West Lancashire College
NCG is committed to a whole Institution approach in relation to support for its Care Experienced students and for the past three years have been working with the CLC to ensure that care experienced learners are supported through all the barriers they face Into HE and employment. As a result of this we have recently obtained the NNECL QM and are committed to a process of continuous Improvement for this group of learners and have a steering group which oversees this work.
Definition
The NCG group base their definition advocated by NNECL which uses the term Care Experienced as a commitment to support as many young people who have experienced care In all Its forms.
At NCG we define a care experienced student as:
Any student who is or has ever been in the care of the Local Authority and would therefore classify themselves as Care Experienced.
This term refers to anyone who has been, or is currently, in (Local Authority) care. This care may have been provided in many different settings, including living with foster carers; living in a residential children’s home; being looked after at home under a supervision order; living with friends or relatives in kinship care.
Outreach/Transition Support
NCG has dedicated teams across all its colleges, including Care Leaver Covenant Progression Coordinators, who provide bespoke pre-entry FE/HE IAG to CES in a range of ways, from early interest such as attendance at secondary school events, initial application at college to enrolment. This allows CES and their key external peers, including liaison with virtual schools across all NCG institutions, to have an overview of the bespoke CES support offered at NCG. All NCG colleges have been awarded the Matrix Standard in recognition of their high quality IAG services and work to the Gatsby Standards.
Application
In line with our objective to create opportunities for all individuals no matter what their background, our Admissions policies and processes are inclusive and accessible. The NCG has a Higher Education Admission Policy (reviewed June 2022) and a Further Education Admission Policy (reviewed November 2021). As part of their review, both policies were subject to an Equality Impact Assessment which highlighted the explicit ‘intent to widen participation wherever possible.’ The policies have clear links to the NCG Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Policy and have inclusive principles of operation. The HE Admissions Policy also contains a commitment that all staff will receive training to enable them to perform their duties in a professional and effective manner.
Both the Application and Enrolment processes empower CES to start their journey effectively by disclosing their CES status as early as possible. We ensure that specialised NCG support teams and teams within individual colleges have the knowledge, experience and understanding to provide good IAG to CES.
At WLC the course enquiry process starts at the feeder schools. Any CES are identified at the start usually through the SENCO or SGO. We can then start any support that may be required. We will go into the schools to introduce what we do and how we can support them when in college. This usually then results in us being invited to the final school Pep and we can then establish that support network to the foster family and the social worker. IF the CES is in any of the local private residential home locally we are again invited in for the final Pep and are subsequentially invited to future CLA’s and all meetings involving the CES.
At WLC enrolment identifies what support package we need to put into place for our new CES. They meet with the finance officer who goes through what they need to apply for the bursary. She ensures they have a bank account and in the case of them not, she signposts to support for this to happen.
Induction
On Course support (Pastoral and Financial, Academic)
Support for student physical and mental wellbeing is provided for all NCG students, however a bespoke support offer is provided to CES where required. At the start of their journey CES have designated access to key support colleagues from the pre-entry stage, a point of contact at each college who they can build a rapport and liaise with regarding concerns/worries. Additionally, Care Leaver Covenant Coordinators and support teams provide opportunities for CES across NCG colleges to enable access to a range of student groups that enable the building and developing of social skills and friendships in an informal and comfortable setting with other CES who have similar life experience, which promotes good physical and mental wellbeing.
The implementation of timely support within the colleges for CES enables collaborative working and holistic support for all NCG CES students, due to the involvement of internal and external support teams and curriculum awareness of support needs including reasonable adjustments. The colleges have designated safeguarding colleagues and/or processes dedicated to bespoke support for CES.
CES can develop their soft skills and gain experience that will help them to progress into independent living across all NCG colleges. Support teams and Care Leaver Covenant Coordinators work together within the colleges to provide meaningful opportunities, as demonstrated in the examples below.
Participation in enrichment opportunities such as student groups has a positive effect on mental wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem and helps to develop social skills through creating friendships. Group activities implemented during key college events specifically encourage interaction between CES and enable development of social skills, awareness raising also encourages CES to make informed choices. Partnership with the Care Leaver Covenant has further enhanced this through signatory opportunities
Financial barriers such as travel, meal expenses and equipment costs are removed for CES across NCG colleges to ensure attendance to college is not impacted and promote good mental wellbeing, examples include funding for travel and free meal vouchers. Skills around finance and budgeting are developed in preparation for progression and independent living. Colleges provide vital information at earliest opportunities from the pre-entry point, including via the websites, IAG event promotional material and initial student inductions. The colleges have various teams that provide financial support such as student services and student finance coordinators, these teams understand the requirements for timely support to be implemented to CES. Care leaver Covenant Coordinators utilise Barclay’s life skills resource to provide tailored support to CES across NCG and the Covenant signatory the Money Charity have delivered money management sessions across many NCG sites. Communication is key within NCG colleges, their virtual schools, and carers to ensure relevant funding is applied for in a timely fashion.
Problems and issues with CES attendance are identified early on across NCG colleges and collaborative working between teaching and support colleagues, carers and virtual schools help removes barriers and ensure the appropriate holistic support is in place to encourage improved engagement with studies. Newcastle College shares key information via a CES inclusion plan.
Attendance is an early ‘at risk’ indicator of the need for intervention and support, and all NCG colleges have robust processes in place to track CES attendance and implement timely strategies to address any barriers.
At WLC we have a robust induction guarantee programme which ensure that all needs are identified early on. We at Safeguarding and CES go to all classes to introduce ourselves and what we do. This helps all students to know we are an approachable service. We also talk about the excellent work we do with the covenant progression officer.
Attendance for CES is monitored half termly. However, once the CES information is sent out to Curriculum Managers they are aware of that added support network any CES will require. As a result, concerns are flagged up to us as a team on a much more regular basis. We can then support the CMs to contact home with an awareness that this communication should be handled in a way that does not disadvantage the CES. If the CES is in a local residential home, we start the academic year off by sending out the timetable and establishing the positive links with the college. We get the name of the keyworker and invite them to Parents evenings and give half termly feedback on how the CES is doing.
Careers and Employability
CES are provided with effective CIAG and support at NCG to help them make informed decisions about their future progression. CES have the opportunity to engage with a well-rounded programme of careers events throughout the academic year, including the aforementioned Apprenticeship event, HE, Careers and jobs fairs, careers clubs and drops ins, HE guest speakers and UCAS clinics where they can explore and discuss their goal and progression options.
At WLC we support with careers and future progression throughout the academic year. At the beginning of the academic year, we send a list of our CES to the Careers dept. This is so they can identify who needs IAG for us as a team to complete their Pep. I will ask the careers team to send me this information as to what their progression pathway looks like and this way, I can ensure all this information is recorded for the virtual school.
NCG has signed the Care Leaver Friendly Employment charter and are committed to ensuring that those who have experienced care are supported to access our employment opportunities and if successful are supported in role.
I have begun communications with local residential homes and crisis centres to see how we can start working with them. I will work with college curriculum managers and marketing staff to secure the dates when we can invite any care experienced young people in for health & beauty events we are having.
I will also ensure that this information reaches all our apprentices and online course as we have CES there.
I am also working with the virtual schools as well to see if there is any way to further reach out to new care experienced young people.
This information will reach the intended audience through social media on our new website, but also through the agencies we will work with.
