Policy on students with special needs
Introduction
Admissions
Special needs tutors or contacts
Learning contracts
Confidentiality
Programme demands documents
Inability to accommodate special needs
Charges for facilities
Cost of updating assessment of needs
Staff training
Feedback
Responsibilities
Introduction
The College aims to provide high quality training for all who seek access to its courses and, in pursuance of the College’s policy on equal opportunities, is committed to facilitating access to students who have special needs by reasons of disability as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (as amended) or other illness or condition.
The legislation is designed to ensure that disabled students are not placed at a substantial disadvantage in comparison to their non-disabled peers. The law makes it unlawful unjustifiably to treat a disabled person less favourably for a reason relating to their disability.
The College takes seriously its obligation to provide an equitable environment for all its students. As such, it is constrained by its professional obligations in providing vocational training such that students successfully completing its courses must demonstrate the appropriate standards required by the relevant professional bodies.
The College aims to avoid the creation of unnecessary barriers for disabled people by making anticipatory adjustments to its provisions. The goal is to increase accessibility for all.
To this end, the College has a suite of offerings with respect to special arrangements for both teaching (e.g., accommodation, electronic aids, adjustments to course materials, pastoral care) and assessments (e.g., accommodation, length of assessments). In addition, the College is seeking to pursue its anticipatory duty to students with special needs by building flexibility into the processes of course design and management and scheduling of assessments, as far as is consistent with the maintenance of professional standards.
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Admissions
Selection for the College’s Graduate Diploma in Law, Legal Practice Course and Bar Vocational Course is made in accordance with published criteria, which focus on academic achievement, without reference to disability. All offers made on this basis are conditional upon agreement being reached between the College and the student on any special adjustments required on the course. This ensures that an early identification of needs can take place and both parties can be assured that all required reasonable adjustments can be made by the College in keeping with its professional obligations.
The College endeavours to provide clear and accurate information about the physical environment at each of the College Centres and the facilities that the College can provide to support students.
The application forms for all College courses invite prospective students to disclose information about disabilities / special needs. The form asks the applicant to enter the appropriate code number from a list which is set out in the Guidance Notes supplied with the form, and then to expand on the nature of their disability and any needs they may have in relation to their studies or the facilities available.
Updated information on special needs is obtained at registration. Students who disclose a special need at any stage are referred to the Special Needs Tutor at the relevant College Centre..
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Special needs tutors or contacts
The Special Needs Tutor at each centre acts as the point of contact for students with special needs.
In this capacity, the Tutor will:
- Agree with the student special arrangements required (see below, under “Learning Contract”)
- Ensure that these arrangements are put in place by the Centre Student Services administration team, teaching staff and relevant service departments as appropriate
- Provide information on grant applications for financial assistance
- In conjunction with the student’s Pastoral Tutor, provide pastoral support and guidance during the year, including monitoring the effectiveness of special arrangements agreed with individuals. The role of the Special Needs Tutor supplements existing pastoral support mechanisms and does not negate the responsibility of other members of staff for ensuring that students with disabilities/special needs are catered for.
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Learning contracts
Learning contracts, signed by both the student and the College, record the student’s disability or condition together with the learning support to be provided by the College and adjustments or special arrangements to be made for course assessments.
To this end, the Special Needs Tutor will contact each student who indicates a special need on his or her application form in advance of the course, arranging a face-to-face interview if appropriate. Discussions are intended to acquaint the student with the physical environment of the relevant Centre, to explain in the detail the teaching and learning model of the course and to discuss the extent of possible adjustments to the usual mode of delivery and assessment of the course.
It is very much in students’ best interests, particularly in the case of unusual or substantial special needs, to respond to such contacts at the earliest opportunity. Students who fail to respond to such contact, or students who for whatever reason disclose special needs at a later stage, embark on their course in the expectation that any request for particular arrangements will be met at their own risk. However, the Special Needs Tutor will endeavour to make any reasonable adjustment requested irrespective of the timing of disclosure.
