Victoria Street,
Taunton, Somerset,
TA1 3FA
T: +44 (0)1823 352749
F: +44 (0)1823 339096
FAQ
Why do I need to have an assessment?
Your Funding Body will ask you to have a DSA assessment carried out so that your particular needs can be matched with those of your proposed course to ensure that you get the help that you will need. The DSA assessment will identify the types of equipment and other support you will need, how much it will cost and where to get it from. It will also identify any training you might need to make best use of the equipment recommended, and detail any special examination arrangements.
The cost of your DSA assessment will be paid from the DSAs. If you need help with travel costs to the assessment, you should ask your Funding Body whether they can help as this can be paid from the general DSA.
You should not arrange for a DSA assessment without first confirming with your Funding Body (SLC/LEA/NHS/OU) that they agree for you to do so.
How soon can I have an assessment done?
Once your Funding Body has established your eligibility for student support and you have provided supporting evidence of your disability or specific learning difficulty from an appropriate specialist, a DSA assessment can be arranged at Contact Associates well before the start of term, and even before you have a confirmed place at an institution.
How can I arrange my assessment?
If you have already applied to your Funding Body (SLC/LEA/NHS/OU) for Disabled Students’ Allowances, you can contact us to arrange your assessment. If you have not yet applied for DSAs, you should do so now.
To arrange an assessment, you can get in touch with Contact Associates email by telephone (01823 338942)or fax, when we will agree a convenient date and time for your assessment. We will also send you written confirmation of your assessment appointment, together with a map and directions on how to find us, and a few details on what to expect during your assessment. We have facilities at several locations throughout the country.
What happens during the assessment?
The assessment is confidential and conducted in a relaxed and supportive environment by assessors with specialist experience of your disability or specific learning difficulty. The assessment is not a test but the opportunity for you to discuss your additional learning needs within the context of your studies. You will have the opportunity to talk about your past experiences and any strategies you have developed to address your difficulties. Your assessor will consider any items of information and communication technology and/or ergonomic equipment you may need, together with support strategies including note-taking, study skills tuition (dyslexia), mentoring, etc. Other disability related spending may also be considered, such as book, photocopy, and Internet allowances.
How long does an assessment take?
We recommend that you allow up to 2 hours for your assessment.
What do I need to bring with me to the assessment?
Examples of your work are often helpful, e.g. lecture notes, assignments, etc.
What happens after my assessment?
Your assessor will prepare a report detailing their recommendations, based on the difficulties and strategies discussed with you during your assessment. This will be sent to you within 10 days and you have the opportunity to ask any further questions you may have. If you accept the recommendations made in your report, Contact Associates Ltd will send a final copy to your Funding Body for funding authorization. With your permission, a copy will also be sent to disability support staff at your university or college.
When will I receive my report?
You will be sent your report within 10 days of your assessment appointment.
How will payments be made?
If your application is successful, your Funding Body (SLC/LEA/NHS/OU) will tell you the amount of help you can have from the DSA. The Student Loans Company will make DSA payments either to you, into your bank account, or directly to the supplier of equipment or services.
When will I receive my equipment?
How long it takes for you to receive your equipment depends on your Funding Body (SLC/LEA/NHS/OU). On average, you should know if our recommendations have been approved approximately 4 – 6 weeks after receipt of your report. Your Funding Body may order your equipment direct from the suppliers, and you can expect delivery in a further 4 – 6 weeks. Alternatively, you may receive funding so that you are able to purchase equipment direct. It is important that you do not purchase any items until your Funding Body (SLC/LEA/NHS/OU) has confirmed that you should do so.
Can I receive equipment before my course begins?
Possibly, once your Funding Body (SLC/LEA/NHS/OU) has established that you are eligible for DSAs, it can pay for items of special equipment recommended in your DSA assessment report shortly before the start of your course so that you may use them from the very beginning of your studies. However, your Funding Body (SLC/LEA/NHS/OU) will ask for evidence that you have been accepted on your course before they will consider doing so. If you do not go on the course, you must return any equipment you have received to your supplier.
What happens to the equipment when my course ends?
All equipment bought with DSAs is, and will remain, your property. You may decide to offer the equipment either to your university or college or your Funding Body (SLC/LEA/NHS/OU), for other students to use. Or you can keep the equipment if you are intending to go onto a further course of study (for example, an ‘add-on’ or postgraduate course).
You can find more information on DSAs here in the Bridging the Gap booklet, which is also available from your Funding Body (SLC/LEA/NHS/OU).
Information sheets are also available from Skill: National Bureau for Students with Disabilities, at www.skill.org.uk
What will happen if I want to make a complaint?
