Referring staff to the DASS

When to refer to the DASS

If a member of staff discloses a disability to you, or you become aware that they have a disability, please ensure that you ensure you discuss a referral to the DASS staff service.

If you ask a member of staff whether they think there is any support that they require, and they say no, this may be because they are not aware of the full range of support open to them in terms of parking, role adjustment, travel to work, equipment, mental health support, support workers and signposting.   

We would advise that you explain to staff that coming to see the DASS does not in any way change their status at the University, and can simply take the form of a brief confidential chat to discuss the range of support options available.

Additionally, it is also useful to state that if the member of staff comes to the DASS and, after this meeting, feels that they do not require support, there will be no requirement to take this up. 

If an employee does not wish to be referred

Disabled employees are under no obligation to attend the DASS, however, you should make clear to them that if they do not attend, this may make affect the level of support that they can receive

 If, after discussion, the member of staff decides that they do not wish to be referred to the DASS for advice, we would advise that you make a note of this discussion, and that the referral was refused. 

Making a referral

If you’re referring on behalf of the member of staff, you will need their consent to do so. You can make a referral using our referral form. 

Referring to multiple support services

You can refer, e.g. to Occupational Health and DASS at the same time, however, please make both services aware of this so that we can liaise