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Dear All,
We have recently been audited by an external company to check that the information recorded about students being in receipt of DSA is accurate. A random selection of 20 students was given to us and for 18 of the students, we managed to get the information with no problems at all. We had a problem with obtaining the relevant information for the two remaining students for reasons beyond our control:
1. The student was in receipt of DSA from NHS England and they would not release information without consent from the student. The student did not provide the necessary consent.
2. The student’s LEA had no record of the student receiving DSA for the academic year requested. I am unsure if this was because the student applied for DSA after that academic year, or if it was because the student did not return a DSA1 form to confirm that they wanted to continue their DSA entitlements for the year in question.
In light of this, it has been recommended that we seek confirmation of DSA each year and the auditors appear to have recommended that we seek confirmation of DSA for all students that we have marked as being in receipt of DSA. This will be very time consuming considering the number of disabled students attending our university and the various funding bodies that are involved. Whilst LEAs, SFE and other funding bodies will, for the most part, write to us to confirm that DSA has been agreed and to list what they are prepared to fund, the auditors ask for confirmation for specific academic years so often this initial letter is insufficient. As funding bodies do not send out annual letters to state that a student’s DSA entitlement has been continued, we feel that this is an unreasonable demand, both for us and the funding bodies concerned.
We intend to respond to this recommendation to reflect these concerns but wanted to know how other institutions in the UK are audited and if any demands such as this have been made on them.
I would be grateful for any advice or any information about similar experiences that people may have had, either on or off-list.
Many thanks,
Catherine
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Catherine Perrett
Disability Caseworker/Gweithiwr Achos Anabledd
Student Support Services / Gwasanaethau Cefnogi Myfyrwyr
Keir Hardie Building / Adeilad Keir Hardie
Swansea University/Prifysgol Abertawe
Singleton Park / Parc Singleton
Swansea / Abertawe
SA2 8PP
Email / E-bost: [log in to unmask]
Tel / Ffôn: 01792 602000 Fax: 01792 295090
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Mae cynnwys yr ebost hwn yn gyfrinachol a dim ond y derbynnydd a fwriadwyd a ddylai ei ddarllen. Os ydych wedi cael yr ebost hwn drwy gamgymeriad, rhowch wybod I’r anfonydd a delewch y neges. Mae Gwasanaethau Myfyrwyr Prifysgol Abertawe yn gwneud pob ymdrech bosibl i sicrhau bod yr wybodaeth a’r cyngor y mae’n ei roi yn gyfoes ac yn gywir, ond nid yw’n derbyn atebolrwydd cyfreithiol am wallau nac am unrhyw beth a hepgorwyd, ac mae’n cadw’r hawl i wneud newidiadau heb rybudd.
