Personal support and independent living for students with disability

After applying to study at the University, use this checklist to know what you’ll need to do before you arrive. The following should be done up to six months before you arrive in the UK.

Request a tour

Complete this online form to contact the University's Disability Service. They can organise a tour for you to select the type of room that will best suit your needs. 

• Accessibility is varied across University halls.
• Wheelchair accessible or ground floor accessible rooms are available on request in University accommodation.
• Adjacent accommodation can be made available for carers or personal assistants if you require 24-hour care and support.

University halls of residence are communities where students are treated as independent adults responsible for their behaviour and for looking after themselves. Support is available for all residents from the Halls Life team.

Declare equipment or physical adaptations

Contact your local occupational therapy service to organise equipment or physical adaptations made to your accommodation.

Please alert the Disability Service who can ensure that the necessary work is carried out. 

Arrange a Single Shared Assessment (SSA)

Contact your local social services to discuss daily personal care or assistance to live independently and, if needed, to carry out an SSA.

Ensure that this assessment is based on you living independently in a residence without parental support. After the assessment is completed, social services will make recommendations about the support or care package you require as well as the cost. The information in the assessment must give an accurate and realistic account of living in a residence.

Let the Disability Service know as soon as possible if you encounter difficulties securing a support package.

The following websites may also help:

• Disabled Students' Allowance
• A user's guide to self-directed support in Scotland – Scottish Government
• Apply for direct payments – GOV.UK
• How to get social care services – Citizens Advice

For specific information about organisations in Fife, please see: 

• Enable Cares – Enable
• Am I eligible for care and support services? – Fife Council
• Adult Resources supported living – Fife Council

Consider who to employ if you need a personal assistant or carer

After securing the funding for your support package you have three main options:

• employ a personal assistant from a private care agency
• employ a friend or family member
• recruit a personal assistant from the local community

You can recruit a personal assistant by placing an advert in a local newspaper and conducting interviews yourself.

When you employ someone directly, you: 

• are responsible for line managing your employee
• are responsible for your personal assistant's behaviour in and around the University, and they are subject to the same accommodation terms and conditions as other residents if they live with you in University accommodation
• must consider what you will do if your personal assistant becomes ill or takes annual leave

The University does not provide advice on line managing your personal assistant. You should seek appropriate legal and accounting advice on the implications of becoming an employer.

The University must be satisfied that the care package recommended by social services is sufficient. The University cannot take responsibility for deficiencies in the support package, such as the personal assistant becoming ill or not providing the correct standard of support. For advice on these issues, contact your local social services.

Disclosure check

When employing a personal assistant, whether it is an individual from the local community, a friend or family member, you will need to submit a current enhanced Disclosure check to the University. 

You must email a copy of this Disclosure to the University and your potential employee should be made aware of this.

For advice on completing a Disclosure check, complete this online form or contact your local social services. 

Find out about nursing care

If you require daily or regular nursing care, contact St Andrews NHS Health Centre. The University does not offer any nursing care.

Benefits

We encourage you to check if you are claiming all the welfare benefits you are entitled to, for example, Personal Independent Payment (PIP) or housing benefits. You can contact your local social services or Citizens Advice Bureau for more information.