Working with manual notetakers
This information is also available as Factsheet 39 in PDF format (132 kb).
Students may request the service of manual notetaking in their lectures, seminars and tutorials, so that they can lip-read the lecturer, or watch an interpreter, whilst not trying to take notes at the same time. Manual notetakers provide handwritten notes of the spoken English. The service must be identified in the student’s assessment report and is subject to agreed funding.
There are only a few manual notetakers in the UK. Therefore, Communication & Support Services cannot guarantee that every request will be booked. Two to four weeks notice is required to book manual notetakers.
There are two types of manual notetakers working for Disability Services. Freelance manual notetakers who are mainly used in the Arts and Social Sciences faculties, all of which will either have or be working towards the CACDP Certificate in Manual Notetaking. Many of them will have experience of working in Higher Education. Postgraduate manual notetakers who are mainly used in the Science faculties, all of whom will have experience of the subject.
For continuity, the same manual notetakers may sometimes be booked for each session, however as all bookings are subject to availability, this cannot be guaranteed and student preferences for particular notetakers cannot be taken into account.
Manual notetakers who are freelance will have their services bought for the duration of the booking. Manual notetakers who are postgraduate students will be recruited in collaboration with Communication & Support Services and the relevant Departmental Disability Representative. Disability Services will invoice the student’s funding body for the cost of the manual notetakers plus a 25 per cent oncost.
Role of manual notetaker
The role of the manual notetaker is to handwrite information from the lecture, showing bullet points rather than a full account of every word spoken. At the end of the session the notes are given to the student.
Notetakers will not make comments on the lecture, help students understand their course work, mediate between students and lecturers or be involved in group activities in seminars.
All notetakers are obliged to follow a code of conduct. This stipulates that they must remain impartial; not give personal advice or opinion; treat as confidential anything to which they are party, and not use information gained in the course of their work to benefit themselves (e.g. gain a certificate for a course in which they have written notes).
Manual notetakers in lectures/seminars
If there are any preparation materials available, such as lecture notes, handouts or a glossary of terms, it is useful to arrange for these to be given to the notetakers in advance by passing them onto Communication & Support Services.
Manual notetakers will sit at the front of the class unless the student prefers to sit elsewhere. It is the student’s choice whether they wish to sit next to the notetakers or not.
Manual notetakers will be able to give advice on the most suitable place for them to sit, and will take into account acoustics, lighting and visibility.
At the beginning of each booking, students need to make sure that the notetakers know they have arrived and then they must sign a record of work form and hand this back to the notetakers before they leave. If this form is not completed and returned to Communication & Support Services, by the notetakers, it is possible that the funding body will not release payment for the session.
If a lecture is scheduled to last more than 50 minutes, and the notetakers are freelance, then two notetakers will be booked to work consecutively. If the notetakers are postgraduates, and already have knowledge of the subject, only one notetaker will be required.
Notetakers may have other assignments on the same day. University guidelines on good practice indicate that lectures should not over run, however if they do, the notetakers may have to leave in order to get to the next venue.
What happens if there are no manual notetakers available?
If we are unable to find anyone available you should ask to borrow another student’s notes, ask for lecture handouts or arrange a tutorial with the lecturer.
What happens if I am ill?
Let us know when you are ill so that we can notify your notetakers. If you don’t arrive at a lecture, the notetakers will wait for 15 minutes and then leave. They are not expected to work if you are not there.
What happens if a notetaker is ill?
If a notetaker is ill, we will try our best to find another support worker for you. If we are unable to do this, we will try to let you know as soon as possible.
What happens if I am late?
If you arrive late make sure the notetakers know that you have arrived. If you are more than 15 minutes late the notetakers will have already left.
What happens if the lecture is cancelled?
If a lecture is cancelled, you need to notify us as soon as possible; if we have more than two weeks’ notice the notetakers will not be paid, and you will not be charged. If a lecture is cancelled at short notice, the notetakers will still be paid out of your funding. Cancellation charges are: 1-7 working days before assignment full fee charged; 8-14 working days before assignment half fee charged; 15+ working days before assignment no fee charged.
What happens if I don’t turn up?
You need to let us know if you are not going to attend a lecture/seminar as we need to notify the notetakers. We also need to provide your funding body with the reason for your non-attendance. Funding bodies can refuse to pay if no explanations are provided, and several non-explained cancellations can lead to the funding body withdrawing service funding. It is important that you keep in contact with us regarding your booking requirements.
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