Special Project Manager to coordinate bespoke visits for care-experienced individuals or groups of young people, in collaboration with local authorities and virtual schools. Visits include a chance to discuss the support available with the  University’s Designated Named Contact for Care Leavers , view the campus, chat with current students, and where possible, to meet relevant academic tutors. Friends, family, carers and social workers are also welcome. Where possible we employ care-experienced student ambassadors to share their experiences and advice and tailor activities to each individual’s need and in response to feedback.

Working with Villers Park Virtual School to gain access to hard to reach young people all over the UK.

Application

• When a student identifies as Care Experienced they have a ‘Warm Welcome Call’ from student services. This conversation is to support students with DSA referals, study support, financial and accommodation advice.

• Pre entry support – working with each applicant individually to offer the most appropriate support. We contact offer holders who indicate on their application form that they have been in care, to discuss qualifications or any concerns they may have. We also let them know the support on offer re housing.

• There are two named members of staff.

• Care First – available as a crisis line, which offers advice and guidance to be made available to all care leavers prior to the start of term – Care First offer professional counselling, information and advice service offering support for issues arising at home, at work or at college.This service complements existing Student Support, management and policies and procedure and provides an opportunity to discuss problems independent of the situation.

Accommodation

• Rose Bruford has its own Halls of Residence. Students also rent in shared houses with other Bruford students, we run Sharers’ Days to help people with this process. Student Service help arrange accommodation information and advice. Care Experienced students are offered priority access to halls of residence.
• We have a 365 days a year hall of residence policy for care experienced.

Finance

• Care Experienced are eligible to apply for a bursary and hardship funds.

• Brufords offers an ‘I Care’ voucher for all new students to the value of £100.

• The final instalment of £500 of the Care Leaver Bursary will be paid upon successful graduation.

On course

• The Well Being Manager running ‘Resilience’ Workshops for care experienced and FE students

• Employed a councillor from Feb 2021, to deal with student mental health – Care Experienced students to have access to this service.

• A nominated member of staff who is the point of contact for all care leavers