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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What happens if my hours run out?

If your hours are running out, then you will need to email your needs assessor and ask them to make a recommendation to DSA for extra hours.  They may require a little information as to why you are making the request.  If the request is reasonable then there isn’t usually a problem.

 

2. What happens if I don’t use all my hours for the year?

Your allocation for each year resets on the 1st September.  Any unused hours are not rolled over and you will essentially ‘lose’ them.

 

3. What happens if I am not happy with my support worker?

This is your support, and we want you to make the most of it so if you are not happy than you can request to change support workers at any time.

 

4. What happens if I forget to approve my timesheet?

If you forget to approve your timesheet, please do not panic! We will send you reminder emails if we see that your timesheet has not been approved. However, if you have multiple timesheets that need approving, and you are not responding to our attempts to help you then we have a policy where we suspend support until you are up to date. This is because we cannot claim payments from DSA until you have approved your sessions.

 

5. What is the cancellation policy?

If you can not attend a session, then you need to give your support worker at least 24 hours’ notice, or you will lose an hour from your allocation. DSA do allow for a couple of missed sessions each academic term. We ask that as much as possible you respect the time of your workers and give them as much notice as you can.

 

6. What happens if I arrive late to a session?

If you are running late for your session, then you should inform your worker as soon as possible. If you have not made your worker aware, then after 15 minutes, the worker is entitled to leave the session, and it will be recorded as a ‘did not attend’. The worker can still decide to conduct the session, if they are able to do so but this will be at the workers discretion.

 

7. Can my support workers request information from my tutors/lecturers at university about my assessments etc.?

One of the key skills we are trying to encourage is independence, therefore you shouldn’t assume the level of support to be exactly the same that you might have received at primary and secondary school level. Your workers will sign post you in the direction of where you can get help at the university and they will encourage you and support you to do this, but they will NOT do it on your behalf, and you shouldn’t expect them to do so.

 

8. Can I have someone with me during my sessions?

It is absolutely fine for you to bring someone with you during your sessions such as a parent or friend if it makes you comfortable.

 

9. Can I use my support hours through the summer in case of resits etc.?

If you are going from your first year into your second year, or second year into your final year, then you can use your support throughout the summer providing you have hours left. If you are in your final year, then your support will finish when you have handed in your last piece of work or completed your last exam. If you are resitting in your final year, then you will need to obtain an official email from your university to send to DSA informing them of your new finish date.

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