Care-experienced students get bespoke support

PROJECT

We Care Team, University of Sunderland

PURPOSE

To ensure anyone leaving care or estranged from their parents has the same full, immersive and enjoyable time studying at university as any other student

FUNDING

Around £300,000 per year from the university’s widening access and participation budget

BACKGROUND

The University of Sunderland was already delivering outreach work to care-experienced young people in local schools. But in 2012 it decided to extend its offer, supporting care-experienced young people through their whole student journey. “Care leavers are significantly under-represented in higher education,” says Wendy Price, head of widening access and participation at the university.

In 2017, eligibility broadened to include students who are estranged from their parents or carers. The university became the first in the North East to sign up to the Stand Alone Pledge, created by charity Stand Alone to develop support for estranged students in higher education. “This is a student who is typically estranged from both parents or carers and this is expected to be permanent,” says Price. “It can be based on sexuality or religious or cultural reasons or a whole number of other issues and students can become estranged either before or during their time at university.” Estranged students may have had some contact with the care system but are less likely to have a social worker or access to pastoral or financial support.