  dialogue between the QAG and
> stakeholders in the DSA process, including students. This is now up and
> running. Thereare links on each of the three administrators areas - 'for
> alladministrators', 'for LEAs' and 'for HEIs'. The link on each section
> reads"Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs) Quality Assurance Group". Users
> should<click on this link and it will take them through to the DSAQAG
> page. A
> further link will shortly be made available on the 'students
> withdisabilities' page."
>
> NB I tried to follow these links on Friday but could not find them. The
> page
> you need is directly accessible at the following URL.
>
> http://www.dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport/dsa_.shtml
>
> Mick Trott
>
> In a message dated 09/02/03 18:06:16 GMT Standard Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> << As Bernard suggested, I can imagine that it is difficult in large
>  universities to get the specific information, it just amamzed me that
> few,
>  if any, assessors have tried to contact me - the only queries I have
>  received relate to how much a dyslexic tutor would charge per hour - yet
>  they gaily write into their assessments fine detail about the student's
>  workload.
>  Michael's comment about QA views is welcome - after all the only point of
>  this is to get a[ccurately assessed] support for students in need.
>
>  john.
>
>  -----Original Message-----
>  From: Michael Trott
>  To: [log in to unmask]
>  Sent: 07/02/03 18:45
>  Subject: Re: A suggestion/Contact with HEIs
>
>  This topic came up in discussion of the DfES Quality Assurance group on
>  DSA
>  needs assessments just this week. From adoption of the QA group's
>  recommendations assessments will be required to *demonstrate* contact
>  with
>  the HEI - that answers your complaint. In return it was proposed that
>  there
>  will be a requirement on HEI's to provide assessors with full course
>  details
>  including hours of study, mode of delivery, facilities available and
>  much
>  more (The OU already do this when they request an assessment). If the
>  HEI
>  does not supply this info and a request is recorded - it will be back in
>  your
>  court.
>
>  How you respond to the request will be up to you - fill in a form each
>  time,
>  put the info on your website under the course code or get your
>  departments to
>  provide the info now.
>  It sounds like you already know what information should be considered. I
>  would expect the assessors/centres to make it known what they would need
>  once
>  the system is in place.
>
>  Mick Trott
>   >>