University of St Andrews Corporate Parenting Plan 2023-25

The University of St Andrews is in Fife, falling under the Fife Local Authority. In 2021, 14,946 children in Scotland were ‘looked after’ or on the Child Protection Register across Scotland, with the Fife Local Authority representing one of the largest groups of care- experienced young people across Scotland (alongside Edinburgh and Glasgow.) According to the 2016 Care Inspectorate Report, Fife had particular issues in regard to care-experienced young people and school attendance, a rise in the number of pupils placed outside the local authority and low goals set for these pupils within the school environment.  

Our Corporate Parenting Plan below seeks to outline the way in which the University will support care-experienced young people, in line with the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 and the Scottish Government’s GIRFEC (Getting It Right For Every Child) obligations to support the outcomes and wellbeing of young people through a targeted and timely approach. ‘Wellbeing’ is understood to follow the indicators set out by the Scottish Government: Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Healthy, Safe, Included and Responsible. The Commission on Widening Access Report identified key issues surrounding the identification of care-experienced young people to offer targeted support, the variety of routes these pupils may take to access Higher Education and issues that may arise with attainment and ability to study; all barriers which we seek to alleviate or overcome with the processes implemented in our plan. 

The University understands that it can play a pivotal role in improving the wellbeing of care-experienced young people especially in relation to educational attainment and outcomes. With the University’s support, we aim for all care-experienced young people to have the same access to, enjoyment of and success in Higher Education as their peers, regardless of their personal background. The University will seek to monitor and improve on these key action points in future years, drawing on ideas and support from care-experienced young people.  

The action plan highlights the University’s commitment to ensuring the needs of care-experienced young people are understood and assessed regularly. The interests of these young people will be promoted throughout the University and within the wider community and opportunities provided for these young people. As well as working with other corporate parents in Fife to ensure care-experienced young people achieve the best outcomes and to overcome potential barriers to education, we also actively seek to share best practice across Scotland through membership in groups such as CEECEF (Care Experienced, Estranged and Carers East Forum).  

Care-experienced young people often face a number of difficulties throughout their time in education, which may limit them from achieving the grades necessary to access Higher Education. To help tackle this inequality of access, the University of St Andrews seeks to work with a large number of care-experienced young people in Fife throughout their time in both primary and secondary school to raise both aspirations and attainment and therefore allow them to access more opportunities after high school. Emphasis is placed on supporting pupils to reach Further or Higher Education, not on bringing them to the University of St Andrews exclusively. Bringing together both Corporate Parenting duties and proposals set forth in the Commission on Widening Access, further emphasis has been placed on collaboration between corporate parents and these young people to identify and support care-experienced young people from an early age and help them reach a positive destination.  

Over the coming years, the University seeks to increase the total number of entrants from a care-experienced background and seek to better identify and track these students throughout the application process and time spent as a student. The retention rate for care-experienced young people will be expected to match the retention rate of the general University cohort, and support will be provided throughout the students’ learning journey to ensure all students fulfil their academic potential.  

The University guarantees an offer to all care-experienced young people who have met, or are predicted to meet, the minimum requirements for their chosen course and who have demonstrated a passion for the subject throughout their application. An Access Scholarship (launched in 2022/23) is also available to provide financial support to students from care-experienced backgrounds. Upon entering the University, care-experienced young people are expected to achieve in line with their peers. Extra support will be available for care-experienced students including mentoring support, counselling sessions, named contact support in Student Services, and support for the Centre for Educational Enhancement and Development.  

The following plan identifies the key actions in relation to developing our support and guidance for care experienced young people, and is reviewed within the Student Experience Strategic Management Group (SESMG) structure. Queries about our Corporate Parenting Plan can be directed to careexperienced@st-andrews.ac.uk.

1. Regularly review our progress against our Corporate Parenting Plan 2023-25, ensuring that actions identified in the action plan are achieved.
2. Develop improved mechanisms to incorporate the student voice and lived experience into the implementation and development of our Corporate Parenting Plan.
3. Enhance a network of staff in the Scottish Higher Education sector who support care-experienced students from admissions to graduation.
4. Improve our communications with care-experienced young people to ensure that they are fully aware of the support and opportunities available to them.
5. Raise greater awareness of the needs of care-experienced young people across the University through awareness raising and training.

