ADSHE QUALITY ASSURANCE POLICY

September 2013

Overview

Why is QA important?

ADSHE REGISTER

Self-audit tool

Professional Peer

Supervision

Background

Quality Assurance Working Party set up in June 2010 to build on work from Guidelines for establishing Quality Assurance protocols

To design CPD self-audit tools

To introduce peer supervision (PPS) models

To set up a register of dyslexia specialist tutors

To provide good practice guidelines and set up standards for dyslexia specialists to follow

The Wider Context

Setting standards in the sector

Ways of ensuring quality assurance for non-medical helpers across the sector

Business Innovation & Skills

Student Finance England

Eventually some form of QA mandatory

Crucial that ADSHE sets the standards for QA in HE

Why is QA important?

To demonstrate that dyslexia specialists have a variety of effective ways of

monitoring and quality assuring dyslexia

support across HEIs

Interested parties: students; funding

bodies; institutions; Dyslexia Professional

Body (ADSHE)

QA is accountable, transparent and

consistent with the clear aim of ensuring best practice across

the sector

ADSHE QA Policy

ADSHE Quality Assurance Policy Professional Standards

An ADSHE Register of professionally qualified tutors who undertake regular CPD including

supervision

A list of ADSHE registered tutors available for freelance work

Demonstrates that dyslexia specialists have a variety of effective ways of monitoring and

quality assuring dyslexia support across HEIs

Policy Appendices

Membership Code of Ethics

Complaints Procedure

Appropriate qualifications

Membership categories

4. Invited member

Professionals (including Educational Psychologists and Disability Officers) working in the field of dyslexia/SpLDs, who are not necessarily Specialist SpLD tutors.

3. Student member

2. ADSHE registered member

1. Ordinary member – individualProfessionals qualified to work in a 1:1 tutorial support

capacity with SpLD students in higher educationSpecialist tutors with experience of working in a 1:1 tutorial support capacity with SpLD students in higher education

Applying to be on the RegisterProvide evidence of qualifications

Agree to abide by ADSHE QA procedures (Code of Ethics, Quality Assurance Policy and Guidelines)

Keep a log of CPD activities and provide evidence of CPD (self-audit tool; professional peer supervision

Provide evidence of recent specialist 1:1 tutorial experience

ADSHE Freelance List

Registered members can opt to be put on ADSHE

Freelance List of Specialist SpLD tutors

Evidence required on yearly basis:• current CRB clearance• professional indemnity insurance• Evidence of teaching

CPD

Reflection on practice e.g. self-audit tool

Supervision (e.g.PPS)

Updating skills

Attendance at conferences/training days

Research into relevant topics

Critical reading e.g. review chapter in book, newsletter contribution; current research;

presentation

Self-audit toolA tool for self-reflection on

your own professional

practice

Questions are designed to trigger reflection

No right or wrong ‘answers’

Note action you need to

take

Can be used individually or in groups

What is PPS?

A way of using reflective

practice and shared

experiences

Part of continuing

professional development

(CPD)

It can provide opportunities for

reflection/ developing expertise

Gaining professional

support

Identifying concerns/issues

to enable practitioners to strive for best

practice

Benefits of PPS

Mutual support

Share common experiences

Solve complex tasks

Learn new techniques/strategies

Increase insight

Evidence engagement in peer supervision

14

Structure of PPS

Group or 1:1?

1 supervisor;

1 supervisee

1 supervisor;

4-6 supervisees

Team – colleagues

working together

15

Format

What type of topic/discussion?

How record

the session?

How to evaluate?

How to offer

feedback?

16

Good questions to ask yourself before embarking on PPS

What do I want to get out of my PPS sessions?

What can I

bring to the PPS

role?

How might I go about preparing

myself?

How often do I meet

and where?

17

Active listening

Resist offering advice solutions or personal anecdotes (unless requested)

Ask open, objective questions to help speaker clarify own thoughts

Importance of careful listening, focussing on the other person

SOLER

S – face the presenter SQUARELY, in a positive manner which shows you are giving your full attention.

O – Adopt an OPEN posture to show that you are ready to listen and engage with what the presenter is saying. L – If appropriate, LEAN towards the presenter to show that you are engaging fully. E – Maintain EYE contact. R – Keep a RELAXED attitude i.e. not fidgeting or distracting the presenter in any way and showing that you are comfortable with the presenter.

