DSA money laundering on vulnerable students
Because is all about money laundering not helping the disabled students, they give you minimum configuration at triple price, overpriced licenses of software, consultants that you already have in Uni for free, this is all about taking advantage on disabled students and their vulnerability. A pc quoted at 3-400 by them wich you need to put 200£ is a rubbish that you can use it to watch movies on YouTube but nothing productive if you add specific software for example if you follow a design or computing degree, you find on eBay or backmarket refurbished at less than 200£, why making the claim just to top up their pockets? You should all fill a complaint with SFE DSA, is not fair play, they suggest you what you need instead of hearing what are your true needs, trying to sell you Windows products only which lately just looked at the news are hacked all the time, they're all about accessing your funds and the the real beneficiar are third party corporations. SFE really don't look on the forums that there is no happy student in here with the equipment given, 99% of you paying from pockets more than that product value if you would purchase on free market. Money laundering guys! I'm sick of this world full of greedy bas*ards! If you are awarded a grant should be your only to help you during your time in Uni!
Personally I have found the support and software from DSA incredibly useful and wouldn't be able to attend lectures without the software or survive at uni without the mentoring that they fund or printing funds etc
I realise you might have problems with the process but honestly I think the solution is finding something that works rather than removing the little support already avaliable
I realise you might have problems with the process but honestly I think the solution is finding something that works rather than removing the little support already avaliable
And it is for this reason that SFE have recently passed all needs assessments and assistive technology provision and training to two tenders, Capita and Study Tech who are working towards making the process more cost effective and stream lined.
Capita does not bode well at all.
It's early days to see if the process will work. For someone working in the sector like me we are hoping for a fairer process where larger support providers do not get the opportunity to eat up all the students and give independent providers like my self who have been dedicated to the field of support a chance to provide the high quality of support that students deserve. If you would like to know more please do not get in touch.
Best wishes,
Indi
Best wishes,
Indi
Hmmm, probably wouldn't want to go with someone not disclosing the nature of their involvement up front.
Original post by dirtmother
Hmmm, probably wouldn't want to go with someone not disclosing the nature of their involvement up front.
Original post by Indigo~Blue
And it is for this reason that SFE have recently passed all needs assessments and assistive technology provision and training to two tenders, Capita and Study Tech who are working towards making the process more cost effective and stream lined.
and supposedly cutting corners? I read an atricle saying an assessment used to cost 6 or 700£ (mine as listed in my DSA letter was £600) and now they're costing £200 or so. Cutting corners somewhere?
'You get a sense of how that tender process has gone when you hear that the fee for a needs assessment may well have dropped from around £600 to around £200, or even as low as £150 ...
Doing assessments on the cheap could mean cutting corners – and may also therefore mean that the level of qualification and experience that assessors have will also drop.
You can certainly argue that this feels like highly specialised work, and you’d want an assessor who fully understands disability via the social model, has direct experience of relevant software and equipment, and who can ask probing questions sensitively and read between the lines – because disabled students don’t always know what they need'
You can certainly argue that this feels like highly specialised work, and you’d want an assessor who fully understands disability via the social model, has direct experience of relevant software and equipment, and who can ask probing questions sensitively and read between the lines – because disabled students don’t always know what they need'
And what about the people who's centres are closing? What are we supposed to do? I've been trying to sort out an additional postcode (2 campus uni) to my taxi account (they had the main campus with the library/where I took and could be taking exams but not the secondary one I'm studying for the next 3 yrs) and DSA told me they had to reach out to the taxi company (Addison Lee) direct bc my centre is in the process of closing (I had no clue about the reforms and still don't understand it) What's going to happen if I need an adjustment to my assessment for example more taxis (in 1st yr so in 3x a week, next yr could be more so I'd need more journeys a week)
Am I going to have to re-do an assessment wtih one of these companies when I do my postgrad even though the support I get is very helpful and I probably won't need major changes/definitely won't have any changes in the severity of my disabilities in the next few years?
Worse still will I have to use one of them when I reapply for DSA next year (self funder/don't receive student finance, so have to reapply every year)
Deep breath - Believe it or not the system is changing this year. Fewer companies will be involved in the process and assessment of students. So your concerns are already being addressed by the lovely people at Student Finance England.
If your disapointed with the technology solution you've been personally offered, please consider this:
If your disapointed with the technology solution you've been personally offered, please consider this:
•
The specification of any device is designed to meet the needs of your study, nothing more.
•
The software and hardware you receive is backed with technical support, repairs, and insurance. So the cost your seeing isn't just for the device.
•
If your in financial hardship and the cost of the contribution you have to too high, contact your university they might have funds to cover the cost.
Original post by Agiwghthtwtbey
and supposedly cutting corners? I read an atricle saying an assessment used to cost 6 or 700£ (mine as listed in my DSA letter was £600) and now they're costing £200 or so. Cutting corners somewhere?
'You get a sense of how that tender process has gone when you hear that the fee for a needs assessment may well have dropped from around £600 to around £200, or even as low as £150 ...
And what about the people who's centres are closing? What are we supposed to do? I've been trying to sort out an additional postcode (2 campus uni) to my taxi account (they had the main campus with the library/where I took and could be taking exams but not the secondary one I'm studying for the next 3 yrs) and DSA told me they had to reach out to the taxi company (Addison Lee) direct bc my centre is in the process of closing (I had no clue about the reforms and still don't understand it) What's going to happen if I need an adjustment to my assessment for example more taxis (in 1st yr so in 3x a week, next yr could be more so I'd need more journeys a week)
Am I going to have to re-do an assessment wtih one of these companies when I do my postgrad even though the support I get is very helpful and I probably won't need major changes/definitely won't have any changes in the severity of my disabilities in the next few years?
Worse still will I have to use one of them when I reapply for DSA next year (self funder/don't receive student finance, so have to reapply every year)
'You get a sense of how that tender process has gone when you hear that the fee for a needs assessment may well have dropped from around £600 to around £200, or even as low as £150 ...
Doing assessments on the cheap could mean cutting corners – and may also therefore mean that the level of qualification and experience that assessors have will also drop.
You can certainly argue that this feels like highly specialised work, and you’d want an assessor who fully understands disability via the social model, has direct experience of relevant software and equipment, and who can ask probing questions sensitively and read between the lines – because disabled students don’t always know what they need'
You can certainly argue that this feels like highly specialised work, and you’d want an assessor who fully understands disability via the social model, has direct experience of relevant software and equipment, and who can ask probing questions sensitively and read between the lines – because disabled students don’t always know what they need'
And what about the people who's centres are closing? What are we supposed to do? I've been trying to sort out an additional postcode (2 campus uni) to my taxi account (they had the main campus with the library/where I took and could be taking exams but not the secondary one I'm studying for the next 3 yrs) and DSA told me they had to reach out to the taxi company (Addison Lee) direct bc my centre is in the process of closing (I had no clue about the reforms and still don't understand it) What's going to happen if I need an adjustment to my assessment for example more taxis (in 1st yr so in 3x a week, next yr could be more so I'd need more journeys a week)
Am I going to have to re-do an assessment wtih one of these companies when I do my postgrad even though the support I get is very helpful and I probably won't need major changes/definitely won't have any changes in the severity of my disabilities in the next few years?
Worse still will I have to use one of them when I reapply for DSA next year (self funder/don't receive student finance, so have to reapply every year)
A lot of assessments take place online mine was which makes it way easier and study tech matched me well to an assessor that had the same condition as I do. No complaints at all from them although student finance is being rather slow to approve the report.
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