1. Introduction Eligibility Components of DSA Specialist equipment allowance... 5

Transcription

1 A guide for postgraduate social work students 1 (V3) 04/2014

2 Contents 1. Introduction Eligibility Components of DSA Specialist equipment allowance Non-medical helper s allowance General allowance Travel costs DSA application process How do I apply for DSA? What happens next? What does a Needs Assessment Report cover? What happens if my condition becomes more severe? What happens if I leave my course early? Maximum allowances Further help and advice A guide for postgraduate social work students 2

3 1. Introduction If you are eligible for a postgraduate social work bursary and have a disability or specific learning difficulty, you may also qualify for (DSA). DSA is made up of four different components which cover extra disability-related costs or expenses incurred while you are studying. These are: specialist equipment allowance non-medical helper s allowance general allowance travel costs The amount of DSA paid depends on your individual needs, not on your or your family s income. Your needs will be assessed by an independent DSA assessor, who will compile a report of their recommendations as part of the application process. Payments covering specialist equipment, non-medical help and general costs are available up to a maximum amount (see page 13). Travel costs are not capped. DSA is not intended to pay for: disability-related expenditure that would be incurred if you were not attending a higher education course costs that any students might have, regardless of disability services which can reasonably be expected to be provided by your university or college A guide for postgraduate social work students 3

4 2. Eligibility DSA is only paid to students who: are enrolled on a postgraduate level course* are receiving a social work bursary have a disability or specific learning difficulty (DSA is not intended to assist members of the general student population who suffer temporary illness or injury or students with general learning difficulties) *If you are completing an undergraduate level course in social work, you can apply to Student Finance England for DSA. Their website address is You can qualify for DSA even if you have already taken a course of higher education. However, the amount you may be entitled to will depend on what you have already received. For example, you may have already bought specialist equipment using a previous DSA. If you are a part-time student, you are still eligible for DSA as long as you are in receipt of a social work bursary and are studying at least 25% of the full-time equivalent postgraduate course. If you leave your course before completion, we may have to recover some or all of your DSA. A guide for postgraduate social work students 4

5 3. Components of DSA This section explains the four components that make up DSA. You may qualify for one or more. Details on how to apply are outlined in Section 4 of this guide Specialist equipment allowance This component covers the cost of any specialist equipment you need to benefit fully from your study programme. For example: a computer (desktop, laptop or tablet) specialist software, such as voice recognition, mind mapping or screen reading packages a digital recorder specialist furniture, such as a chair, table or back support to be used within your student residence (your university or college should supply these items for use on their premises) Any equipment bought with the allowance belongs to you and will not have to be returned when you finish your course. However, if you leave your course before completion, we may recover some of the cost of the equipment. DSA does not cover the cost of repair or replacements if the original equipment is lost, stolen or damaged. However, as the general allowance (see Section 3.3) can be used to cover the cost of insurance premiums, we strongly recommend that you fully insure your specialist equipment. A guide for postgraduate social work students 5

6 You can choose to buy a higher specification piece of equipment than what is recommended in your Needs Assessment Report, but you will have to pay the additional costs yourself. You must also ensure that it is compatible with any specialist software needed. We, or your DSA Assessor, may recommend that you use a particular supplier for specialist equipment. These suppliers will normally offer an extended warranty to cover the whole of your course and provide a thorough after-sales service. They should also be able to: supply all or most of the equipment you need set up any equipment for you install all recommended software on your equipment In most cases, we will pay your specialist equipment allowance directly into your bank account. You will then be responsible for ordering and paying for the equipment yourself. You should purchase all items that are recommended in your assessment of needs report. If you choose not to buy any of the recommended items, you will be asked to repay the cost of those items. Please send us an itemised receipt for your specialist equipment as soon as possible. If this is not received within 30 days of the funds being paid to you, we may require the unspent money to be returned to us. You can apply for DSA at any time during your course. However, if you apply towards the end of your course we may consider more economical alternatives such as renting, hiring A guide for postgraduate social work students 6

7 or borrowing equipment for you from a supplier or your university/college rather than buying it outright. When discussing your needs with your DSA Assessor, please consider the type of equipment that you will need throughout your course, both at your university/college and whilst on practice placement. For example, a laptop computer may be more useful than a desktop computer during your practice placement. If your equipment needs change during your course, you can make additional claims up to the maximum amount shown in Section 5 of this guide. Please note that we cannot use DSA to reimburse you for something you have already bought Non-medical helper s allowance This component of DSA provides for any personal assistance you need to benefit fully from your course. Examples of the study support* include: sign language interpreters note takers non-medical assistants *Please note that DSA is not intended to pay for disabilityrelated spending that you would have to pay whether you were attending your course or not. Your social services department may help you with these personal costs. A guide for postgraduate social work students 7

8 Non-medical helper s allowance can cover the costs of specialist tutorial support that is needed as a direct result of your disability (for example, study skills for dyslexic students), provided that this is recommended in your assessment of needs report. Support should be available from your university or college, although you are entitled to choose another provider if that is more appropriate. Please note that you cannot use this allowance to pay for extra tuition in subjects that are part of your course. You will be asked to contact the recommended non-medical helper supplier directly to arrange support. Your non-medical helper should then invoice us with signed timesheets and we will arrange to pay them directly. We will not pay for any cancelled appointments unless the cancellation was a direct result of your disability, so please make yourself aware of the non-medical helper supplier s cancellation policy General allowance This component of DSA is intended to cover any additional costs you incur that are not covered by the other components, for example photocopying or extra books. Please note that DSA should only be used to pay for non-core text books that are needed as a direct result of your disability, not books that all students on a social work course are expected to buy. A guide for postgraduate social work students 8

