The Standards Audit Document
Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender
Institutions
Name of organisation / service: …………………………………..…………..…………………………….
Name of Contact: .................…………………………………………......................................................
Mission Statement
The aim of Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions is to promote the excellent practice
conducted by organisations and services engaged within this section as they carry out their roles of supporting and challenging staff to
improve accessibility for more service users.
Disclaimer
In awarding the BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions the British Dyslexia
Association cannot guarantee or be responsible for the individual programmes of education provided for, or levels of attainment achieved
by an individual service user.
The Standards Audit Document
Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young
Offender Institutions
Structure of the Award:
Part A:
Applies to all
Parts A & B:
Apply to organisations and services with an education remit, for example
Young Offender Institutions, Youth Services, etc.
The document below can be used for self-audit purposes but at the time of verification all relevant standards should
have been achieved.
Please note that these standards can be achieved on a departmental/divisional basis but that the award of the
Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark would only be to that department/division.
These standards remain the intellectual property of the British Dyslexia Association.
Standards Audit Document – Extract from:
BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions © Nov 15
Page 2 of 16
Part A - Applies to all
Standard One:
Leadership and Management
1.1
Focusing
(recognising
development
is required)
Developing
(work under
way)
Established
(achieving)
Organisational policies promote inclusive practice and specifically
mention dyslexia where appropriate.
The definition of dyslexia in the Rose report is as follows:

‘Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved
in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling.

Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological
awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed.

Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities.

It is best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and there
are no clear cut-off points.

Co-occurring difficulties may be seen in aspects of language, motor
co-ordination, mental calculation and personal organisation, but these
are not, by themselves, markers of dyslexia.

A good indication of the severity and persistence of dyslexic
difficulties can be gained by examining how the individual responds or
has responded to well-founded intervention’.
In addition to these characteristics, the BDA acknowledges the visual
processing difficulties that some individuals with dyslexia can experience,
and points out that dyslexic readers can show a combination of abilities
and difficulties that affect the learning process. Some also have strengths
in other areas, such as design, problem-solving, creative skills, interactive
skills and oral skills.
Standards Audit Document – Extract from:
BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions © Nov 15
Page 3 of 16
Enhancing
(demonstrating
well)
Standard One:
Leadership and Management
1.2
Focusing
(recognising
development
is required)
Developing
(work under
way)
Established
(achieving)
Organisational policies demonstrate that senior personnel within the
organisation are committed to ensuring the services offered to
service users and their families/carers are both accessible and
inclusive.
1.3
The monitoring of dyslexia friendly practices within the organisation
is led by an officer with dyslexia knowledge and expertise to
support services in developing dyslexia friendly good practice.
1.4
Targets relating to dyslexia (within the context of inclusive,
accessible provision) are identified in the organisation development
plan.
1.5
Appropriate resources – human, financial and physical - are made
available to support the development of dyslexia friendly practice.
1.6
A framework for self-evaluation of dyslexia friendly practice is in
place.
Total for Leadership and Management:
Standards Audit Document – Extract from:
BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions © Nov 15
Page 4 of 16
Enhancing
(demonstrating
well)
Standard One:
Leadership and Management
Focusing
(recognising
development
is required)
Developing
(work under
way)
Established
(achieving)
Number of standards achieved (out of 6)
Standards Audit Document – Extract from:
BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions © Nov 15
Page 5 of 16
Enhancing
(demonstrating
well)
Focusing
(recognising
development
is required)
Standard Two:
Practice
2.1
Developing
(work under
way)
Established
(achieving)
The organisation demonstrates through practice that it understands
that the needs of service users with dyslexia vary and that they
need to be addressed in many ways. A culture is created that
enables service users and their families/carers to discuss their
needs if they choose to do so.
2.2
Staff have access to and follow clear guidelines on what constitutes
good practice when working with service users with dyslexia and
their families/carers.
2.3
Guidelines relating to dyslexia are communicated to temporary staff
(e.g. agency staff).
2.4
Systems and services are checked for accessibility issues related
to dyslexia.
2.5
There is a process in place for the reporting and handling of
complaints and possible discrimination issues.
Total for Practice:
Number of standards achieved (out of 5)
Standards Audit Document – Extract from:
BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions © Nov 15
Page 6 of 16
Enhancing
(demonstrating
well)
Focusing
(recognising
development
is required)
Standard Three:
Communication
3.1
Developing
(work under
way)
Established
(achieving)
Written communication meets BDA Dyslexia Friendly Style
Guidelines.
3.2
There is a process in place for checking written materials for
accessibility issues.
3.3
All staff have access to clear guidelines on how to produce
dyslexia friendly materials.
3.4
Website design follows dyslexia style guide principles.
3.5
A range of alternative formats is available and service users are
aware of these.
3.6
Signage is dyslexia friendly.
Total for Communication:
Number of standards achieved (out of 6)
Standards Audit Document – Extract from:
BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions © Nov 15
Page 7 of 16
Enhancing
(demonstrating
well)
Focusing
(recognising
development
is required)
Standard Four:
Training
4.1
Developing
(work under
way)
Established
(achieving)
All staff, at all levels, undertake awareness training, including
training that is occupationally specific where required.
4.2
Those with additional/higher level dyslexia training are available as
a resource to the organisation.
4.3
Systems are in place to ensure new staff have access to dyslexia
training.
4.4
Dyslexia training is up-dated and reviewed on an annual basis.
4.5
Systems are in place to support staff who are identified as being
dyslexic.
Total for Training
Number of standards achieved (out of 5)
Standards Audit Document – Extract from:
BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions © Nov 15
Page 8 of 16
Enhancing
(demonstrating
well)
Focusing
(recognising
development
is required)
Standard Five:
Partnerships
5.1
Developing
(work under
way)
Established
(achieving)
The organisation works with a range of partners to meet the needs
of service users with dyslexia and their families/carers.
5.2
Effective partnerships with parents/carers are developed and
implemented (where appropriate).
5.3
Service users and their families/carers are effectively
signposted/referred on to relevant sources of additional help e.g.
Local Dyslexia Associations.
Total for Partnerships
Number of standards achieved (out of 3)
Standards Audit Document – Extract from:
BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions © Nov 15
Page 9 of 16
Enhancing
(demonstrating
well)
Part B - Applies to organisations and services with an education remit, e.g. Young
Offender Institutions, Youth Services, etc.
Standard Six:
Educational Provision
6.1
Focusing
(recognising
development
is required)
Developing
(work under
way)
Established
(achieving)
The organisation has a strategy for raising standards for learners
who are dyslexic. This strategy is monitored and evaluated
annually to assess its effectiveness.
6.2
The organisation actively promotes dyslexia friendly practice
through having dyslexia support available within its service
provision.
6.3
The organisation is able to demonstrate at least one member of
staff having successfully completed a BDA accredited course at
AMBDA (Associate Member of the British Dyslexia Association)
Level, or equivalent. Alternatively, access to such expertise is
available to the organisation and is called upon when required.
Standards Audit Document – Extract from:
BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions © Nov 15
Page 10 of 16
Enhancing
(demonstrating
well)
Focusing
(recognising
development
is required)
Standard Six:
Educational Provision
6.4
Developing
(work under
way)
Established
(achieving)
Information is available which shows:

