Care Experienced Students. The University is pleased to confirm that in 2017, in line with CoWA Recommendation 21, Aberdeen made an offer of entry to any care experienced applicant who met the minimum entry requirements. This policy will continue going forward. More generally, activities listed in the 2017/18 Outcome Agreement continue to be operationalised to assist the University in working towards delivering the collective national ambitions in this area. This is led by the Widening Participation Team, with more work planned over the coming year. However, the University flags challenges around accurate identification of students from care or a care-experienced backgrounds, though states that it is confident that changes made to its systems are assisting in identification of the relevant students, where applicable. In terms of its notable activities in this area, the University is working closely with North East Scotland College, Xxxxxx Xxxxxx University and the three local students’ associations on developing ways of jointly supporting students and applicants who have care experience. This work has led to the creation of a joint FE & HE Regional Corporate Parenting Framework. It should also be noted, in relation, that the University published a Corporate Parenting Plan (CPP) in line with the Children and Young Person’s (Scotland) Act 2014; this was done in 2016 and is available here, via the University website and additionally a Student Carers Policy has been approved and published online. The University is working with the Carers Trust Scotland to formally launch this policy in Spring 2018. More generally, the Widening Participation team participated in an information and awareness raising event for local Social Workers and Xxxxxx Carers. In August 2017, the WP team held an information and awareness raising event for new Students’ Association sabbatical officers which focused on the support needs and provision for Care Experienced Students, Student Carers and students who are estranged from their families. This was done in partnership with colleagues from NESCOL and RGU. Additionally Aberdeen held discussions with RGU and NESCOL on hard-to-reach and vulnerable groups of students (i.e. strategies and mechanisms to support Estranged Students), and continues to develop a collaborative approach to working on widening participation and access issues with teams across area. The University also continues to participate in the Homework Club, a case study in the previous OA. The Universi...
Care Experienced Students. The College has effective arrangements for Care Experienced Students and has worked in partnership with Who Cares Scotland to inform the creation of our Corporate Parenting plan and Carers Policy. The College has strong working relationships with the Through Care and After Care teams with Dundee City and Angus Council to help identify what support each individual looked after young person or care leaver feels they need before they come to College. A range of supports, such as guidance or support through the application and funding processes are provided. In session 2016/17 Dundee and Angus College enrolled 232 care experienced young people (c30%) in a variety of subject areas and attendance modes. College staff attend LAC meetings to ensure progress and achievement is communicated and shared and any issues proactively dealt with. One to one support is provided as required within the College to manage personal issues and barriers and further develop academic skills as appropriate to each individual. Retention and outcomes for care experienced young people are in line with Scottish averages for all learners and further work will progress to support this group to achieve equivalent outcomes to other D&A learners.
Care Experienced Students. Engagement with care-experienced students continues to improve, with a higher number of disclosures on application/enrolment, more sharing details of their social worker and ‘parenting interventions’ such as birthday cards and Christmas lunches being well received. The introduction of the new Advocacy service delivered by Who Cares? Scotland has been welcomed by the Care Experienced students and the increase of the provision will ensure care experienced students have access to direct support. Engagement with partners at both strategic and operational levels through the Fife regional corporate parenting board and practitioner networking events are leading to improved multi- agency working. The College’s Corporate Parenting Plan, updated in September 2018, was positively reviewed by CELCIS in draft form. Feedback was received in the past year from WhoCares? Scotland, who identified good practice that they would showcase to the rest of the sector, and provided a detailed commentary that informed the college’s 2018 plan. The College recognises the importance of further work to support disclosure and to refine data and in particular the reporting of performance indicators for Care experienced young people. This will involve enhanced data sharing with local and regional partners, particularly SDS and partner high schools. This year the number of disclosures has increased due to the new Care Experienced Bursary. Fife College will continue to strive to improve positive destinations for all care experienced students. Fife College, in partnership with Carers Trust Scotland, are working to improve the support in place for students with caring responsibilities. The Fife College Guidance team are completing sign up to the Carers Trust Scotland Going Further project and so have committed to achieving the Going Further award criteria. Extensive work will take place over the remainder of the 2018/19 academic year and into the 2019/20 session to achieve the Going Further award and ensure that Fife College is sending a positive message to all of their student Carers that they will be supported fully and given equal and fair opportunities to succeed in their chosen course. As part of this process, a Student Carers Policy will be developed to be in place for August 2019. By providing maximum bursary awards, one-to-one guidance support and putting in place positive support and interventions when attendance levels fall, Fife College ensures that estranged students are fully sup...
