PILLAR ONE.
At BMet we are proud of our diverse learner and staff community and we are committed to working alongside our college community and external partners to ensure we remove any barriers to education or work to ensure that individuals who work and study with us are given the right support as soon as they join BMet.
BMet believes in inclusivity and opportunity for all and are working as a whole college to create a positive learning experience and remove barriers for students who may have or been subject to negative life experiences, social, emotional and educational or may have learning difficulties and/or disabilities
BMet is committed to supporting our care experienced students, staff and potential new staff through a whole college approach regardless of length of time individuals have experienced in care. We will evaluate our support mechanisms on an annual basis and commit to adapting and making changes with the students and staff being the focus of continuous improvements at BMet.
We welcome feedback from students on how we can further improve through our Learner Voice with similar feedback mechanisms for our staff.
We work closely with virtual schools across the country to support students who have enrolled at BMet. Students under the care of the Local Authority have a designated Performance Coach who contacts them during their induction weeks to support them in their PEP as well as providing mentoring support during their studies at BMet, mentoring or coaching services are voluntary.
Financial Services
All care experienced students 16-18 receive vulnerable bursary paid into their bank account on a monthly basis when evidence from their social worker or Connexions advisor has been supplied and an application submitted by the student. Student Services and Pastoral Team staff are available to support the student to make this application.
In addition to this care experienced students receive support with travel, meals and printing credit whilst in college. There are also additional hardship/emergency funds available which can be allocated at a manager’s discretion at times of crisis.
Students over 25 can access financial support with travel.
The majority of our courses at Level 1 and 2 are eligible for free remission.
BMet does not charge an enrolment or on course fee. The college is committed to removing financial barriers to learning.
Pastoral and Welfare
Our Pastoral and Welfare team are available to support students who are care experienced and will work alongside them to facilitate their PEPS and ensure that they have accessed bursary support etc., they are also available to provide a mentor service should the young person wish to engage as this is voluntary.
All care leavers are offered a Performance Coach as part of the performance coaching scheme and commitment by the college to support care experienced students to achieve academically.
We also have a team of counsellors and have recently trained several staff at each college site to be Mental Health First Aiders for students to support those with lower-level mental ill-health concerns such as stress and anxiety.
- Kieran Nicholl – Matthew Boulton
Careers
Careers advisors will contact those who are in the care of the local authority to support their PEPs and invite them to come and discuss their career paths and support them to progress into further qualifications at college, onto an apprenticeship, support with UCAS applications, application and CV writing skills.
They will have at least one appointment each academic year with a qualified careers advisor as well as on course careers information and guidance from their tutors.
This offer is extended to all those students who are care experienced, irrespective of how long they have been in the care of a Local Authority.
Open Days
The college Student Services and Pastoral and Welfare team are available to answer questions from the applicant and their parents or carers to give them an insight into the support that is available during their studies at college.
The inclusive support team and the careers team are also available at Open Day so that the potential student can gain information on the full wrap around support that is available to them when they enrol.
We are committed to making links with our Local Authorities and Transition Teams to invite professionals who are supporting care experienced young people to come to our open days and see our academic and pastoral offer and speak to college staff.
Application and Enrolment
After applying for their chosen course, the new student will be invited to an interview event where they can discuss their support needs with the tutor or department manager.
We are committed to contacting those applicants who have identified as care experienced at application and send them information, before enrolment, of the services and contact names for those leads specified above from September 2023.
On enrolling, student services will ask a mandatory question around their support needs and if they are in care or are a care leaver. An explanation on why this information has been asked in relation to support services on offer is given. There is a specific tick box on the enrolment form to identify our care experienced students.
If they answer yes to either question the pastoral and welfare team who, are the designated care leaver leads, are contacted and they then start to put in place the necessary support making initial contact to introduce themselves.
Induction and transition
The College has introduced a new process of monitoring in care or care leavers with early intervention to ensure success can be achieved. Support is provided through pastoral and welfare teams, which is a discrete service.
Student Services provide support to care leavers to complete an application for the financial bursary. This is a maximum of £120 per month paid directly into the student’s bank account, subject to attendance and behavior.
On Course Support
Every full-time student is provided with a named Personal Tutor who will provide an extensive range of support tutorials both in group and one to one meetings.
Personal Tutors are made aware of any students currently in local authority care in their groups to prepare them for providing curriculum updates on the students’ progress and contributing to the PEPs.
The department managers in the area are also made aware so they can also monitor and provide information to contribute to the PEPs.
Personal Tutors have received training and briefing on the care leavers process and received training on trauma informed practice.
Performance coaches receive regular training from virtual schools on the PEP process and support to care experienced students.
We have links with the LA and meet regularly to review our processes. Virtual school leads regularly liaises with the Performance Coaches on individual student’s needs and to ensure PEPs are completed correctly.
We work positively alongside young people’s social and support workers to ensure they get the best out of their time at BMet.
Pastoral support and guidance is given to help them achieve on their programme, which may include support with motivation to study, attendance and self-esteem.
They are offered additional careers guidance with the central careers team overseen by the Careers Lead. When leaving the College, destinations will be recorded by the Careers Team and checked three, six and twelve months by the data team.
Care experienced students will participate in progression weeks and act on guidance from Personal Tutors to map out next steps. Personal Tutors have access to a UCAS handbook for example, that specially refers to the application process of a care experienced individual.
Students with vulnerabilities and those who are care experienced have an indicator on our system support and tracking system to enable tutors to identify those who may require additional academic or pastoral support.
Equipment
All students can receive help with any specific equipment they might need, laptops on long term loan, books and equipment etc.
