I wonder who represents all the non-NUS students?



Quoting Karen Beauchamp-Pryor <[log in to unmask]>:

> Would be nice to see the agenda move from representing the 'needs' of
> disabled students to representing the 'rights' of disabled students.
>
> Karen Beauchamp-Pryor
> Student
> Swansea University
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Ellen Pugh
>   To: [log in to unmask]
>   Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 11:59 AM
>   Subject: Re: DSA QAG thoughts - student representation
>
>
>   Dear all,
>
>   We would like to clarify that whilst Skill has been involved in DSA QAG
> from the outset, it is not a member of DSA QAG and is not on the Board of
> Directors. Students are represented on the Board of Directors by the NUS.
>  To ensure that Skill was able to maintain its independent voice for
> students, Skill requested and was granted observer status of DSA QAGs
> Advisory Group .  In all aspects of its work Skill represents the needs
> of students and not those of any other organisation.
>
>   Kind regards
>
>   Ellen
>
>   Ellen Pugh
>   Policy Manager
>   Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities
>   Chapter House, 18-20 Crucifix Lane, London SE1 3JW
>   Direct line: 020 7450 0644 (voice)
>   Main line: 020 7450 0620 (voice/text) Fax: 020 7450 0650
>   Information Service: 0800 328 5050 (voice), 0800 068 2422 (text),
> [log in to unmask]
>   Tuesday 11.30am-1.30pm Thursday 1.30-3.30pm
>   Website: www.skill.org.uk
>
>   Please remember Skill in your will.  Go to www.rememberacharity.org.uk
> for free will-making advice.
>
>   Skill is a registered charity no. 801971 and a company limited by
> guarantee no. 2397897
>
>   Promoting equality in education, training and employment for disabled
> people
>
>
>
>     -----Original Message-----
>     From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Karen Beauchamp-Pryor
>     Sent: 30 March 2007 10:54
>     To: [log in to unmask]
>     Subject: Re: DSA QAG thoughts - student representation
>
>
>     As you say Alex, student representation is through Skill and the NUS.
>  I attended a QAG meeting as an observer back in June 2003 and felt
> although Skill were representing students they were also representing
> powerful professional groupings and, therefore, a potential conflict of
> interest existed.  The NUS representative spoke very well and I was
> impressed by her ability to cope during the meeting - I should add this
> was a disabled student and not an employee of the NUS.  However, the
> student's presence at the meeting seemed to me, at the time, to be
> largely tokenistic and I did see this view reflected in a later report at
> the NUS SWD conference in 2004.
>
>     At the QAG meeting the student had asked for an Agenda item to be
> included to discuss student representation on QAG.  Initially the agenda
> item was omitted and the student was able to bring the attention of the
> group back to the item, but was told membership would not be reviewed for
> a further 18 months.  A lone student, however confident and competent,
> would arguably find it very difficult.
>
>     I cannot comment on the current state of play.
>
>     Karen Beauchamp-Pryor
>     Student
>     Swansea University
>
>
>     ----- Original Message -----
>       From: alex larg
>       To: [log in to unmask]
>       Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 9:56 AM
>       Subject: DSA QAG thoughts
>
>
>       I am puzzled about what the point of QAG is, frankly. I've been
> looking at the QAG home page and quote from it below, with my highlights
> and thoughts.
>
>       ¨Originally set up by the DfES, DSA-QAG is now an independent
> entity comprised of representatives from local authorities, assessment
> centres, equipment suppliers, the Open University, higher education
> institutions, SKILL and the NUS.¨
>
>       Where are the independent student representatives in this process?
>
>       ¨DSA-QAG are not involved with quality assuring the contents of
> assessments reports produced by qualified assessors within registered
> assessment centres, nor does it have the remit to be involved with
> funding awarded by a local education authority. These areas are dealt
> with specifically by the appropriate body.¨
>
>       So there is no jurisdiction over LEAs (same old, same old like with
> measuring numbers for Premium funding)  This also seems to mean that LEAs
> can commission services and supply from who they like - and some do - and
> so why should any Access Centre or supplier bother to pay up to QAG?
>
>       ¨ Organisational audits aim to ensure that organisations involved
> are providing the services they subscribe to and at an acceptable quality
> and in a proper manner.
>
>       ¨Services they subscribe to.¨ - what does that mean? Acceptable to
> who?
>
>       I have been trying to understand what the flaws are in the system
> that explain why so many students I see seem to have been let down by the
> system. Contributors to this discussion have pointed to QAG as the place
> that such concerns can be raised and solved, but that does not seem to me
> to be the case. Its aims seem to be to continue its self existence and
> that in itself has nothing to do with the students. QAG can carry out
> reviews but it can't do anything about the results of those reviews, as
> far as I can see. Well they can remove ¨suppliers¨ from the list - but it
> isn't compulsory for LEAs to use only QAG-ed suppliers anyway. Some
> people are fully aware of this and exploit this situation and frankly why
> shouldn't they? And all in all seems to have no 'teeth', as I have said
> before.
>
>       This is only my interpretation and my opinion.
>
>       Alex
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>       Extract from the DSA-QAG website:-
>
>       DSA-QAG (Disabled Students Allowance Quality Assurance Group) was
> established to provide an integrated quality assurance service to people
> accessing the DSA scheme created to help students with disabilities or
> learning difficulties achieve their potential in education.
>
>       Originally set up by the DfES, DSA-QAG is now an independent entity
> comprised of representatives from local authorities, assessment centres,
> equipment suppliers, the Open University, higher education institutions,
> SKILL and the NUS.
>
>       It has developed a system to measure the quality of the work of
> organisations conducting DSA needs assessments and supplying the
> recommended DSA equipment.
>
>       DSA-QAG are not involved with quality assuring the contents of
> assessments reports produced by qualified assessors within registered
> assessment centres, nor does it have the remit to be involved with
> funding awarded by a local education authority. These areas are dealt
> with specifically by the appropriate body.
>
>       To become a registered member of DSA-QAG, assessment centres and
> suppliers need to meet criteria specified by DSA-QAG (Quality Assurance
> Framework (QAF) for assessment centres and SLA for suppliers).
>
>       Our aim is to safeguard the public interest, to monitor the quality
> assurance system, to inform and to encourage continuous improvement in
> the management of quality in the sector through setting up a good
> practice framework and carrying out annual audits to maintain the desired
> quality standards. We do this by working closely with assessment centres,
> suppliers, local authorities and student organisations to define
> standards and quality, and we carry out regular reviews against those
> standards.
>
>       Organisational audits aim to ensure that organisations involved are
> providing the services they subscribe to and at an acceptable quality and
> in a proper manner.
>
>       This site provides access to information and resources for the
> different user groups working with DSA. It includes 3 databases
> containing information on local authorities and registered DSA assessment
> centres and 'one stop shop' suppliers across England and Wales.
> Additionally there is also a list of specialist suppliers approved by
> DSA-QAG who offer specialist assistive technology solutions to the DSA
> funded scheme.
>
>
>
>
>
>       Alex
>
>
>
>       Alex Larg
>
>       07931 561 877 or 07916 175 077
>
>       [log in to unmask]
>
>       Freelance Assistive Tchnology Trainer
>
>       Freelance study needs assessor
>
>       Former Disability Officer
>
>
>
>
>