the policy and procedures used for the identification of dyslexia
in the educational setting

how the effectiveness of support, information, advice and
guidance provided to dyslexic learners is monitored.
6.5
The organisation proactively disseminates good practice in relation
to dyslexia to its service users.
6.6
Guidance on dyslexia friendly approaches is made available to
education providers and there is a systematic programme of CPD
in dyslexia available to all staff who work within the educational
setting.
6.7
Partnership working takes place with other agencies and, where
appropriate, with parents/carers to meet the needs of the dyslexic
learner within the educational setting.
Total for Educational Provision:
Standards Audit Document – Extract from:
BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions © Nov 15
Page 11 of 16
Enhancing
(demonstrating
well)
Focusing
(recognising
development
is required)
Standard Six:
Educational Provision
Developing
(work under
way)
Established
(achieving)
Number of standards achieved (out of 7)
Standards Audit Document – Extract from:
BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions © Nov 15
Page 12 of 16
Enhancing
(demonstrating
well)
Standard Seven:
Educational Practice
7.1
Focusing
(recognising
development
is required)
Developing
(work under
way)
Established
(achieving)
The organisation proactively encourages education providers to
offer an educational environment suitable to meet the needs of the
dyslexic learner.
7.2
The organisation proactively encourages the education provider to
monitor and evaluate levels of participation and achievement of
dyslexic learners.
7.3
The organisation ensures that education providers can easily
access the support services it provides. This support is arranged
and delivered in an appropriate timescale and is appropriate to
individual needs.
7.4
The organisation ensures that, where appropriate, education
providers signpost service users to the specialist support from
other providers in reference to contribution and participation within
the local offer.
Standards Audit Document – Extract from:
BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions © Nov 15
Page 13 of 16
Enhancing
(demonstrating
well)
Focusing
(recognising
development
is required)
Standard Seven:
Educational Practice
7.5
Developing
(work under
way)
Established
(achieving)
Where the organisation is providing support it assesses and
evaluates the achievement of the dyslexic learner against internal
and external targets.
7.6
The organisation proactively encourages the education provider to
adopt dyslexia friendly teaching practices in terms of appropriate
methods, resources, use of ICT, etc.
7.7
The organisation, when appropriate, challenges its education
providers to raise standards of achievement for dyslexic learners.
7.8
Systems are in place for successful transition at all stages. The
service is able to evidence transition planning and transfer of
information processes.
7.9
The organisation undertakes annual evaluations of its dyslexia
support provision. It consults service users and other relevant
parties and acts upon the findings from this process.
Total for Educational Practice:
Number of standards achieved (out of 9)
Standards Audit Document – Extract from:
BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions © Nov 15
Page 14 of 16
Enhancing
(demonstrating
well)
Final Score
Focusing
Developing Established
Enhancing
Total number of Standards achieved in all Sections:
Declaration

I understand that the verification fee is due before a verification visit can be arranged and that all fees are non-refundable.

I undertake to adhere to all decisions made by BDA.
Signed:..............................................................................................................
Date: ........................................................................
Print Name: ......................................................................................................
Position: .................................................................
Name of Organisation / Service / Division or Department …………………............ .................................................................................
Standards Audit Document – Extract from:
BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions © Nov 15
Page 15 of 16
Please send your completed documents to:
The Quality Mark Administrator
British Dyslexia Association
Unit 8, Bracknell Beeches
Old Bracknell Lane
Bracknell
RG12 7BW
Data Protection Act 1998
The information you provide on this form will be processed by the BDA and used to process your application the BDA Dyslexia Friendly
Quality Mark. The information may also be used to send you information about the BDA’s other services, offers, activities and appeals.
We may also share your information with other organisations upon their request. If you do not wish your details to be used for these
purposes, please tick this box

Standards Audit Document – Extract from:
BDA Dyslexia Friendly Quality Mark for Youth Offending Teams & Young Offender Institutions © Nov 15
Page 16 of 16