PeeQuality Assurance for dyslexia specialist 1:1 tutors Janet Skinner, Chair of ADSHE QA working party Devon and Cornwall ADSHE regional group 22 nd November 2011 Supervision; the pilot

Overview What is QA? Why bother? Background to pilot Self-audit tool Professional Peer Supervison pilot Next steps 2

What is QA?  No single model  Different professions have developed different models  Often an assumption that experienced specialists tutors do not need quality assurance or supervision 3

What is QA (contd)?  QA for dyslexia specialists often informal rather than formal  Way of evaluating practice and ensuring that all work is of best standard / CPD  Way of maintaining high professional standards  QA is accountable, transparent and consistent 4

Why bother?  Increasing professionalism  Fits in with national initiatives  Demonstrates that we are doing a good job  Demonstrates that dyslexia specialists have effective ways of monitoring and quality assuring dyslexia support across HEIS. 5

Background to QA working party  Set up in June 2010 to build on work from Guidelines for QA  To research and benchmark existing QA procedures  To draft Code of Ethics  To design self-audit tool for tutors & institutions for CPD  To introduce Professional Peer Supervision(PPS) 6

Members of QA working party  Shirley Dow (University of Essex)  Mary Edelmann (freelance tutor)  Janet Skinner, consultant assessor and tutor (formerly University of Southampton)  Tanya Zybutz (Central School of Speech and Drama) 7

What has happened so far?  Disseminated to ADSHE membership in variety of ways  Series of workshops and consultation meetings  Version 10 of self-audit tool  Presentation at conferences  Self-audit tool & PPS pilots 8

Register  ADSHE plan to set up register of dyslexia specialist tutors  Hope to work collaboratively with other dyslexia professional bodies  Aim to integrate QA across sector 9

Register (contd)  Tutors commit to ADSHE principles & code of ethics  Undertake self-audit and CPD on regular basis  Engage in PPS  Tutors opt to go on register 10

ADSHE 7 principles  Multi-sensory learning  Metacognition  Modelling & monitoring  Overlearning  Relevance  Little and often  Motivation 11

ADSHE Code of Ethics  Our code ensures that members are committed to:  Maintaining high professional standards  Evaluating their practice  Engaging in a self-determined programme of CPD  Respecting confidentiality of student 12

ADSHE Guidelines  Support agreed by student & tutor  Students responsible for their own learning: tutors as facilitators  Individual differences  Flexibility – changing priorities  Specialist v generic support 13

Self-audit tool  Institutions to trial the tool and make comments for improvements  Starting point for tutors to reflect on and evaluate their own practice  Identify any CPD / Supervision needs 14

Ways of using self-audit tool  Tutors within institutions + freelance tutors  Can be completed individually or collectively  Can be completed in one go or separate sessions 15

(A) Individual tutorial sessions  SpLD profiles/engaging students  Promoting independent learning  Incorporating ADSHE 7 principles  Establishing a structure  Managing student expectation  Specific or general difficulties? 16

Individual tutorial sessions (contd)  Importance of Assistive Technology  Recognising non-academic factors  Reflection on past year  Case study 17

(B) Professional considerations  Supervision  CPD  Confidentiality  Working conditions and lone working  Insurance/CRB  Record keeping 18

(C) Institutional considerations  Initial screening  Assessments  Sharing information with colleagues  Student feedback  Originally developed institutional audit as well – this on hold 19

PPS – what is it?  New concept for dyslexia tutors  Draw on clinical & other supervision models and adapt for tutor purposes  SFE support  Mutual benefit  Confidential  Flexible format 20

PPS: What is it? (contd)  Focussed listening – opportunity for peers to reflect on their experiences/work, as part of CPD  Collaborative  Dyslexia tutors working together to pool experience 21

Different approaches  Peer pairs - swap roles (or not)  1 supervisor & several supervisees  Team supervision – colleagues working together  Network – working with colleagues in different institutions e.g. ADSHE regional group 22

1:1 Peer supervision  Both colleagues have opportunity to reflect on current practice, particular issues and/or specific work  Supervisor not intended to challenge or offer advice unless asked 23

Groups: pre-agreed topic for discussion  Aspects of 1:1 support  Areas of study skills  Supporting particular students  Brainstorming sessions e.g. ways to improve practice  Research paper  Staff awareness 24

Next steps of QA working party  Assimilate comments from pilot  Revise self-audit tool  Introduce early 2012  Trial supervision training session January 2012  Review supervision training and offer on regular basis  Continue to work with other professional dyslexia organisations 25

Continuous improvement  Quality assurance is not the destination, but a journey to continuously improve and exhibit excellence. 26

Contact details  Janet Skinner, Chair of ADSHE Quality Assurance Working Party  Independent dyslexia consultant  