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Getting your views on the benefits system
Student Loans Company Disabled Student Services Bulletin
Student Loans Company Announcement - 25th May 2010
QAA works with higher education institutions to support the experiences of disabled students Skills submission to the review of the Student Loans Company
Equality Challenge Unit produces guidance for academics on ensuring that materials are accesible
New Version of 'Bridging the Gap' available
Business engagement with schools and colleges - NCEE report
Proposed strict new rules for international students
Your views on the benefits system
Skill together with the Disability Benefits Consortium are doing a survey to find out more about your experiences of the benefits system. We are going to use the information we get from the survey to help the Government better understand the impact changes to benefits like Incapacity Benefit, Disability Living Allowance and Local Housing Allowance will have on disabled people. We will also use the information to make people more aware of how important benefits are. The survey should take no longer than 15 minutes and will close on 20 October.
You can take the survey here
Student Loans Company Disabled Student Services Bulletin
The Student Loans Comapny has many partners and stakeholders who they work with to deliver their service. One of the ways we keep you up to date is through their regular bulletins
Read the latest Disabled Student Services bulletin - Bulletin 1 June 2010
Student Loans Company Announcement
The Student Loans Company (SLC) has today announced that its Chairman John Goodfellow has stood down and its Chief Executive Ralph Seymour Jackson has resigned from the company.
John Goodfellow has been chair since December 2008 and Ralph Seymour Jackson, Chief Executive, for the last seven years.
Professor Sir Deian Hopkin, former vice chancellor of London South Bank University has been appointed interim chairman.
The process for the SLC Board appointing a new interim chief executive is well advanced and will be announced in due course.
Sir Deian said, “On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank John and Ralph for their service to the Student Loans Company and to wish them both well for the future.
“I have been in the higher education sector all of my career and know only too well how important financial support is for students. I look forward to bringing my experience and understanding of the sector to support the company as it continues to implement the agreed programme of improvements.
I believe the company is better placed to deliver an improved service to customers this year.”
John Goodfellow said.”The Student Loans Company performs an essential role in delivering financial support to over a million learners across the UK and I am proud of what it has achieved. Although there were well documented difficulties, which led to poor customer service last year for those who applied to Student Finance England, I am confident that the lessons have been learned and that the new service will realise its potential. I also know that all the staff of the SLC is committed to providing a good service for their customers and I wish them all every success in the future.”
The Minister of State for Universities and Science, David Willetts, said:
“I am grateful to Mr Goodfellow for what he has done to lead and develop the Student Loans Company, but I felt that, in the light of the PWC report, it was appropriate to look for fresh leadership to ensure that this year’s application cycle runs smoothly. I am sure the hard-working and dedicated staff of the company will continue to strive to provide students and their parents with the service they have the right to expect.”
The Price Waterhouse Coopers Report (PWC) was commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to review the preparedness of the SLC to implement key changes and improvements to support the 2010/11 academic yesr processing cycle for Student Finance England.
Ralph Seymour-Jackson said: “It has been my pleasure to lead the Student Loans Company for the last 7 years working with a group of dedicated staff who share my belief in the tremendous opportunity Higher Education represents for people throughout the UK. I wish the SLC and its staff every success now and in the future”
The Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act has become law. The Act will replace the Disability Discrimination Act and bring together different laws on the different equality groups including; Age, Disability, Gender reassignment, Marriage and civil partnership, Pregnancy and maternity, Race, Religion or belief, Sex and sexual orientation. Skill welcomes the Equality Act which gives new protection for disabled people from discrimination. You can download a Skill briefing here: Members' Section
QAA works with higher education institutions to support the experiences of disabled students
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has this week published a revised section of its Code of practice which covers how UK universities and colleges make their courses inclusive and premises accessible to disabled students.
Further information about the Code of practice, Section 3: disabled students, and a link to download it is available on QAA’s website http://www.qaa.ac.uk/news/media/pressReleases/230210A.asp
Equality Challenge Unit produces guidance for academics on ensuring that materials are accesible
The ECU has pulled together resources to support academics in producing accessible materials for disabled students. It includes guidance on producing accessible information, teaching in an inclusive way and ensuring information produced electronically is as accessible as possible. Skill welcomes the resources and will promote them to Higher Education Institutions.
They may be downloaded by following the link below.
Skills submission to the review of the Student Loans Company
Skill submitted evidence to the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) / Professor Hopkin Review of Student Loans Company with specific reference to disabled students applying for Disabled Students’ Allowance for entry October 2009 and onwards
Skill’s view is that disabled students are receiving an inferior service, and as a minority group identified by the Public Sector Duty, both the Student Loans Company (SLC) and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) need to rectify this for current applicants, and ensure that disabled students applying for 2010 will have a personalised application service. Read Skill's full report
Read the case studies, which include students who have contacted Skill’s Information service directly, and some received from Higher Education Institutes.
Graduate Talent Pool
Graduate Talent Pool is an internship programme from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) designed to help employers bring diverse talent into their workplace and provide career opportunities for graduates.
Employers can post their vacancies on the Graduate Talent Pool website for graduates to search. Graduates are then connected to businesses through a matching service.
For more information go to http://graduatetalentpool.direct.gov.uk or call 0845 072 7598
New Version of 'Bridging the Gap' available
The new version of 'Bridging the Gap' is now available for students in Higher Education. It covers changes to the arrangements for applying for student finance, including Disabled Students' Allowances from 2009-10.
To read the latest version go to the Directgov website
Business engagement with schools and colleges - NCEE report
The National Council for Educational Excellence (NCEE) has published its recommendations about school and college links with businesses and higher education institutions, and how early years, schools and colleges can work together to help raise standards.
Council members have developed recommendations about improving outcomes for children and a list of priorities that the NCEE and Government will use as a focus next year to mobilise businesses, universities and the education sector.
Proposed strict new rules for international students
The Home Office has published proposals for much tighter rules for international students - and the universities and colleges hosting them - under the student tier of its new Points Based System.
All colleges and universities that want to recruit international students will now need a license to do so and will have to take greater responsibility for their international students, helping Government crack down on bogus colleges who abuse the system. For the first time education providers face a ban on bringing over international students if they fail to follow strict new rules - including alerting the UK Border Agency (UKBA) if students fail to enroll.
Students will also face stringent new criteria if they want to study in the UK, ensuring only those who benefit Britain can come. Before they can study here, international students must:
- be sponsored by a UKBA-licensed education institution
- prove that they have the means to support themselves and their families while studying and
- supply their fingerprints.
Visas will only be granted to students who show a proven track record in education and are applying for a course that meets a minimum level of qualification. They must also be able to demonstrate they can financially support themselves and any of their dependants.
