About

Facilitating conversations of depth and breadth has always been at the heart of my approach, and UDISAS has been designed to be as thorough as possible in exploring the circumstances of the person using it.

In the most complex of cases, I often found it difficult to complete an assessment to my satisfaction within the standard two-hour time period; indeed, the longest assessment I ever conducted lasted five hours, for a man with fourteen registered disabilities. While sometimes necessary within the context of the situation, long conversations are often exhausting for everyone involved. The ability to complete a UDISAS assessment in stages has been specifically designed to allow for deep exploration of circumstances, while also making sure that the process is manageable for the end-user.

A big part of support provision has always been assistive technology. When I conducted my first assessment in 2010, there was a relatively limited number of options to choose from compared to the extensive range of assistive technology available today. Over the years, it has become increasingly difficult for a Needs Assessor to keep up with the pace of technological development, and harder still to effectively communicate all of the available options during a time-limited Needs Assessment. Even if this were possible, how can a person hope to make an informed decision with no time to consider the relative benefits and drawbacks of all of the numerous possible pathways forward? With this in mind, UDISAS aims to provide people with comprehensive choice while also offering tools and information to help guide each person to the right choice for them. Again, the ability to pause, think things over, and then return when ready to make a final decision is vital.

I hope you find the platform is everything I've promised here. As we grow, UDISAS will be enhanced further based on the experiences of the people who use it. Your insights are vital and your voices will always have our ears. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if there's anything that you would like to share.

Best wishes,

Robin Hodges

Founder and Managing Director