Specialist Notetaker

If you have funding through the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) and the University of Derby is your provider, you can book your support with us directly. 

For students who are eligible for DSA, but have not yet applied, read our Applying for DSA webpage or Contact Us at Student Services. 

For students who are not eligible for DSA, please speak to your Disability Advisor for Disability Support. 

To book your Specialist Notetaking support, please contact the Student Support team on nmh@derby.ac.uk. 

Visit our Applying for DSA page for support in how to apply for the Disabled Students Allowance prior to starting university. 

Once support is in place, you will receive a DSA2 letter outlining the provider of your Non-Medical Helper. 

If your Non-Medical Helper provider is the University of Derby, please email nmh@derby.ac.uk. Once you have completed enrolment, we can put your support in place.

1.  Please contact the Student Support team on nmh@derby.ac.uk to be allocated a Specialist Notetaker, either by the University of Derby or Cosmic People. 
2. One of the team will get in touch to ask you some follow up questions about your support preferences. 
3. You will be provided with the name, email address and photograph of your Specialist Notetaker. 

We recognise that some students may wish to sit close by their Specialist Notetaker as this can support the notetaking process. However, if you would prefer to not disclose to your peers that you are having support from a Specialist Notetaker, we can organise anonymous notetaking. Your Specialist Notetaker will sit elsewhere in lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops, as appropriate. Lecturers will be informed that a Notetaker is present in the classroom. 

If you wish to remain anonymous, please inform the Student Support team on nmh@derby.ac.uk 

Your notes will be sent to your Unimail address within 24 hours. Please note, there may be a delay if the session includes diagrams, scientific symbols or mathematic formulae as these are difficult to record electronically and may need to be produced later. Your Specialist Notetaker will inform you of potential delays to receiving your notes. 

In the first instance, please contact your Specialist Notetaker to discuss how they can ensure the layout, style and detail of the notes can meet your needs. Your feedback is important to ensure the support is right for you. 

The Student Support team will contact you in your first and second semester to ensure your support is satisfactory. However, please do not hesitate to contact the Student Support team throughout the semester if you need any further support. 

Your Specialist Notetaker will not attend a class if you are absent, unless this absence has been agreed with the Student Support Manager.

Notes may be taken in absence if you are absent for medical treatment or hospital treatment related to your disability or long-term health condition. Please provide evidence of upcoming treatment or appointments as soon as possible to ensure we can schedule your support. Evidence can be sent to the Student Support team on nmh@derby.ac.uk 

Support sessions provided by the University of Derby are recorded using a platform called Connect. You will receive a weekly email to your Unimail account from Connect asking you to confirm whether your session took place or not. This allows the Student Support team to let your funding body know if the support has taken place. To ensure that the Disabled Students Allowance continues to offer you support, you must confirm your sessions. 

If you do not confirm your support, we will ask your Specialist Notetaker to confirm your sessions on a paper timesheet. 

To confirm that your sessions either took place or not, please log on to your Connect platform. 

No, the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) will fund the amount of hours agreed on your DSA2 letter. If you have given consent to the DSA, the Student Support team are responsible for invoicing for your sessions directly from your funding body to inform them how many hours have been used. Your only responsibility is confirm your sessions on Connect. 

Please email the Student Support team on nmh@derby.ac.uk who will send you a link to reset your password on Connect.  

Contact the Student Support team at the University of Derby on nmh@derby.ac.uk or 07860097674 (text only)

If you support has been provided by Cosmic People contact them on support@cosmic.co.uk or 01283716333 

If you support has been provided by Randstad contact them on StudentSupportCentral@randstad.co.uk   or 01612478800

If you run out of your DSA or University funded hours, you can discuss your ongoing support needs with your Disability Advisor. Your Disability Advisor can process a request for additional funded hours. 

Please note this process can take some time, so please check your used hours with your the Student Support team in your second semester.

Please contact the Student Support team if you need to make a change to your Specialist Notetaking support. Be as open and honest as you possibly can to ensure we get the support right for you. 

Please note that support may need to continue with your current Specialist Notetaker for a short period whilst we find a replacement.