Dr Neil Harrison University of the West of England 29 th November 2016 My own background Background in widening participation and student services before academia Established Care Leavers amp University Entry CLUE project with Aimhigher funding 2004 to 2006 ID: 547571
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Care leavers and higher education: getting in and getting through
Dr Neil HarrisonUniversity of the West of England29th November 2016Slide2
My own background
Background in widening participation and student services before academiaEstablished Care Leavers & University Entry (CLUE) project with Aimhigher funding: 2004 to 2006Represented AMOSSHE on the initial steering group for the Buttle Trust Quality Mark
Member of Bristol Corporate Parenting Panel: 2007 to 2015
Governor of Bristol HOPE virtual school: 2013 to 2015Slide3
Care leaver: DFE definition
“All children who had been looked after for at least 13 weeks which began after they reached the age of 14 and ended after they reached the age of 16”Does not include those leaving care before 16Does not include those in short-term placementsNot congruent with other ideas of ‘care experience’Slide4
Who, then, are care leavers?
Following the DFE definition…Those with profound disabilities and care needs Those entering care as a young child, but for whom no permanent placement (e.g. adoption) has been found – often those with challenging situationsThose entering care relatively late in childhood – the ‘teenage peak’ – whose school experience likely to be have been disrupted
Contrast with wider idea of ‘care-experienced’Slide5
Historical starting point
‘By Degrees’ project (Jackson, Ajayi and Quigley, 2005)Estimated that 1% of care leavers entered higher educationTracked cohorts totalling 129 care leaversDrop-out rate 10%, compared to 14% nationallySlide6
Recent context
% higher education participation rate for care leavers and other disadvantaged young people
Source: DFE and UCASSlide7
Some mitigating factors
Increase in care population, especially teenagers, since 2008Includes homeless 16/17 year olds classified under the ‘Southwark judgement’ in 2009Increase in unaccompanied asylum seeking children since 2013Rapid increase in adoption rates since 2011=> Care leaver population is fluidSlide8
Slow progress in schools
% achieving five GCSEs at A* to C (or equivalent) including English and Mathematics
NB: definition change from 2014
Source: DFESlide9
HERACLES project
‘Higher Education: Researching Around Care Leavers’ Entry and Success’Started September 2016 – funded by NNECLTwo strands:Analysis of data from National Pupil Database and Higher Education Statistics Agency – currently awaiting data from DFE
National online survey of care-experienced students currently in higher education –
live until end of 2016Slide10
Student questionnaire
Targeted at any care-experienced student in higher education76 responses from 31 universities/colleges8% foundation, 84% UG and 8% PG29% men, 67% women74% White British, 7% Black African, 5% Black Caribbean, 7% mixed heritage and 4% other
15% consider themselves to be disabled
4% Russell Group, 36% other pre-1992, 50% post-1992 and 5% collegesSlide11
Transitions into universitySlide12
Transition issues
Unsupportive foster parents / carersHelp with moving belongingsSocial worker / personal adviser changesHelp with health issues / emotional support / form-fillingLink-up with other care leavers / lonelinessMore / simpler information – a ‘step by step’ guide
Uncertainty about money / poor support from SFE
Feeling like the ‘first one ever’ / bullying / stigma
Perceived discrimination about criminal record
Bank accounts and background checksSlide13
Two tales of local authoritiesSlide14
Becoming a care leaver student
“I think I found the whole process difficult as I felt so alone and it became really obvious that I didn't have any family or anyone who cared about me. Everyone else had their parents there who helped them unpack, bought them food, and checked in on them.”“Struggling to get support to deal with the issues that are holding me back and not allowing me to take part fully in uni. Crippling loneliness much of the time.”
“Also, there are bursaries I think I should be entitled to but maybe I [am] missing them. I need someone to sit with me and help me apply for these as I'm not good with form filling.”
“The event of a birth parent enrolling in the same university as myself - requiring me to move to a different university within a week was rather stressful.”Slide15
Getting through universitySlide16
Have you thought about leaving?Slide17
Academic challenges
“When the pressures of assignments hit after the Christmas holidays and I felt overwhelmed because I am also a single parent and suffer from a physical impairment. I remained because of the potential people saw in me and because I was motivated to [conquer] my fears and do my best for mine and my son’s future.”“It can really get to you and be stressful when you realise just how much work is involved.”“The stress of working and not having the time to do my work. I have stayed to prove those wrong who told me I couldn't do [it].”Slide18
Upheaval, loneliness and fitting in
Regretting giving up a mediocre life with my small social circle in a place I've always known for just a chance at a better life as a professional and all the uprooting feelings that happen during a big move and transition”“High anxiety in first year caused me to think about dropping out, settled in after a while so didn't want to drop out then.”“I thought about leaving at particularly low points, sometimes I feel that I just don't fit in.”
“Because during my second year I definitely felt quite isolated and helpless”Slide19
Feeling unsupported
“Lack of family, lack of support. I remained because I remembered who I am, and that's a woman that is capable of following the correct path to success.”“When things get so hard, sometimes I feel that like uni it's not the right thing for me, but then when I get all the support I needed to do well on my course I feel positive overall.”
“As feel I have no support and no one seems to understand.”
“It’s hard doing it all with no support. Sometimes it seems it will be easier to get a full time job.”Slide20
Money worries and the future
“I felt that I shouldn't get into this much debt for nothing.” “Finances. Chose to remain because the alternatives were worse.” “Until I approached the care leaver service about their help, I was in severe financial distress and accumulated a lot of debt.”“Because financially it is difficult to be a student in a private rented home, whilst raising a family and being pregnant. However motivation keeps me at
uni
because I know it’ll give me better options for career in the future and aid finance in the long run.”Slide21
What more can universities do?
More one-to-one (academic) supportMore understanding / empathy / proactive supportAccess to ‘unbiased’ support – a different personMore money / scholarships / bursariesA ‘mentor’ to help with forms and advocacyBetter liaison with local authority / social worker
Improved access to ‘counselling’ support
But generally university support was seen to be goodSlide22
Being different and feeling different
“I think that lecturers should be more aware about our backgrounds. I was lucky and opened up to my lecturers but they would cry and be in shock when I told them about my home life and my past.”“Missed appointments because of lack of confidence and not rescheduled appointments because I'm too nervous.”“It is upsetting see others with a strong family network receiving support […] and not getting that myself.”
“I haven't found anyone like myself.”Slide23
Two tales of care leaversSlide24
And finally…
I need your help!!Slide25
Who are we missing?
Bath
Bucks New
Liverpool JM
West London
Bath Spa
Aston
Liverpool
Hope
London Met
Gloucestershire
Staffordshire
Man
Met
South Bank
Reading
Hertfordshire
Leeds Beckett
East
London
Sussex
Northampton
Bradford
Royal Holloway
Brighton
De Montfort
Huddersfield
Greenwich
Christchurch
Coventry
Central
Lancs
Kingston
Bournemouth
Wolverhampton
Northumbria
Middlesex
Anglia Ruskin
Derby
Cumbria
Arts,
London
East Anglia
Nottingham
Trent
Lancaster
Creative Arts
Soton
Solent
Marjon
Teesside
Roehampton
Nearly all the Russell Group, and…Slide26
How can you help?
E-mail me – neil.harrison@uwe.ac.ukI will e-mail you with the text of an e-mail to send to your care-experienced or care leaver studentsNice and easy – THANKS!Slide27
Care leavers and higher education: getting in and getting through
Dr Neil HarrisonUniversity of the West of England29th November 2016