Note-takers, Orientation & Mobility Support

For your support, we will:

• Arrange a face to face meeting to discuss your support and individual preferences
• Ask how you want your notes to be taken and formatted
• Take handwritten notes unless typed notes are specified in your funding approval letter
• Ensure all Academic Support Workers undertake a spelling test and written exercise at interview
• Ensure all note takers are trained by an OCN note taker trainer
• Ensure note takers submit sample notes each term so we can monitor the quality of the notes provided
• Ask you for regular feedback on your support

When and where?

We will ask you to send us your timetable and highlight the sessions when you would like a note taker. Our Academic Support Workers discretely introduce themselves to the lecturer/teacher, take notes and hand them to you at the end of the session. It is your preference if you sit next to your note taker.

Our Academic Support Workers understand the importance of confidentiality and will not disclose any information about you or your support to your teaching staff or peers.

The support can be as discrete as you wish, for example, some of our students prefer notes to be scanned and emailed after the session.

Who do we support?

We support students in Further and Higher Education at college and university.

Funding

Academic Support Workers are usually funded through the Disabled Students’ Allowances or Access to Work but some people pay privately or are sponsored by their employer. If you use our service to access a support worker, we will invoice your funding body directly and deal with all the employment requirements of your support worker, such as recruitment, payment of tax and national insurance.