Supporting the Supporters Institutional approaches to supporting care

Supporting the Supporters Institutional approaches to supporting care experienced learners and those with caring responsibilities 17 April 2018 Andrew Rawson, Director, Action on Access

What Works? Student Success and Retention “It is the human side of HE that comes first – finding friends, feeling confident and above all feeling yourself a part of your course of study and the institution – that is the necessary starting point for academic success. ” Principal finding.

The research • • • Field research in universities Look at best current practice Listen to students Impact of the Buttle QM and Sustainability A Guide based on the research Launched at a conference July 2016

Approach/methodology • Examination all Buttle HEI Quality Marks • Field research at 9 institutions q care leaver teams/senior staff/students q additional documentation • Discussions with other institutions and organisations • Wider contextual context

Universities visited • Greenwich, Kingston, Liverpool John Moores, Newcastle, Sheffield Hallam, Strathclyde , Swansea • Focus on England but also Strathclyde and Swansea for comparison

Main findings • Thriving outreach programmes • Robust on-course support • Named Contact/Designated Member of Staff (DMS) for care experienced students/and increasingly young carers • Increasing care leaver numbers in HE • Developed care leaver and carer support in universities • Active collaborative partnerships

Also • • Needs to be strategically embedded Increasingly whole institutional approach Student voice in delivery and review Impact of the Buttle UK Quality Mark on developed support • Application of lessons learned to young carers

Outreach • (Remember second slide What Works? ) • WP outreach/bespoke programmes • Identifying and making contact • Personalised support, bespoke bursaries, other grants, accommodation; Compact scheme benefits; applications; priority to. . . • Multi-agency/partnership approaches e. g. Sheffield

“Just the email and the telephone call from my named contact at the university was nice. I knew I would be alright. I wasn’t worried about starting. ” care experienced student

Care leavers may experience • • Minimal/no family support Financial difficulties Struggling with accommodation (+shared) Overwhelmed by complexity of university/course expectations • Settling into a different (student) life • Difficulty forming attachments/trusting • Negative experiences – authority/’helpers’

Young carers may experience • • Many shared with the last slide, plus… Extra travel costs/bursary? from home Guilt and anxiety being away from caring Hard to make a (student) social life/not seen as different • Caring demands on their time affect study • Mental health implications • May become a carer during studies

Signs to watch out for • • • Failure to attend scheduled meetings Missing assignment deadlines Not attending classes Signs of emotional distress Inappropriate behaviour in class Exacerbation of mental health issues

Designated Member of Staff • Critical role: relationship/engagement • Coordinator/networker with school/college, voluntary/other agencies and stakeholders • Outreach/Pre-entry role/Induction/postenrolment role/smooth transition • Importance of UCAS ‘tick box’ care leaver • Gatekeeper then Coordinator/internal and eternal networks

Strategic implementation is vital • Senior management understanding and support • Involving all staff • Developing/cementing internal networking and continued support • Ensuring review and monitoring • Separate policy, WP, E&D, Safeguarding…

“I consider myself to be in a lot better position than a regular student because the support offered from the council has been excellent. I get a full amount student loan and I get grants from the university to help with my financial situation…it turned out really good. ” care experienced student

Resources • The caring university in 2016… http: //actiononaccess. org/resources/public ations • Supporting care leavers in FE and HE, NNECL http: //bit. ly/2 m. M 1 su 0 • http: //propel. org. uk/UK/ • http: //www. becomecharity. org. uk/ • http: //standalone. org. uk/

Resources • Supporting students with caring responsibilities https: //bit. ly/2 tpj. SQc • Student carers in Higher Education https: //bit. ly/2 JLSQe. O • Learning with Care https: //bit. ly/2 H 0 Sm. E 7 • Student carers in Further Education https: //bit. ly/2 Hm. Ifc 1