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Hi Tammy (and all) I think the alarm bells were started by your post which you did change, but also were mused on by Caroline: 'If IT skills are essential for the work role, we would ask the School/Department to pay for an assessment, but we probably couldn't justify this if the work role didn't need IT skills. So would these people be expected to pay for their own assessments if they wanted them?' So, no, you're right, nobody actually said that staff members should pay, I suppose I was just responding to the idea that they might be. Knee jerking moi? (C'est possible!) Chris Baxter Diversity Officer Student Services -----Original Message----- From: HE Administrators equal opportunities list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rich, Tammy Sent: 15 May 2008 11:08 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Dyslexia Assessments for Staff I don't think anyone - and may have missed something - has said that the member of staff has to pay have they? - apart from my mistake in the first email that started this off - and I'm glad I did now. I am going to present an case to Kingston for a Central Fund based on some of the responses received already but, I'm with Pamela, if anyone has got one and not contributed then please advise as it will help those of us wanting to improve our service. Thanks Tammy Tammy Rich | Diversity and Equality Diversity and Equality Unit | Kingston University | 53 Portland Road | Kingston | KT1 2SH DL: 020 8417 4025 | Internal: 64025 | Fax: 020 8417 4159 | Mobile: 07917551846 P Save a tree... please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to -----Original Message----- From: HE Administrators equal opportunities list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pamela Graham Sent: 15 May 2008 11:00 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Dyslexia Assessments for Staff I agree with Chris. This is the response I got from Access To Work. "If an individual with dyslexia applies we also require sight of a Dyslexia report, if they have not been assessed and do not have a Dyslexia report they will need to approach a DEA in the first instance." Disability employment Advisers have access to occupational psychologists at the DWP. On the subject of who pays, where there is a cost to the University our budgeting system requires schools and services to cover these costs. It is not a popular arrangement so if anyone has persuaded their organisation to develop a central funding system it would be good to hear how you did it. We would not require a member of staff to pay. Pamela Graham Newcastle -----Original Message----- From: HE Administrators equal opportunities list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Baxter Chris Sent: 15 May 2008 10:09 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Dyslexia Assessments for Staff Hi all This is an interesting discussion and one its clear we need to have! I think it is interesting how support (for want of a better word) for staff seems to be affected in HE by what is available for students, so we 'need' an Educational Psychologists' report - do we? Or would an occupational psychologists report be more appropriate, and how much do they cost? Whatever the cost the uneasiness for me is the same, 'the cost must be borne by the member of staff or their department' this seems unfair since this seems to mean a disabled person would have to incur additional costs (for which there is no recompense) in order to 'prove' their condition exists and/or a department, irrespective of its size, must bear the cost. To reiterate the point made by Anne Mwangi on this list: leaving it to departments could lead to inconsistent responses. departments/faculties may well discriminate or make the individual feel as though they are a burden. Sorry if I have mangled your words Anne but they seemed so 'spot on' that I wanted to recycle them! The inconsistencies and lack of clarity about AtW across the country worry me greatly and I would like to respectfully suggest that responses of HR departments within HEIs may be affected by the presence of DSA led student support. Perhaps we might seek advice from colleagues outside of the arena? These are my thoughts as a disabled staff member, not in my professional capacity within Student Services. Chris Baxter Diversity Officer Student Services -----Original Message----- From: HE Administrators equal opportunities list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lesley A Gyford Sent: 15 May 2008 09:13 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Dyslexia Assessments for Staff Hello My experience has been that Access to Work will help with any adjustments but not pay the £300 assessment fee for determining the specific type of dyslexia - this is obviously needed to determine what support is required. Lesley University of Derby -----Original Message----- From: HE Administrators equal opportunities list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pamela Graham Sent: 14 May 2008 16:31 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Dyslexia Assessments for Staff Dear All Our approach would be to treat it as identifying and assessing a disability and finding a reasonable adjustment as for other types of disability. We would seek support for funds from access to work, but have not so far had to do that. Pamela Newcastle University -----Original Message----- From: HE Administrators equal opportunities list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Baxter Chris Sent: 14 May 2008 10:22 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Dyslexia Assessments for Staff Dear all Just to echo Anne's point and to ask if this has been discussed with your local Access to Work adviser? Initial screening should cost less than a full EP assessment and could be borne by the University, the full EP being met by AtW? EP - Educational Psychologist AtW - Access to Work. Chris Baxter Diversity Officer Student Services -----Original Message----- From: HE Administrators equal opportunities list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Anne Mwangi Sent: 13 May 2008 18:18 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Dyslexia Assessments for Staff Dear Tammy, I agree that a central budget to support RA is more appropriate than leaving it to departments as it eliminates inconsistent responses. This ensures that departments/faculties have no excuse for discriminating or making the individual feel as though they are a burden. The other argument for a central budget is that an ET would consider the budget of the whole university rather than a specific department. Regards Anne -----Original Message----- From: HE Administrators equal opportunities list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rich, Tammy Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 5:46 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: FW: Dyslexia Assessments for Staff I made a mistake on the previous listing. Our developing procedure for staff suggests that the faculty or department should pay for the assessment (approx £300). This has not been put into practice yet but we have a couple of cases being dealt with currently so we need to get this right. For instance, we have not had a discussion as to who in the faculty / department would make the decision regarding agreeing to funding. It has been suggested to me (by another university)that a central university fund is a good idea as it would help to eliminate discrimination and applications may be more prevalent in some faculties / departments than others. Many thanks Tammy Tammy Rich | Diversity and Equality Diversity and Equality Unit | Kingston University | 53 Portland Road | Kingston | KT1 2SH DL: 020 8417 4025 | Internal: 64025 | Fax: 020 8417 4159 | Mobile: 07917551846 P Save a tree... please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to From: Rich, Tammy Sent: 13 May 2008 16:31 To: [log in to unmask] Cc: Kelly, Lorraine H; Rollins, Tracy; de Casagrande, Peter Subject: Dyslexia Assessments for Staff I would like to find out what universities provide/fund for staff in the way of dyslexia screening and funding. We have a very comprehensive service on offer to our students for a long time and are now wanting to develop a consistent approach for staff. I thought a good starting point would be to ask others working in the field what service they offer their staff so I can get an idea of what is considered reasonable - eg should Kingston pay for screening, assessment, follow up support or is any element of that the responsibility of the member of staff? At the moment the proposal is that the University should pay for the initial screening and a follow up interview but that the assessment is the responsibility of the member of staff. Advice sought. Many thanks. Tammy Tammy Rich | Diversity and Equality Diversity and Equality Unit | Kingston University | 53 Portland Road | Kingston | KT1 2SH DL: 020 8417 4025 | Internal: 64025 | Fax: 020 8417 4159 | Mobile: 07917551846 P Save a tree... please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to This email has been scanned for all viruses by the MessageLabs Email Security System. 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