What support can I get?

The local authority in your home town where you are ‘ordinarily resident' remains responsible for assessing and paying for any social or personal care support while you are living away from home at the University. They can assist with completing applications for financial support through the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or for Personal Independence Payments (PIP). This support can help with some of the extra (non-study related) costs caused by a disability. Further information about state benefits assistance is available from Disability Rights UK.

While you are participating in the assessment, please ensure it is based on living independently in a university hall of residence or rented accommodation without parental support.

Once social services within your local authority have conducted the assessment, they will prepare a report recommending the type of support or care package you require, the cost of this support and how it will be funded. It is very important to note that organising a support package can take between six and 12 months. It is vital therefore that you contact your local social services team as early as possible to allow the funding to be organised and the appropriate support package to be in place from your first day at the University.

You must also let the Disability and Mental Health Service and Accommodation team know if your home social services have agreed funding for additional accommodation for a carer and you therefore need an additional room in halls of residence.

If you are unable to live independently without help with daily living tasks or personal care, it will be especially important for you to arrange support through your home social services department well in advance of coming to University (as soon as you apply).

When considering whether you need to contact social services to discuss a care package, consider the help you currently receive from family members or friends, no matter how small. While the University will make reasonable adjustments to access to study, we are unable to provide either funding or support for independent living or residential or personal care.

What if I have difficulties setting up my social care package?

If you have any concerns that support may not be in place for the start of your studies, please contact the Disability and Mental Health Service as soon as possible. We can advise on how you may be able to speed up the process or, if necessary, support you to defer your course until the care package is in place, so that you can fully enjoy and participate in your student experience.

Please note, if you do not make arrangements to put an independent living/personal care package in place before you join the University, we will not be able to put in place a social care package for you.

The University will make reasonable adjustments to accommodate your access to educational and other services, but this cannot extend to the care your social services department can arrange. If necessary social care is not in place and/or you have not provided the Disability and Mental Health Service with relevant information when you commence your course and/or it is not possible or reasonable for the University to provide such assistance as you need, it may not be possible for you to move into or remain in halls of residence or to commence your programme. In these circumstances we will endeavour to discuss all options with you before a decision is made and provide such support as is appropriate.

International students are not normally eligible for financial assistance with care costs from the British government, and the University is unable to fund personal care support. Therefore it is essential you have included these additional costs in your budget, and you have sufficient funding in place for the duration of your course before you come to the UK.

You will need to organise an individual assessment of your care needs in the UK prior to getting a full quote as costs can vary considerably over a 10 month period, depending on what type and level of support you require. You should also check that appropriate provision within your budget is available locally in Kingston as costs will vary depending on need and location.

Variables include the need for:

• 24-hour care or more intermittent support at particular times of the day
• waking or sleeping support overnight
• one or two personal assistants for manual handling
• accommodation for overnight personal assistance
• any mobility equipment you are able to bring from home
• the duration over which support is needed (i.e. the length of the course)
• whether you will be travelling home or to other destinations during vacations
• whether local agencies have appropriately trained personal assistants

Some students might want to bring their own personal assistant with them from their home country. Kingston University's Visa team can guide you to information and offer general advice about any relevant immigration routes.

International students should establish whether any prescription medication they need is licensed for use in the UK, and if not, how they will get it sent to them. Similarly, they should consider whether it is more cost effective to ship specialist medical equipment rather than purchase it in the UK.

There are also specific things to consider if you want to bring a guide/assistance dog with you. For more information, take a look at this advice on travelling to the UK with your assistance dog.