Memorandum submitted by Skill: National
Bureau for Students with Disabilities
1. Skill: National Bureau for Students with
Disabilities is a national voluntary organisation that promotes
opportunities to empower young people and adults with any kind
of disability to realise their potential in further, continuing
and higher education, training and employment throughout the United
Kingdom. Skill works by providing information and advice to individuals,
promoting good practice and influencing policy in partnership
with disabled people, service providers and policy makers. As
such, Skill is only responding to those questions that may directly
affect disabled students.
2. Skill is pleased to have been able to
contribute to Ofsted's Disability Equality Scheme and welcomes
the thematic survey of Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG)
that will take place in 2008-09 and that of Special Educational
Needs (SEN) in 2009-10.
3. Skill is pleased that part of Ofsted's
Action Plan for Disability Equality includes a strengthened emphasis
of the presence of equalities policies. Skill believes that this
should go further. Skill recognises that Ofsted does not have
a role in enforcing the Disability Equality Duty, but believes
that the presence of a Disability Equality Scheme and the associated
Action Plan and annual reporting give a strong indicator on the
providers' commitment to equality issues. Skill recommends that
the presence of a Disability Equality Scheme should be part of
the Self-Evaluation Form (SEF), supported by random checks at
inspection. Skill recommends that Ofsted pass details onto the
Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) of any provider
failing to provide these policies.
4. In July 2007 Skill welcomed the DCSF
Quality Standards for Information Advice and Guidance for young
people. Skill is concerned though that young people receive high
quality and impartial IAG after the transfer of responsibility
for commissioning and funding IAG from the Connexions Service
to Local Authorities. Ofsted has previously inspected Connexions
providers directly and more recently this separate inspection
has been replaced by the Joint Area Review (JAR). Skill recommends
that the Joint Area Review include inspection of IAG provision,
not just inspection of the role of "Connexions services".
5. Skill is concerned that learners with
additional needs in Further Education provision are receiving
the correct support, this is because the extra costs of supporting
an individual must meet the agreed threshold before Additional
Learning Support (ALS) funding can be claimed. Skill believes
that it is important that all learners receive the necessary level
support, regardless of whether this is above the ALS threshold
or not. Learners with low support levels still require support
according to their needs in order for them to succeed. Skill recommends
that Ofsted consider low-level support needs in their inspection
of further education provision.
6. Skill looks forward to contributing to
Ofsted's reviews of IAG and SEN in 2008-09 and 2009-10 respectively.
May 2008
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