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction, either written or spoken. A complaint can be made by an individual or a group. You may wish to complain if you are not satisfied with the way you have been treated by or the service you have received from Contact Associates Ltd.
Principles of Contact Associates Ltd complaints procedure
- Contact Associates Ltd recognises that compliments (see below) and complaints are an important part of customer feedback.
- All complaints will be investigated fully and fairly.
- Complaints will be dealt with in confidence. The only exception to this is when others could be put at risk by matters referred to in the complaint.
- If the complainant is not happy with the result of the response to the complaint, she or he will have the right to appeal.
Contact Associates Ltd is committed to ensuring that its services are of the highest quality. The complaints procedure enables us to respond clearly and properly to complaints and to know when and why people are not satisfied with our services, so that we can improve them.
Who can make a complaint?
This procedure is for members of the public who have received a service from Contact Associates Ltd
Section A – Complaints about Contact Associates Ltd
If your complaint is about Contact Associates Ltd then there are four stages that you can go through to try and resolve the problem. You may wish to involve an advocate, friend or someone else to support you at any stage. If you need a sign language or community language interpreter, please let the person dealing with the complaint know and every reasonable effort will be made to provide it.
The four stages are:
STAGE ONE (INFORMAL)
Speak to the individual(s) concerned or their line manager and try to resolve the complaint informally. The individual concerned is required to tell you their name and who their line manager is if you ask them.
STAGE TWO (FORMALLY REGISTERING A COMPLAINT)
If you are not satisfied with the response you have received at stage one (informal) you should then use stage two of this procedure.
1) Outline the details of your complaint by letter, fax, email, or audio tape and send it to the Centre Manager, Contact Associates Ltd, 2nd floor, Victoria House, Victoria Street Taunton Somerset TA1 3FA.
2) If your complaint is about the Centre Manager then you need to address it to the Director, Contact Associates Ltd 2nd floor, Victoria House, Victoria Street, Taunton, Somerset.TA1 3FA (marked private and confidential).
Your complaint will be acknowledged by letter within seven working days from the date it is received. The letter will contain the following information:
- Name, address and telephone number of the person who will investigate the complaint
- The date the investigation will start
- What support you can receive during the process of the complaint, e.g. in terms of making information accessible, using interpreters etc
You will receive a full response to your complaint within 21 working days from the start of the investigation in writing from the person appointed to investigate the complaint. The response will include the following information:
- Details of the investigation
- A decision about whether the complaint was upheld or not
- The reason for the decision
- The redress, if appropriate, which will be offered to you e.g. an apology, additional help or directing to other sources of advice or support
- Any other action that may be taken in light of the complaint
- If it is not possible to provide a full answer to your complaint within 21 working days, the letter will outline reasons why and give a date by which a full answer is expected
Stage three (Appeal)
1) If you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint then outline the reasons for your dissatisfaction by letter, fax, email, or audio tape within seven working days of receiving it to the Centre Manager.
2) An Appeals Panel normally of three members, including a Director, will be convened to consider your appeal. The Centre Manager will be responsible for ensuring the panel is appropriately representative. Panel membership will be restricted to people who have had no previous involvement in the complaint
3) Members of the Appeals Panel will:
- read through the necessary papers
- speak to relevant individuals involved with the complaint
- make a final decision.
Review of the process
1) If once you have been through stages one to three of the complaints procedure, you are not satisfied that Contact Associates Ltd has followed the process properly and dealt with your complaint fairly (e.g. by giving you insufficient opportunity to represent your view or ensuring all the relevant people are involved in the investigation), then you can outline the reasons for your dissatisfaction by letter, fax, email, or audio tape within 21 working days of receiving the Appeals Panel report to the Centre Manager to request a review of the complaints handling process, not a further investigation of the complaint.
2) The Centre Manager will make arrangements for a review of the complaint-handling process, and will inform you of how the review will be carried out.
3) The decision of the process review will be final. The Centre Manager will communicate in writing within 28 working days of receiving your appeal:
- whether or not the procedure has been followed properly and fairly
- the reason for the decision
- the redress, if appropriate, which will be offered to you e.g. an apology, additional help or directing to other sources of advice or support
- what action may be taken in light of the review.
Time limits
In circumstances where time limits cannot be met due to unforeseen circumstances, complainants will be notified in writing. The reasons for the delay with adjusted timescales will be supplied by the person responsible for handling the complaint.
If the matter is still not resolved after Contact Associates has made its final decision, client/ student may appeal to the national “Ombudsman” for Higher Education
For more information on any of the above, please call us on; 01823 352749
