Disability and Inclusion Policy

The purpose of this policy is to:  

• provide assurance to potential applicants with a disability or learning need that Tes Institute will seek to provide support and actively welcomes applications from them;
• provide Tes Institute students with a disability or learning need with the information required to enable them to seek assistance and arrange for reasonable accommodations where required and appropriate, including in assessment.

This policy applies to all:

• applicants or potential applicants to Tes Institute;
• students of Tes Institute.

Those students that require accommodations in all areas of their studies with Tes Institute will be considered through this procedure.

Those students seeking accommodations in assessment only, for example, additional time, are advised to contact Tes Institute to discuss possible accommodation in assessment.

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (SENDA) requires education providers such as Tes Institute to make 'reasonable provisions' to ensure people with disabilities or special needs are provided with the same opportunities as those who are not disabled.

Tes Institute is committed to promoting access for people with disabilities and additional needs. Tes Institute supports and enables students with physical disabilities, sensory impairments, specific learning difficulties, special psychological needs and medical conditions that can have an impact on day-to-day activities, to participate in and successfully complete Tes Institute programmes, as far as is reasonably practicable and within any constraints laid down by relevant professional bodies.

To this end, Tes Institute will:

• encourage applications from people with disabilities;
• ensure that all potential applicants, as well as students, have access to this policy;
• seek to provide information in suitable formats to accommodate individual needs;
• assess applicants who disclose disabilities or specific needs solely on the basis of their academic potential and suitability to train to teach;
• invite applicants with a disability or specific need to contact Tes Institute to discuss how their requirements can be accommodated;
• provide additional support or resources at the application stage to enable the applicant to complete the application process including attending interview where applicable;
• offer additional provision to ensure there is no disadvantage compared with other applicants;
• work towards the earliest possible assessment of needs and offer of reasonable accommodations where required;
• make reasonable accommodations in assessment where applicable and without impacting the learning outcomes to be assessed;
• provide educational support services as appropriate and applicable for eligible students;
• take steps to encourage students with progressive conditions, or who become disabled during their programme of study, to continue their studies;
• promote an inclusive environment and attitude at Tes Institute and endeavour to provide appropriate training to staff and faculty where required.
   

The Equality Act 2010 guidance states:

“A person has a disability if he has a physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.”

Anyone who has HIV, cancer or multiple sclerosis is automatically treated as disabled under the Act.

The Equality Act 2010 does not require providers to make reasonable adjustments to a provision, criterion or practice that is defined as a competence standard. It is good practice for providers to:

• identify what the competence standards are for each course and assessment;
• why they are competence standards;
• to record that information;
• to share it with students.

Information on competence standards, assessment and reasonable adjustments should be made available to students so they can make informed decisions when applying to courses.

This procedure is based on the principles of inclusion, accessibility and the promotion of equality. Tes Institute seeks to comply with equality legislation and is also mindful of the requirements of professional bodies. Where difficulties might arise between the two, Tes Institute can seek additional professional advice in an attempt to support the student wherever possible.

Tes Institute accepts that it might be appropriate to discuss access and inclusion matters with a third party representative and will undertake such discussions in a general sense. Unless Tes Institute is in receipt of express written permission from the applicant or student concerned, detailing the matters that can be discussed, with whom and in what circumstances, Tes Institute will not discuss the specific details of individual applicants or students with a third party except in the following circumstances:

• to validate evidence provided to support a request for accommodations (see below)
• in the prevention or detection of a crime
• where the student’s behaviour suggests they or other people may be put at risk
• where the student’s condition would prevent them from fulfilling professional practice requirements
• where students must disclose due to professional practice requirements.

Information about a student’s physical or mental health is classified as special category personal data and must be stored and used in line with the requirements of data protection legislation. Reasonable adjustments should be made in line with a student’s request for confidentiality. If the student asks for disclosure of a disability to be kept confidential, it should be explained to the student that a likely consequence of this is that reasonable adjustments might have to be provided in an alternative way, that a less effective adjustment is provided or that appropriate and tailored support cannot be put in place. This explanation must be recorded in writing.

Applicants or potential applicants with a disability or learning need are advised to contact the relevant Programme Officer by e-mail or telephone to discuss their personal needs with a view to Tes Institute implementing appropriate strategies and resources to accommodate their needs in applying for a programme of study at Tes Institute.

Applicants or potential applicants can be required to provide independent, authenticated evidence to support their request for accommodations.

All such requests are brought to the attention of the relevant Programme Director who will make necessary arrangements to support the application.

The applicant will be advised of the arrangements and accommodations to be made to facilitate their application and completion of the admissions process.

