About us
We are Capita plc, and work with the Student Loans Company (SLC) to carry out Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) study needs assessments and to provide assistive technology equipment and training, supporting students to thrive in higher education.
We take students through the process, from carrying out their study needs assessment and recommending support, to delivering their equipment and providing training.
We provide support for Student Finance England (SFE) and Student Finance Wales (SFW) students in Wales, the Midlands, London, the East of England and Northern Ireland.
DSA reforms – what is the current landscape?
Under the new framework, students will have a single point of contact for their end-to-end DSA journey, encompassing the study needs assessment, provision of assistive technology (AT) equipment and AT training (Non-Medical Help and travel have not been included in the reforms and therefore remain unchanged).
Where the student is sent to us directly from SLC, then we will proactively reach out to them to help them on their DSA journey.
Assessment methods remain unchanged. Assessments can take place in person in a local assessment space, or there are video or telephone assessments available.
Students who:
- have received their needs assessment and AT and Training and need further support
- were previously supported by an assessment centre that has closed
should be referred to SLC, who will direct them to their relevant provider – Capita or Study Tech.
Those students who have:
- received their needs assessment and the DSA2, but have not arranged their AT and training
- received their DSA1 but haven’t yet booked their needs assessment
should contact Capita directly (please see contact details at the end of this page).
Meet your HEP liaison manager:
Lisa Williams, DSA HEP Liaison Manager for the Midlands, Wales and Northern Ireland
Lisa joined Capita in 2021, and became a DSA needs assessor prior to her current role.
Before working at Capita, Lisa was a schoolteacher and a Head of Department in a large secondary school.
Lisa is dedicated to supporting students with disabilities and her experience stands her in very good stead for working with higher education providers (HEPs). She can work with universities and colleges to ensure that students have an easier route through the DSA process, and promote the benefits of earlier DSA engagement and uptake. If you feel you would benefit from a meeting with Lisa, please get in touch at DSAHEPManager@capita.com.
For those of you who have worked with Claire Spiers, please be aware that she’s in a seconded role in DSA service delivery.
This means that day-to-day, Lisa is your point of contact around HEP liaison.
How Capita will support HEPs
Our needs assessors are committed in supporting the student in building their strategies, and any current support or reasonable adjustments provided by the HEP.
As the HEP Liaison Manager, Lisa will collate information on reasonable adjustments and in-house support to assist the assessors when carrying out a needs assessment. She can also ensure seamless and timely communication between Capita and educational establishments to help ensure students receive the best advice and support at the point of the needs assessment.
Contact Lisa at DSAHEPManager@capita.com or use the form at the bottom of this page. You can also email, or use the form, to update us with information on your NMH status and rates.