McGill and Brockbank (2004)

Careful questions:

Open questions

Contracting questions

Clarifyingquestions

Challenging

questions

Catalytic questions

ABC Model 

• Awareness of issue

• Beliefs about issue

• Consequences – emotional and behavioural.

It will then be possible to work through:

• Disputing beliefs related to the issue and then try to plan  

• Effective response to issue  

CLEAR model

C• Contract: Agreeing basic ground rules and roles; establishing outcomes.

L• Listen: Active listening by supervisor to understand supervisee and work.

E• Explore: Working together to create different responses to issues through questioning, reflection and offering fresh insight and awareness.

A• Action: After exploring different options, the supervisee chooses a way forward and agrees the first steps. ‘Fast-forward rehearsal’

R• Review: Review the actions. Feedback about the supervision process. Planned future action.

GROW model

G• Establish the GOAL• What do you want?

R• Examine the reality• Uncover real issues; what has/has not worked

O

• Consider all the Options• Consider the• Draw out all possible solutions; selected preferred options

W

• Confirm the Will to Act / Way Forward• Discuss possible implications; commit to action/plan; identify

support; check goal achieved

PRACTICE coaching model7 stages

Problem identificationRealistic Relevant goalsAlternative solutionsConsider the ConsequencesTarget most feasible solutionsImplementation of Chosen SolutionsEvaluation

Stephen Palmer (2008)

Action learning

Professor Revans introduced the concept of Action Learning to the

business world in the 1940s.

"Action learning is not new; like all organic growth it depends more upon the reinterpretation of old and familiar ideas than upon the

acquisition of new cognitive knowledge” Revans (2011).

Background

Action Learning was originally intended for managers but it is ideally

suited for experienced dyslexia practitioners

Now used in many different contexts: business, education and the church

Based on coaching models of supervision

“There can be no learning without

action and no action without

learning” Revans (2011)

.…… an opportunity to

have regular and purposeful

conversations about current

uncertainties with the absolute intention of

discovering new options

Revans (2013)www.3dcoaching.com

What the action learning process can offer you:

A personal and professional

development tool 

A ‘safe’ environment to explore new ways of thinking and practising

Space for individual reflective learning which can lead to

action

A fresh perspective on your working practices and time to think about

creative ideas which you can incorporate in

your regular work

Insight into how others achieve different

solutions

Support and challenge from peers.

How does it work?

Small groups (sets) of professionals work together on real life issues/situations to examine and challenge current ways of

working.

The presenter describes a situation, problem or challenge that they are currently working

with.

The facilitator keeps focus, reflects back and summarises.

The set members help the presenter review his/her options. This helps the presenter reflect

and come to a deeper or different understanding and decide on action.

Details

Other group members also ask

questions – the facilitator prompts

responses; comments on any

questions which are not helpful

At the end of the session the

facilitator sums up what has been

discussed and asked the presenter what

they have learnt and what action they will take in consequence.

The presenter takes what s/he has learnt

back to their workplace – initiating changes and trying

new ideas or approaches

At the next meeting the presenter

reports on the action they have taken.

The role of the facilitator

The facilitator initiates the

meeting by asking the presenter

what s/he wants to think about and what s/he hopes to gain from the meeting. (This is the contract).

The facilitator ensures that the questioning is focussed and

specific and that it is relevant to

the Presenter and not the Set Members.

The Role of the Set Members

Set members ask questions, make observations and ensure that the Presenter has

sufficient time for reflection.

Set members should focus solely on listening to the

presenter and what s/he is saying and helping him/her to gain clarity, not on

how they would react in a similar situation.

Before asking questions, it is helpful to think how useful the

question is to the presenter.

General Principles

Group members do not give advice, tell anecdotes, pass judgement or talk about their own situations – their task is to stay focussed on the Presenter and his/her issue

Each group member is responsible for resolving his/her own issues

Other group members support and enable the Presenter to explore issues

Empathy and confidentiality are essential

Diagram to describe the Action Learning Journey

References

Hawkins P, Shohet R: Supervision in the Helping Professions. Berkshire, McGraw Hill Education 3rd edition (2011)  McGill I, Brockbank A: The Action Learning Handbook. Oxon, Routledge (2004)  Revans, R ABC of Action Learning (2011) Tower Publishing Limited: Farnham

Rogers, J: Coaching Skills - A Handbook. Berkshire, Open University Press 3rd edition (2012)