Care Experienced Students. Edinburgh College is committed to contributing to the National Ambition for Care Experienced Students. The ‘Falling Through the Cracks’ report, July 2018, further highlights how we must do better as corporate parents. Improved promotion and information has increased the number of care experienced people at Edinburgh College, or those who are declaring their status. Edinburgh College received 618 applications for 2018/19 from students identifying as care experienced. This is a 26% increase from 2017/18. The Care Experienced Bursary has been a very positive development and so far 96 students have applied for this bursary. Edinburgh College is a key partner in the newly established Hub for Success in partnership with Edinburgh Universities, the Open University and the City of Edinburgh Council. The aim is to work with young people from primary age to support them with a destination of further or higher
Care Experienced Students. The College has effective arrangements for Care Experienced Students and has recently commenced a support project with Who Cares Scotland designed to inform the creation of our Corporate Parenting plan. This work will continue throughout 2016/17 to assist the College to develop awareness and share practice at all levels and to further enhance and integrate our support arrangements for care experienced young people. The College has strong working relationships with the Through Care and After Care teams with Dundee City and Angus Council to help identify what support each individual looked after young person or care leaver feels they need before they come to College. A range of supports, such as guidance or support through the application and funding processes are provided alongside appropriate application of exceptional circumstances for issues that may affect funding due to absence. Latest statistics available (2014) show that that there were 542 Looked After Children (LAC) in Dundee and 270 LAC in Angus. In session 2014/15 Dundee and Angus College enrolled 218 Care Experienced young people in a variety of subject areas and attendance modes. College staff attend LAC meetings to ensure progress and achievement is communicated and shared and any issues proactively dealt with. One to one support is provided as required within the College to manage personal issues and barriers and further develop academic skills as appropriate to each individual.
Care Experienced Students. The College has effective arrangements for Care Experienced Students and has worked in partnership with Who Cares Scotland to inform the creation of our Corporate Parenting plan and Carers Policy. The College has strong working relationships with the Through Care and After Care teams with Dundee City and Angus Councils to help identify what support each individual looked after young person or care leaver feels they need before they come to College. In session 2017/18 Dundee and Angus College delivered 3,004 credits to care experienced learners (c.2.7%) across a variety of subject areas and attendance modes. The College will work in partnership with learners and our partners to increase this figure annually to achieve 4.0% of provision by 2020/21. College staff attend LAC meetings to ensure progress and achievement is communicated and shared and any issues proactively dealt with. One to one support is provided as required within the College to manage personal issues and barriers and further develop academic skills as appropriate to each individual. The college is a member of the Dundee Champion’s Board for looked after young people. Retention and outcomes for care experienced young people are in line with the Scottish average for all learners and further work will progress to support this group to achieve equivalent sector leading outcomes to other D&A learners. For session 2019/20 we have created our ‘Care Experienced Commitment’ to guarantee a course place to all care experienced young people that apply for a place at College.
Care Experienced Students. The College has effective arrangements for Care Experienced Students and has worked in partnership with Who Cares Scotland to inform the creation of our Corporate Parenting plan and Carers Policy. The College has strong working relationships with the Through Care and After Care teams with Dundee City and Angus Councils to help identify what support each individual looked after young person or care leaver feels they need before they come to College. In session 2018/19 Dundee and Angus College increased significantly the proportion of credits delivered to care experienced learners (up from 2.8% to 6.1%) and through the further promotion of our ‘Care Experienced Commitment’ will continue to guarantee a course place to all care experienced young people and will aim maintain provision for this important group of learners. College staff attend LAC meetings to ensure progress and achievement is communicated and shared and any issues proactively dealt with. One to one support is provided as required within the College to manage personal issues and barriers and further develop academic skills as appropriate to each individual. The college is a member of the Dundee Champion’s Board for looked after young people. Retention and outcomes for care experienced young people are in excess of the Scottish average for all learners and further work will progress to support this group to achieve equivalent sector leading outcomes to other D&A learners.
Care Experienced Students. The College has effective arrangements for Care Experienced Students and in recent years have developed awareness and shared practice at all levels to further enhance and integrate our support arrangements for care experienced young people, through its Corporate Parenting Plan. The proportion of credits delivered to Care Experienced Students has increased from 2.2% in 2015/16 to 6.1% in 2018/19. In 2018/19 the rate of successful completion in this group was 68.1%, the highest rate in Scotland and significantly higher than the sector average of 58.7%.
Care Experienced Students. Thorough staff analysis of the needs of care-experienced students and well-planned Induction Programmes have enhanced the scale and quality of support and improved student outcomes. Effective ILPs for care-experienced students have enhanced their learning experience and contributed to improved attainment. Support for care experienced students in all college programmes will continue to be enhanced through effective partnerships with external agencies to ease transition to college, sustain support through learning programmes and plan smooth transition from Newbattle. The college has a well-developed Corporate Parenting Plan and continues its work with Who Cares? Scotland to ensure future commitments are realised. Regular guidance, drop in sessions and Professional Development Reviews for staff ensure that the college can identify and respond timeously to students who become carers throughout the year. Working in partnership with Midlothian Council and Key Workers from other agencies, we will ensure that the planning of transition support for Care Experienced Students is embedded in all courses. Our approach to enhancing Guidance support will enable Care Experienced Students to manage their study programme and develop life skills. To support positive destinations for Care Experienced Students we will plan transition support with external agencies. In recognition of the following groups, not currently considered in SFC policy, the college will review its Access and Inclusion Strategy to ensure they are considered across the curriculum. • Those with criminal convictions. • Estranged students. • Young people who have gone through the children’s panel system. • Veterans/early service leavers. • Children from military families. • Asylum seekers/refugees. • Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. • Transgender students. • Mental Health We will also strive to achieve our SIMD 10 measures by targeting provision in relevant areas, in collaboration with local and national partners. Through our strategic involvement with the Midlothian ELM Group we are exploring the colleges role in pre-access courses, including ESOL.
Care Experienced Students. What have we done? What will we do?