9 It can also be used to top up the specialist equipment and non-medical helper s allowances; for example, to cover the costs of insurance premiums for specialist equipment cover. From the 2014/15 academic year, your internet connections and usage will no longer be paid for by us. This is due to the wide availability of internet access through universities/colleges, student accommodation and other locations. Exceptions will be considered on a case by case basis. We pay up to 100 of general allowance directly into your bank account once your university/college confirms to us that you are attending your course. We will make further payments once we receive receipts exceeding the initial Travel costs If you have to pay extra travel costs to attend your university/college because of your disability, we may be able to help you with these costs. If recommended in your assessment of needs report, we will refund any amount above the cost of public transport. DSA can also help with the costs of travelling to and from your practice placement(s), above the cost of public transport. However, as the social work bursary includes a placement travel allowance of , we would only consider reimbursing additional costs once your actual spend has exceeded this amount. A guide for postgraduate social work students 9

10 Generally, if you have opted to use the mobility element of your Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment to lease a mobility car, you will be expected to use that car to attend your university/college and/or your placement. To claim travel costs, you will need to send us receipts for the amount you have paid plus details of the cost of public transport for the same journey. We can then pay the appropriate amount into your bank account, as long as your university/college has confirmed to us that you are attending your course. A guide for postgraduate social work students 10

11 4. DSA application process This section answers your questions on how to apply for DSA and what to expect when you do How do I apply for DSA? Full and part-time postgraduate students can apply by completing an application form, which can be downloaded from our website at: You can apply for DSA at any stage of your course. However, we will only pay DSA once your university/college has confirmed that you are on their bursary allocation list. Please provide evidence of your disability. If you have more than one medical condition, you should provide evidence of all of them. You can do this by providing an up to date, original letter from your GP or specialist detailing the following: your disability the effect your disability has on your daily life and ability to study whether the condition is recoverable Please note that you cannot use proof of your benefits (such as Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment) as evidence of your disability. If you have a specific learning difficulty, please send us a full psychologist s report. If the diagnosis was carried out before A guide for postgraduate social work students 11

12 you were 16, you will need an Assessment of Performance Attainment ( top-up diagnosis). Please note that we cannot pay any costs associated with providing the diagnostic evidence What happens next? Once we receive a completed application form and suitable evidence, we will assess your entitlement to DSA. We will inform you in writing of our decision and if your application is successful, we will send you for a Needs Assessment at an approved independent assessment centre or university/college. This will be carried out by a person with specialist experience. Please do not arrange a Needs Assessment without being asked to do so by us. Once we have agreed your application, we will provide you with website details for approved centres. We will normally pay for the Needs Assessment, but if the outcome is that you do not qualify for DSA, you will have to pay the cost yourself (typically ). The assessment centre will send a copy of your Needs Assessment Report to both us and you. We strongly advise that your university or college should be involved in your DSA application and see the report and its recommendations especially if they employ a disability advisor. A guide for postgraduate social work students 12

13 4.3. What does a Needs Assessment Report cover? A Needs Assessment Report should identify the types of equipment and other support you will need during your course, how much it will cost and recommended suppliers. The report should also identify any training you might need to make the best use of the recommended equipment. Please note that the report will be used as a guide to help us assess which DSA components you are entitled to, and how much of each component should be paid. It is not guaranteed that you will receive all of the recommended support outlined within it. You can also use the report as supporting evidence to establish special exam arrangements during your course What happens if my condition becomes more severe? If your circumstances change and you feel you would benefit from additional DSA, please provide us with medical evidence of the change as outlined in Section 4.1. You can apply for a top-up Needs Assessment to identify any extra support needed What happens if I leave my course early? If you leave your course before completion, please tell us straight away. DSA cannot be paid after you have left your course. A guide for postgraduate social work students 13

14 5. Maximum allowances Because DSA is designed to cover individual needs, it is not paid at set rates. However, there are maximum amounts for each component (except travel costs). These are: DSA component Maximum allowance for academic year Full-time students Specialist equipment allowance Non-medical helper s allowance General allowance Up to 5,161 for the duration of the course Up to 20,520 for a 52 week period Up to 1,724 for a 52 week period Part-time students Specialist equipment allowance Non-medical helper s allowance General allowance Up to 5,161 for the duration of the course Up to 15,390 for a 52 week period Up to 1,293 for a 52 week period A guide for postgraduate social work students 14

15 DSA component Maximum allowance for academic year Full-time students Specialist equipment allowance Non-medical helper s allowance General allowance Up to 5,212 for the duration of the course Up to 20,725 for a 52 week period Up to 1,741 for a 52 week period Part-time students Specialist equipment allowance Non-medical helper s allowance General allowance Up to 5,212 for the duration of the course Up to 15,543 for a 52 week period Up to 1,305 for a 52 week period A guide for postgraduate social work students 15

16 6. Further help and advice If you have any questions about DSA or your social work bursary, please: search for social work bursaries on Facebook visit our website: telephone Our contact centre is open from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 3pm on Saturday. We offer a telephone translation service and can provide documents in large print or Braille upon request. A guide for postgraduate social work students 16