Applicants to a Tes Institute Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Programme will be required to complete a Fitness to Work Declaration, as part of the eligibility and suitability requirements for the programme.

Tes Institute recognises that there can be occasions when a disability or learning need is not disclosed at the point of application. In such cases, Tes Institute cannot guarantee to provide all necessary resources and support but will at all times seek to make reasonable accommodations in line with relevant legislation once the disclosure has been made and assessment completed.

Please see Appendix A of this policy for detailed information about the support for trainees on Tes Institute’s ITT Programme.

Students should advise Tes Institute of their circumstances at the earliest opportunity. Ideally, this should be through the Programme Support Officer who will bring it to the attention of the relevant Programme Director.

Students will be required to provide original, independent and authenticated evidence from a relevant consultant, health care practitioner or educational psychologist providing details of the disability, condition or learning need, the impact this has and the recommended support requirements to be provided by Tes Institute.

On receipt, the relevant Programme Director will assess the submission and identify the means by which Tes Institute can meet with the accommodations identified. This can require discussion with Tes Institute colleagues and, where applicable, school staff to ensure all teaching, learning and assessment requirements are taken into account and may require a risk assessment where appropriate, particularly in the case of students who are undertaking school placements.

All information is maintained in strict confidence in line with data protection legislation and shared only on a need-to-know basis. Please see the section Procedure for Promoting Student Support: Access and Inclusion for further information.

Tes Institute will endeavour to consider the requirements of disabled students in the following areas:

• inclusive and accessible programme design;
• that, where practicable, all learning and teaching materials are accessible as standard;
• that, where practicable, disabled students have equal opportunities to access both online learning and school-based placements;
• that appropriate assessment adjustments are implemented within the constraints of Tes Institute policy, to ensure that assessment practices should provide the same opportunities as non-disabled peers.

Prior to Programme Start

• At application
  • Declaration of a disability
• At interview
  • Applicant given opportunity to discuss any barriers / possible support
• Upon offer of a placement on the programme
  • Initial needs assessment leading to potential recommendation of Occupational Health (OH) assessment
  • Trainee gives consent to an OH assessment / sharing of information with programme support team
  • OH assessment tales place and results discussed with trainee, partnership and school leaders
  • Support plan discussed between partnership / school / programme leader and trainee. Plan shared with leaders, pathway tutor and mentor and actions put in place.

Prior to Programme Start – process in detail

• Applications are checked for any declaration of a disability to trigger an opportunity to start a  conversation with the trainee at interview
• At interview, trainees are given the opportunity to discuss any barriers to training and any support they would benefit from (trainees do not need to declare at interview but as an inclusive provider, Tes Institute gives trainees the opportunity)
• Once offered a place, before the start of the programme, Programme leaders make an initial assessment of the trainee's needs in discussion with the trainee (for all trainees declaring a disability at application or at interview) The outcome would be to recommend OH assessment or not (e.g. if a trainee has a long-standing illness such as diabetes, the trainee may decline an OH assessment; however, most discussions result in a recommendation for an OH referral)
• Trainee consents to an OH referral and to share their disability and needs with those closely supporting them during training: Programme Leaders, Partnership Leader, School leader, Mentor and Pathway Tutor
• OH referral takes place, usually before the programme start; depending on the trainee need, the trainee will not usually be in school whilst awaiting the OH assessment
• OH assessment is received and discussed with the trainee, partnership leader and school leader
• A support plan is discussed between partnership leader or school leader or programme leader and the trainee. The plan is then shared with leaders, Pathway Tutor and Mentor and actions put in place. The support plan is reviewed regularly and adapted as necessary (both 1st and 2nd placements)

During the programme

During the programme - process in detail

• Concern raised by school leader, pathway tutor or programme leader or a trainee discloses an illness, disability  or mental health condition
• Programme and partnership leader assesses trainee need in discussion with the trainee
• OH referral is recommended or no OH referral is made and decisions are recorded
• OH assessment is received and discussed with the trainee, partnership leader and school leader
• Where no OH referral is made, partnership and programme leaders will put a support plan in place (even if the plan is to take no action but review in a certain number of weeks)
• A support plan is discussed between partnership leader, school leader or programme leader and the trainee. The plan is then shared with leaders, the pathway tutor and mentor and actions put in place
• The support plan is reviewed regularly and adapted as necessary
• The support plan is reviewed on second placement and adapted as necessary
• If the trainee’s condition worsens:
  • the trainee can be asked to consent to a further OH assessment
  • programme leaders may consult an OH specialist for a face-to-face meeting with the trainee and a review of the support plan.