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Listen
1. Introduction
This booklet provides guidance about getting assistance from different types of helpers or support workers in higher education. The booklet looks at ways to arrange this support, including using support workers employed by your institution and some of the things to think about if you choose to employ your own assistant.
This guide does not constitute legal advice. For more information on legal employment matters, contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service ( ACAS) - see Section 8 for contact details.
Terms used in this guide
This guide will use the term 'support worker' to refer to all different types of people in higher education who provide assistance to disabled students.
The term 'institution' is used throughout the booklet to refer to both colleges and universities that offer higher education courses.
Who is this booklet for?
This booklet is written for students who will receive the 'non-medical personal help' allowance as part of the Disabled Student's Allowance ( DSA) available from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland ( SAAS). This allowance helps to meet the extra
disability-related costs of studying. You may receive this allowance to pay for support workers such as:
- scribes - someone writing down what you say in examinations, tests and assignments
- communication support workers - support deaf and hard-of-hearing students by using sign language, notetaking and lipspeaking, as well as offering general support
- lipspeakers - listen to spoken words and silently repeat them
- readers - will read written material aloud or record material on to tape
- sign language interpreters - interpret the spoken words of others into British Sign Language or Sign Supported English and interpret sign language into spoken words
- speech to text operators - are trained operators who type a transcript which you can read on your own visual display unit ( VDU)
- laboratory assistants
- study skills/dyslexia tutors - provide assistance with study strategies
- transcribers - converting core texts into an alternative format
- notetakers - take notes in lectures. It is reasonable to expect institutions to generally make lecture notes available to all students either electronically or in paper format, as a matter of course. However, DSA can be used to fund a notetaker in some circumstances, for example, deaf students may need a notetaker to make notes of issues discussed during lectures and tutorials, where it may be impossible to provide advance notes of what is going to be discussed. Also, students with specific learning difficulties and those with reduced mobility (in terms of writing/typing) may find it difficult to make notes of issues not included in the handouts. Notetakers should usually have some knowledge of the subject.
DSA can meet the cost of a support worker's wages, including, where appropriate, National Insurance contributions, tax, holiday pay, sick pay and maternity pay.
DSA will pay for the costs outlined in your application to SAAS which your institution will have to verify. Alternatively, if SAAS ask you to have a needs assessment, DSA will meet the costs outlined in your needs assessment final report up to the maximum amounts.
DSA is usually only paid for assistance you need during term-time study. However, if you have to attend a tutorial, study or field trip outwith term time then you may be able to get funding to pay for non-medical personal help support and for travel costs for your helper. Your institution will have to verify that attendance is recommended and that the assistance is required.
As DSA helps to meet extra course-related costs you have whilst studying, it does not affect your entitlement to benefits, recorded income or Direct Payments.
Support for daily living needs
This booklet does not provide information about getting assistance to meet your daily living needs. This is the type of support you may need even if you were not studying, such as washing and cleaning. This daily living support is mainly funded by the social work department of the local authority where you normally live (either through direct service provision or through Direct Payments) or through the Independent Living Fund. DSA do not pay for these costs.
If you have been receiving services from your social work department before starting your course, you should arrange with your social worker or care manager to be reassessed, as your needs may well change when you are studying. For example, you may be used to receiving a large amount of assistance from relatives or friends. This support may no longer be available when you go to university or college. You should ask for a reassessment as soon as possible before you start your course, as it may take some time to get suitable arrangements in place.
Case study
William is about to start an HND business studies course at college. As soon as he was accepted on the course he applied to SAAS to get his tuition fees paid and the Disabled Students' Allowance ( DSA) to pay for his disability-related study costs. William has mobility difficulties and requires help with both his daily living needs (assistance going to the toilet) and educational needs (dictation in exams). William uses his DSA to pay for a scribe to write down what he says in exams, and his local social work department arrange for a personal assistant for his personal care needs.
If you are taking a course in a further education college, you may want to read 'Supporting you at college: a guide for young people with additional needs on support in college' for information about who is responsible for providing what type of support - see Section 8 for details.
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