At Frontline, we believe that people with disabilities have an important contribution to make, with unique experiences that benefit children and families.
Support and reasonable adjustments
If you have a specific learning difficulty, long-term (physical or mental) health condition or disability, you are entitled to ask for reasonable adjustments to be made both during the application process and whilst on the programme.
We will work with our partners to make arrangements for further assessments and for reasonable adjustments to be provided, wherever possible.
Below are some examples of the reasonable adjustments that applicants with disabilities have received.
During the application process
Access to written materials (e.g. slides) in advance of attending our attraction events
British Sign Language support or live captioning at our webinars
Adjustments to tasks at our assessment centre – e.g. provision of dyslexia friendly resources such as colour overlays, extra time, British Sign Language support or scribe for reading or written exercises
It is important to highlight that adjustments that might be feasible during the application and assessment processes may differ from those that are able to be implemented during the programme.
During the programme
Inclusive learning support plans (ILSP)
Physical adjustments at residential learning days (e.g. accessibility-friendly bedrooms and bathrooms)
Accessibility-friendly teaching materials (e.g. digital coloured overlays, essential reading lists)
Specific learning difficulty support software (e.g. text-to-speech, dictation and audio recording software etc.)
Examination adjustments (e.g. additional time, private room, short breaks)
Physical adjustments within the local authority (e.g. designated work station, ergonomic chair)
Please note that the above examples are based on an individual’s needs and you may not need or be entitled to the adjustments listed.
It is also important to highlight that all participants on the Frontline programme have access to counselling and other wellbeing support through an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
For further information on ILSP’s, Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) and Access to Work funding, please refer to Lancaster University’s Disability Service’s information for Frontline programme participants.
Adjustment limitations
Although we will always endeavour to implement reasonable adjustments to enable disabled participants to successfully complete the programme, there are some elements that cannot be adjusted because they are essential for applicants to safely and effectively perform the duties of a Frontline programme participant. In such instances, our duty of care to participants and the safety of the children and families that we serve will always take precedence.
Disclosing a disability
If you have a health condition or disability, there are several points during our application and subsequent processes where you might choose to disclose this to us. Although you are not obliged to share this information (with the exception of where it may present a risk to yourself or others), we invite you to inform us at the earliest opportunity so we can be best placed to explore and implement reasonable adjustments wherever possible.
Contacting our team
You are welcome to contact the recruitment team at any time to discuss a disability (including invisible disabilities and neurodiversity, such as mental health conditions, dyslexia or ASD/ASC) and adjustment needs for the application process.
Please be aware that the information you share at this stage is not usually passed to other teams. There will be further opportunities for you to relay any adjustments that you may need for the programme. However, if you have a sensory or physical disability that substantially impacts or impairs your functioning or mobility, the recruitment team may seek consent to pass on your details to the admissions and support team so that relevant information about adjustments that may or may not be possible to implement during the Frontline programme can be shared with you.
We would also encourage you to contact the admissions and support team prior to application or at the earliest point thereafter, if you haven’t already shared information relating to a disability that severely impacts upon your functioning with the recruitment team, so that we can discuss this with you.
Will it impact my application or conditional offer?
Please be assured that disclosure of a health condition/disability will not affect the assessment of your application or selection for a conditional offer. The Equality Act (2010) makes it unlawful for organisations to discriminate against disabled applicants for reasons relating to their disability and we are committed to making reasonable adjustments wherever safe and possible. There are, however, some circumstances where our duty of care may mean that it is necessary and justified to begin the process of considering your suitability for professional training via the Frontline programme at an earlier point (i.e. in parallel with the application process).
‘Suitability for professional training’ is a mandatory process that all Frontline applicants are required to complete. This process holds similarities with those required when applying to join the Social Work England register, as the requirements of the programme link directly to the requirements of the social work role.
The only circumstances in which a health condition/disability would impact a conditional offer is if, following thorough consideration, reasonable adjustments are determined to be unsafe or unfeasible within the context of the Frontline programme. In this instance, agreed processes would be followed as detailed in the suitability policy.
Our suitability process
As an approved provider within a regulated profession, the Frontline programme is both academic and professional in focus.
If you are successful at the assessment centre and are made an offer of a place on the Frontline programme, this will be conditional to you meeting our baseline eligibility and suitability requirements.
For further information relating to our suitability for professional training process, please refer to our policies.