Transition
Members of the Careers Team work closely with universities, employers and other services to offer the best programme of activity whilst students are in college. Care experienced young people will be informed of this during their careers sessions. For those students who wish to think about university, there is financial support available to support them to visit HEIs, purchase equipment for jobs or clothing needed for interviews.
Definition and eligibility criteria for support (HE):
Care Experienced HE students are entitled to Additional funding and can get up to an additional £500 this can be applied for at any point during study with us.
Students are also supported to apply to any other funding eligible for from Student Finance England.
Care experienced HE students are given loan of a lapbook or Chrome book during the duration of their studies at BMet.
Care experienced HE students have a number of pastoral and welfare services available. This information will be updated shortly.
HE courses at BMet benefit from smaller class sizes and therefore students then benefit form more contact time with lecturers. Academic 1:1 support is always available throughout the duration of study as and when required
Once information on an applicants’ care experienced status is received from UCAS, the HE team make contact and give additional information, advice and guidance to the applicant, the team providing a holistic approach to support for both academic and pastoral wellbeing
From onset of application, enrolment and induction the HE team realise that not all care experienced students may wish to declare this straight away and so the team through induction and tutor support encourage and support students to declare any additional support needs and/or care experienced status.
Staff will liaise with the care experienced students’ support i.e. personal advisor or transition team member, once consent is gained to offer additional communication and clarification in regards to funding etc.
Collecting Learner Voice
As part of or pledge to the Care Leaver Covenant we want to speak to care experienced students to talk to them about their experiences at BMet and take comments and suggestions for our continuous improvement of the experience on application, enrolment and support for care experienced students.
We will offer a range of methods to do this including focus groups, drop ins and questionnaires which we will design with support from care experienced students.
PILLAR TWO.
A Robust Employment Offer
As a college we have signed the Covenant Care Leaver Friendly Employment and we are committed collectively to support both care experienced students as well as those in the community via our employment opportunities.
Engagement
We will invite our care experienced learners to apply for any BMet vacancies that fit their interests and aspirations through:
- a poster campaign with clear messaging inviting under-represented groups, including care experienced people, to apply; detailing the offer of support as below
- news posts and news stories on the learner landing page on the College intranet
Support
We will offer application and interview support for those identifying as care experienced giving due consideration to barriers and challenges faced. For example, how to complete an application to get shortlisted, interview rehearsals, skills-based assessment practice etc.
We will explore how we can enable care experienced to self-identify during the application process, so that support can be offered quickly and easily.
We will refer to our experienced careers team if relevant. Opportunities
We will provide care experienced students with opportunities to develop employability skills to enter the world of work.
We will provide support in gaining volunteering, additional work placement hours (above the minimum requirement of study programmes for all students) and employment where appropriate.
We will provide these opportunities within the College for example in professional service roles and/or curriculum areas.
This will very much depend on the interests and aspirations of individuals, and we will link with our experienced careers team to determine career choices. We might for example support a 2-week full time placement or 1 day a week over 6 months in a particular department , depending on individual circumstances and business needs.
We will provide a mentor from the business/interest area if requested.
The College is also committed to working with care leavers in the community. We’re actively looking into how we can provide various opportunities, such as work tasters and experiences in a number of professional service positions. If you’re interested, we’re more than willing to discuss this on an individual basis. To learn more, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Sam Cole for additional details.
BMet is working with colleagues to explore how we can supportively respond to this aspect of the Care Leaver Covenant.
Engagement
We will invite our care experienced learners to apply for any BMet vacancies that fit their interests and aspirations through:
- A poster campaign with clear messaging inviting under-represented groups, including care experienced people, to apply; detailing the offer of support as below.
- News posts and news stories on the learner landing page on the College intranet.
Support
We will offer application and interview support for those identified as care experienced; giving due consideration to barriers and challenges faced. For example, how to complete an application to get shortlisted, interview rehearsals, skills-based assessment practice etc.
We will refer to our experienced careers team if relevant.
Opportunities
We will provide care experienced students with opportunities to develop employability skills to enter the world of work.
We will provide support in gaining volunteering, additional work placement hours (above the minimum requirement of study programmes for all students) and employment where appropriate.
We will provide these opportunities within the College for example in professional service roles and/or curriculum areas.
This will very much depend on the interests and aspirations of individuals, and we will link with our experienced careers team to determine career choices. We might for example support a 2-week full time placement or 1 day a week over 6 months in HR, depending on individual circumstances and business needs.
We will provide a mentor from the business/interest area if requested.
PILLAR THREE.
BMet has strong relationships with other 1000 employers both nationally and across the region. We work with a range of employers across different sectors including Advanced Manufacturing, Construction, Business and Professional Services, Medical and Health, Creative and Digital to support them with their recruitment and training needs. This can be through training current staff, helping them to recruit new staff and opening up their industry to our students through work experience models.
Our Employer Engagement team manage a strong onboarding process with employers ensuring that they have the right structure and requirements to support care experienced people. The team advocate on behalf of the young person to ensure that salaries and wages meet legal requirements of the national living wage, being considerate that the lived/ living experiences of an apprentice who is also care leaver may include sole responsibility for their housing and daily expenditure.
Care experienced apprentices are supported by the designated leads and the apprenticeship recruiters and have access to services from pastoral and welfare and in house qualified careers advisors.
We are reviewing how we can promote support and services to our care experienced young people via our marketing team and Learner Landing Page. We are committed to developing an information and resources page on our student platform specifically for care leavers and will be consulting with them to ascertain what resources and support they would like and in what format.
Designated leads will be linking with local and regional care leaver networks to expand our knowledge base and share good practice with other education providers.
BMet pledges to be an advocate for care experienced young people and organizations with a care experienced/care leaver focus by offering room and venue hire at a reduced or free rate.
