Dear Colleagues,

At MU, when we receive the diagnostic report for students with S L D, we
make a request for tutorial support to be agreed in principle, pending
the assessment of needs. Many LEAs co-operate with this. If we have a
yes from them, then support is put in place immediately. 

On another note, you may already have heard this one but there seems to
be a lot of scope for discretion for LEAs around basic items. For
example, one LEA officer, who is no pushoever, doesn't feel that
students who are already registered with the authority for a studend
loan need to fill in any additional DSA forms. Other LEAs will not act
unless forms have been completed. It certainly would appear that this
part of the red tape could be snipped.

PG



-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Conway
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2005 2:19 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: DSAs


I understand Joel's frustration - some LEAs seem to sit on the fence for
quite a while, but then others are absolutely brilliant.  As Mark
suggests, I have managed to speak to some LEA officers where only
dyslexia tuition support or exam support is needed and they've agreed
over the phone to pay out.  Equipment usually needs paperwork, but even
then, sometimes my word has been accepted.

What I really wish is that there could be someway to eliminate the
cumulative effects of all the stages and consequent delays - the
application form to the LEA, the arrangement of Needs Assessment, the
approval of that assessment, the ordering & supply......if you add it up
typically it could easily be 10-12 weeks if there are no hiccups.  How
does this system put the student first when it's really designed to put
accountability first? [yes I know accountability of public money is
important]

John Conway
RAC 

-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Wakeham, Mark
Sent: 16 June 2005 13:57
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: DSAs

Hello Joel

In relation to late DSA applications, the DfES document for LEA Awards
Officers, Higher Education Student Finance in England and Wales 2004/5
Academic Year (C17 page 30) states that "Disability Advisers may be able
to arrange human support... at short notice." It then continues by
suggesting that the usual DSA assessment would only be requested if
specialist equipment is required. 

This would suggest that all that is required for a student to be DSA
funded for support in the latter stages of their course is confirmation
of needs as seen fit by the Disability Advisor, therefore, any LEA who
argues differently are ignoring their own guidelines and should be
informed as such. 

It is important to remember that the law puts the student first and the
few 'difficult' LEAs that there are should remember to do the same.

Hope this helps!

Mark Wakeham
UWIC

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	Petrie, Joel [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent:	16 June 2005 13:27
To:	[log in to unmask]
Subject:	DSAs

Regarding very late DSAs, Bernard Doherty wrote "If an assessment report
recommends support, it should be costed for the academic year and I have
never seen a problem with claiming (or recommending) it
retrospectively."
 
We're still having this problem and wondered if anyone could offer any
solutions.  We obviously put support in place irrespective of a
student's DSA status - but with the tightness of post 16 budgets
recouping at least some of the cost of this support is a priority.  In
relation to Bernard's point some LEAs are categorically unwilling to
fund support put in place prior to Needs Assessment, even though the
total amount would be well within the allocation for non-medical helper
support per annum. 
 
We facilitate Ed Psych Reports for our learners, often before the start
of their course.  We also have an excellent relationship with a local
assessment centre; they are extremely efficient and get reports done
ASAP and copied back often within days.  The sticking point in the
process seems to be (some) LEAs, who are routinely losing correspondence
from our students, taking months to respond with consent to proceed with
a Needs assessment, sending back Ed Psych Reports as being unacceptable
despite the same format being accepted by every other LEA we've dealt
with.
 
Is this an unusual situation or is the system obstructive elsewhere?
 
Joel