Quality Assurance Statement

Information for Assessors and Funders

The Dyslexia Foundation aims to provide a quality service to students, support tutors and education partners while seeking continuous improvement, the support they have received. This allows us to remain student-focused and build on our service provision.

Our team of professional, experienced tutors have access to a continuous professional development programme and are subject to performance appraisals to guarantee quality assured one-to-one support for students. Our support tutors are also required to complete a Dyslexia Awareness training programme and go through an induction process to ensure a high standard of performance is offered.

Tutors are selected through a stringent interview and selection process and all prospective tutors must provide references and evidence of all relevant qualifications and entitlement to work in the UK. Support tutors must also provide a disclosure and barring service certificate on an annual basis, in the interests of student safety.

Detailed records of every hour of support are maintained on a monthly basis and subject to regular review to ensure the content of the sessions reflect our overall aim, which is to empower students and encourage them to become independent learners. Our records also enable us to identify whether students are accessing the support they are entitled to and are satisfied with the support they are receiving.

We also offer a wraparound service to our students, during their undergraduate and postgraduate periods. We offer free support and guidance after their studies have completed if they need it, through our helpline 0800 077 8763, and one to one drop in support at our Liverpool office base.

We are proud of our tutors as many of them offer pro bono support to students that have used their hourly locations, but still need support. In academic year 2016/2017 68 pro bono hours were offered by our tutors. In addition, many of our tutors’ volunteer as reading help support to adults with low literacy levels. In 2016 there was a total of 72 volunteer reading hours provided by our tutors.

At the end of each year, a questionnaire is emailed to all students supported, asking them for their comments on the support they have received. This allows us to remain student-focused and build on our service provision.

Regular contact is maintained with both students and support tutors, as good communication is essential to the provision of our service.