ONE.

Student

At Liverpool Hope University we aim to support care leavers and care experienced students to ensure that you make the most of your time here with us. If you were looked after by a local authority during your childhood, you may be eligible for additional support from the University.

The University adopts the definition of a care leaver as someone who:

• Is aged 18-25.
• Has spent 3 months or more in Local Authority care (i.e. living with foster carers or in a children’s home) since the age of 14.
• Was in care on or after their 16^th

Access

Prospective students who are care leavers (have been in care as a looked after child for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14) are eligible to apply for the Access to Hope Scholarship. For the academic year 2022/23, there are 10 scholarships available, each worth £3,000 per year over the normal period of study (excluding any placement years and any additional years of study due to transfer onto an Integrated Masters course) to home and EU students who are starting an undergraduate course in September 2022 and make Liverpool Hope University their Firm choice on their UCAS application.

In order to apply, students need to meet at least one of the widening participation criteria as detailed below with priority given to those students who fall into more than one category. An application form is available for students to complete with a personal statement where they should give details of why they are applying for the scholarship, the personal challenges they have faced before entering Higher Education and what difference the money will make to their University journey. Once completed this should be emailed to [email protected]

The application form can be downloaded here: Access to Hope Scholarship Application Form 22/23

(The closing date for applications is the 30th April 2022 from when the Student Finance Committee will consider your application along with your personal statement and circumstances. The decision of the panel will be discretionary and final. Applicants will be notified whether they have been successful by the 31st May 2022.)

Widening Participation Criteria

• You have been in care as a looked after child for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14.
• You are a mature student.
• You have a disability.
• You are from a black and minority ethnic group.
• You come from one of the most deprived areas of the country as defined by the English government’s IMD (indices of Multiple Deprivation) database. If your postcode IMD value is in quintile 5, you meet this criteria. Please note this information only covers addresses in England. Check your eligibility here.
• You come from an area where it is unusual for people to go to University. This is defined by the government’s classification called POLAR 4. To meet this criteria your address must fall into quintile 1. Please note that this information only covers addresses in the UK. Check your eligibility here.

 Induction

At the start of each academic year, care leaver students are sent a welcome email by the Student Wellbeing Officer, who is the Specific Point of Contact (SPOC) for all care leaver students. This allows the student to connect with the SPOC and to remind them of the University’s care leaver offer. Care leavers are also contacted via email at key points throughout the year (e.g. in the weeks before and after the Christmas break, the run up to exam period, etc.), reminding them of the support available to them, should they need it.

Accommodation

Liverpool Hope University is committed to making university halls of residence available to care leaver students for 365 days. A number of accommodation options are available, including en suite flats and shared facility halls.

Pastoral Support

In addition to the support available from the Student Development & Well-being department (counselling, mental health support, learning support), the SPOC can offer care leaver students:

• a supportive link between the University, the student, and their local authority.
• advice on the various services and support available to them whilst at university.
• a supportive link between the student and their Course Tutors/faculty staff.
• advice regarding any financial help and guidance available to them during their studies.
• help in securing access to university accommodation for 365 days of the year while at university.
• someone just to talk to when they need it.

Operation: Christmas Stocking

 As of 2021-22, all registered care leaver students are offered the opportunity to receive a Christmas stocking from the University at Christmastime. We aim to provide gifts that are practical and can be used long after the holiday period is over. Recent gifts have included:

• practical items that can be used within the students’ studies (pens / notepads / post-it notes).
• A diary.
• Chocolate/suitable alternative due to dietary requirements.
• A hand-designed, hand-written card from the Vice Chancellor.
• Warm socks.

Financial Support

Liverpool Hope University are pleased to announce that they will be supporting care leavers through their new care leavers’ bursary. The bursary will be available to UK care leaver students joining a full-time Undergraduate degree programme in September 2022 and who are aged under 25 at the start of their course.

The bursary will consist of two tranches:

1. Eligible residential students will be offered a 50% discount on University-owned accommodation (including the summer) and a catering package equivalent in value to one hot meal per day. In addition to this, any deposits needed to secure the accommodation would be waived.
2. Non-resident students will be offered a bursary of £1,000 each year to be paid in 3 instalments in line with the current scholarship payment arrangements and a catering package equivalent in value to one hot meal per day.

The above would cover the period totalling the normal length of their course. Payments are dependent on the students being fully engaged with their studies and maintaining good academic progress.

Eligible students will need to provide evidence of a minimum of 13 weeks spent in Local Authority care since the age of 14 (usually in the form of a letter from the Local Authority/Support Organisation). The bursary is also open to students who are living in Foyer/supported housing, providing they are under the age of 25 at the start of their course.

For further information on how to apply for this bursary, please contact [email protected].

Placement Support

The School of Education will support all students registered on an ITE course who identify as a care leaver by:

• Subsidising professional placement travel costs.
• Provide an additional placement resource pack (including additional stationary materials and USB Wi-Fi adapter).
• Providing placement peer mentor support.

Graduation

Care leaver graduands will have the cost of their graduation cap and gown hire subsidised.

Liverpool Hope University is committed to continually review our offer of support and provision towards care leaver students.

TWO.

A robust employment offer

From application support, or adapted application processes and mentoring, to specific internships, work experience, apprenticeships or traineeships.

 This is very much open for institutional specific responses, but we believe that every institution is in a position through supporting care leavers as students to translate aspects of this to supporting and offering opportunities to current and potential employees.

Liverpool Hope University is keen to explore how we could respond to this aspect of the Covenant within the organisation. We plan to set up a working group involving key members of our Personnel department, Careers team and other key staff, and we also aim to link with the local authority to understand the local need.

THREE.

Community

How does the institution build relationships and engage with the local community?

Consider student clinics – medical or law for example. Health and beauty treatments, culinary schools or sports coaching in colleges, or information on talk series and open events etc.

Consideration should be given to the advertising and access and / or discounted opportunities, which could be hosted on the Care Leaver Covenant app.

Liverpool Hope University is keen to explore how we as an institution could respond to this aspect of the Covenant. The University’s Community Engagement Team meets on a regular basis to discuss how the University can best support the local community. This team includes key members from a number of different areas including Staff Personnel, Careers, the Chaplaincy Team, Student Development & Well-being and the School of Social Sciences, and already has strong links with the local community, running several projects throughout the year.

The University has recently established collaborative links with Thrive Careers Hub, a local CIC that aims to connect Liverpool City Region young people who are care experienced into HE and career pathways across the region.