On the settlement of the Learning Contract, the offer of a College place becomes unconditional.
Requests for special arrangements for course assessments must be supported by appropriate evidence of special needs to advise the terms of the Learning Contract. Evidence required may include diagnostic evidence and / or an assessment of the student’s study needs in relation to the relevant College course. To assist the practitioner assessing needs, the College may provide guidance on the information it requires.
Special arrangements for assessments are approved by an External Examiner nominated by the relevant Board of Examiners, where appropriate.
Some students who declare a disability may also indicate that they have no special requirements.
The arrangements made in Learning Contracts entered into by students may be reviewed at the request of the student at any time and in other cases where a student’s progress warrants review.
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Confidentiality
All personal information disclosed by students in their application or registration forms will be treated as confidential to the College. Students are clearly informed that information disclosed on application becomes part of the electronic student record. Effective support and sometimes health and safety issues will necessitate disclosure of special arrangements to a number of departments including, but not restricted to, Student Services, IT support, Library, Print Supervisor, Timetabler, Careers Advisor, Assessments Officer, Registry.
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Programme Demands documents
The College has a suite of documents which explain the nature of the demands made by the College of its programmes and the limits of the adjustments it can make for students with special needs. Special Needs Tutors will use these Programme Demands Documents in agreeing the content of Learning Contracts with students.
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Inability to accommodate special needs
Exceptional cases could arise in the following circumstances
- The College is not able to meet a request as a “reasonable adjustment” to its provision
- The request for adjustment to the assessment regime compromises the learning outcomes of the relevant course with respect to professional standards
- The costs exceed levels the College can reasonable bear. Special Needs Tutors are authorised to incur expenses up to the full amount of the course fee for each individual student. Beyond that, the College will consider requests on a case-by-case basis. To put this point in context, the College has never refused admission to a student on the basis of the costs incurred. The student may be invited to assist in obtaining external sources of funding, where this is appropriate
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Charges for facilities
No specific charges are made for any particular facilities provided by the College for students with disabilities/special needs e.g. use of special equipment or the use of additional staff employed. In some cases students’ needs for special equipment and support can be met by a successful application for the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA).
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Cost of updating assessment of needs
Where the College requires a reassessment of a student’s needs in relation to a particular course of study, the costs may be recoverable from the Local Education Authority where the student has made a successful application for the DSA . However, the DSA does not meet the cost of diagnostic assessments.
Where the College requires a diagnostic assessment of an individual student’s needs in respect of dyslexia or related condition in relation to a College course, it will meet the cost of that assessment to a maximum amount of £100 provided that the student concerned has accepted a place on the relevant course and paid the appropriate deposit.
Similarly, where the College requires an evaluation of a student’s needs in respect of dyslexia or related condition to be updated in relation to a College course, it will meet the cost of that assessment to a maximum amount of £100 for students enrolled on a course or for students who have accepted a place on an appropriate course, provided that the student has paid the appropriate deposit and is not eligible or successful in applying for the DSA.
The College does not have any staff qualified to diagnose disability or access needs. Neither does the College have staff qualified to give specialist disability-related one-to-one learning support if this is recommended.
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Staff training
Relevant members of College staff are introduced to the College’s procedures and practice in relation to students with disabilities or special needs as part of their induction training.
For key personnel, specialist training is arranged from time to time as required either by changes in personnel responsible for students with disabilities / special needs or when, due to the elapse of time, a refresher is required.
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Feedback
In addition to ongoing informal feedback throughout the year, in the final term of studies course evaluation questionnaires enable the responses of students with special needs to be evaluated.
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Responsibilities
This policy is maintained by the Registry, which chairs the Special Needs Group which consists of all Special Needs contacts and representatives of relevant service departments. The Group assures consistency in practice, identifies issues, discusses future activity and policy development and shares ‘‘know-how’’.
Special Needs Tutors report annually to the relevant Centre Executive Board and to the Special Needs Group.
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