What is Access Support and how can it help you?

Access Support is the term used by Arts Council England for someone who helps you with your funding application.  It is available to help remove barriers for people during the application process. 

Access Support is available for Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people as well as those experiencing poor short or long term physical or mental health.

ACE never ask for proof and they consider self-ID valid.  They also recognize that people’s experience and barriers are unique and not everyone needs the same kind of support. 

The role of the Access Support Worker is to remove barriers to applying to ACE for funding & it must be tailored to your needs. 

ACE ask for a breakdown of support work before they approve the application and how it is tailored around you.

Support can include

·        Note taking and interpreting ideas to answer questions on the application forms

·        Helping to process the application form questions and the answers needed

·        Helping applicants navigate the online application system

·        British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation

·        Signposting to other resources or asking ACE for additional support

·        Checking details such as budgets or location information

·        Understanding questions on the application form

·        Proof reading and character count checking.

ACE will pay for up 30 hours of my time if you are applying for an U30K grant and up to 40 hours if you are applying for a £30k+ grant.  They will also pay for up to 20 hours of my time if you need to re-submit

An Access Support Worker is not a development consultant or a bid writer so they can’t advise or make decisions on what is best – it is your project and they are there to help you with it.

As an Access Support Worker, I am available to help you with your ACE application – and applications via other funders where appropriate. Other funding organisations will have their own terms and conditions around this and their own rates of pay.

This is work I really enjoy doing because I understand how important it is to remove barriers and improve equity of access. 

More information is available from ACE here

If you would like to talk more about me supporting you with your grant applications please email me - theproficientpa@gmail.com

Access Support is not the same as Access to Work support provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) but I can also act as an Access to Work supporter if you have been granted support for admin tasks. Please email me for more details