D.S.A. Assesments of Study Needs
Information about an Assessment of Needs Appointment at the Indigo Dyslexia Centre, Norwich
1. The appointment is likely to take between 1.5 and 2.5 hours; the exact length of time depends on the complexity of your individual needs.2. You will have been asked to have a Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) assessment to identify and record appropriate study strategies and technologies, which will support your study in Higher Education, and make you as self-sufficient in your studies as possible.
3. The DSA is designed to help to compensate for any difficulties you may experience on your chosen course, as a direct result of your disability, and ‘create a level playing field’. It cannot be used to give you an advantage over other students on your course.
4. Your assessment will usually consist of a confidential one to one conversation with an opportunity for demonstration and evaluation of equipment or software with an experienced assessor to help identify suitable resources and strategies for you; it will be directly related to the specific difficulties you experience on your course as a result of your disability. You may have a good understanding of what has supported you in the past, and it is helpful to inform your assessor what you think will help you, but please keep an open mind and let the assessment process identify the most suitable options for you.
5. We will send you a ‘Personal Information Form’ to complete and bring with you to your appointment. This form is to make sure that we have your correct details and to help your assessor to record your educational background and any support you may have had in your previous education and employment.
6. At the end of your assessment the assessor will make recommendations for support from your DSA in the form of a written report.
7. Please note that there are specific restrictions applying to the support that can be recommended for you from your DSA. Both the NAC and your Funding Authority have to follow rigorous guidelines from the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).
8. All recommendations made for you must be as a result of a direct association with the course you are studying and any difficulties that you may experience on your course as a direct result of your disability; this may result in your assessor being unable to recommend everything that you may feel would be useful for you. However, in many instances your Funding Authority will allow you to contribute your own money to your DSA award to upgrade or add to the recommendations made for you. For example you have been recommended a desktop computer but you wish to have a laptop computer; with the approval of your Funding Authority, you can usually add your own money to make up the difference between the cost of a desktop and laptop of equal or greater specification.
9. All assessments and recommendations are individually customised to your specific needs and strengths and weaknesses; please do not compare yours with others.
10. If your assessor recommends equipment for you we will get quotes for the cost of this equipment and specify a supplier. The NAC will, except in exceptional circumstances, specify a supplier recognised as a supplier by the DSA-QAG (Quality Assurance Group, www.dsa-qag.org.uk) as a One Stop Shop. These suppliers have satisfied DSA-QAG and the DfES that they meet certain standards. Where possible, the NAC will try to use the nearest recognised supplier to where you will be living whilst studying. However, this is not always possible; if a supplier has been recommended that is not based near to you they will be able to provide UK wide coverage for delivery and support.
11. Your Assessment Report will usually take between 5 and 15 working days to produce.
12. Your Assessment Report will be sent to you before it is sent to your Funding Authority, so that you can check over the recommendations and ensure the details in the report are correct.
13. Please read your report carefully when you get it to make sure it is accurate. Then sign and return the Acceptance of Report Form in the prepaid reply envelope and either: agree that the report is accurate and can be forwarded to your Funding Authority, or point out any inaccuracies or omissions which will be discussed and resolved before submission to your Funding Authority.
14. Once your Assessment Report is sent to your Funding Authority the NAC has no control over their decisions or the length of time it takes them to process your DSA. However, we suggest that if you have not heard anything within three to four weeks after your report has been sent to them, you should contact the person dealing with your request at your funding authority; you can find their contact details on page 5 of your report.
15. For further details or if you have any other questions about the assessment process, please contact us using the details at the beginning of this document.
How to get to Indigo
Confidentiality and Data Protection: information for clients.
The Northampton Assessment Centre (NAC) is committed to and places a high priority on ensuring Confidentiality and Data Protection to all its clients. No third party will be provided with any of the information you give us, unless you give us your approval to do so.At the start of your DSA assessment, you will be asked to sign a DPA permission form so that we can collect record and, if needed, distribute relevant personal information about you and your disability.
We only pass on personal information with prior express permission. Normally, we will only pass on information on a need to know basis which is relevant and accurate in order to help provide the best support for you during your studies.
After your assessment, for your application for the DSA to proceed, we will have to write a report for your funding authority. It is also standard practice to send a copy of your report to the Disability Coordinator / Advisor (or similar title) at your University or College, so that they are aware of the recommendations made for you as a result of your assessment. However, if you do not want us to do this, you can tell us when you are asked to sign the DPA form at the start of your assessment; if that is the case, only you and your funding authority will receive a copy of your report. We do encourage you to allow us to send a copy to your Disability Advisor as otherwise their ability to provide you with suitable support during your studies may well be limited.
All NAC staff work in a confidential environment and all documentation that we process is stored securely. For further information please see The University of Northampton Student Services Confidentiality Statement.