Outcome: The University will ensure that it provides a range of Widening Access initiatives which CEYP can access throughout their time in education – from primary school throughout the educational journey, into Higher Education.

The University of St Andrews will actively promote and prioritise applications from CEYP to join our Widening participation programmes. We will continue to engage with at least 10% of the local care experienced community in S3 – S6 and 5% of S1 – S2, and we will continue to provide a flexible strand to our outreach programmes allowing care- experienced young people (11 -18 years) within the local area to access support when they can / need to. To achieve these goals in 2023-25, we will:

1. Continue to work with local CEYP, social workers and teachers to develop the flexibility of these projects to support the needs particularly of CEYP
2. Provide additional support with travel to access events to ensure finances are not a barrier to participation
3. Develop and launch a flexible online programme for CEYP senior pupils
4. Enhance and raise awareness of the named point of contact within outreach programmes for CEYP

Outcome: The University will ensure that CEYP applicants are confident and understand the application process and the University identifies CEYP students through the application process and employs contextual admissions.

The University of St Andrews will ensure that the care-experienced coordinator provides impartial guidance throughout application process. We will flag those students who indicate they are care- experienced in an application and track these students’ applications through the cycle. We pledge to make a Guaranteed offer to all applicants who declare as care-experienced provided that the desire to study the subject is demonstratable, minimum asking rates within specified required subjects are met and, if relevant if relevant, there is success in external testing or interview. To achieve these goals in 2023-25, we will:

1. Develop support and Guidance Literature for Care leavers on application process and information on support available. This is to be distributed to teachers, social workers and third sector contacts.
2. Ensure CEYP support detailed in undergraduate prospectus and webpage information is enhanced.
3. Develop communications to send to CEYP on receipt of application, introducing care experienced officers and support available.
4. Investigate training via Who Cares Scotland to support staff in the verification process
5. Develop a dedicated email account shared between Admissions and Students Services to identify and share relevant information
6. Continue to promote the Guarantee Offer in Outcome Agreements
7. Add more detailed information to visiting day talks to reflect the importance of declaring as care- experienced
8. Provide online information sessions detailing application process and support provided

Outcome: The University will strive to ease financial and accommodation worries and burden, supporting focus on studies; Students will feel prepared and confident to start Higher Education.

The University of St Andrews will ensure that Care-Experienced Coordinators promote and provide transition support on scholarships, bursaries, financial advice and budgeting, disability support, and accommodation support. We will look to enhance the named contact support available to students, with a particular focus on on-course support. To achieve these goals in 2023-25, we will:

1. Develop a robust mailing list to communication with CEYP students
2. Develop a communications strategy spanning the academic year and also the student life-cycle from admissions to graduation
3. Review and develop the Access Scholarship, launched in 2022/23.
4. Further develop information sessions, introducing students to key departments and developing a next step programme from offer holder to matriculation 
5. Explore the development of a Staff Mentoring Scheme, to supplement the work of the Care-Experienced Coordinators and providing an additional point of contact for CEYP.
6. Promote the peer-to-peer mentoring scheme offered by the Centre for Educational Enhancement and Development (CEED)
7. Consider the development of more bespoke branding such as Saints Cares (following models at other HEIs such as Strathclyde Cares)
8. Ensure that CEYP students know who the named Student Services contact is for support with accommodation issues, particularly around winter and summer accommodation moves.
9. Explore options to support students who wish to move into private accommodation but may struggle to secure a guarantor.  
10. Review Halls Life and the experience of CEYP in halls, including training for RSMs and Wardennial teams on supporting CEYP.
11. Explore options to minimise the need for CEYP to move multiple times while in Halls of Residence

Outcome: The University will ensure that students are informed of the different support available from Student Services, including financial support and additional support they may require while studying.

The University of St Andrews will ensure that Care-Experienced Coordinators coordinates communication to students about support available, including ensuring that CEYP are designated as a priority group for accessing Discretionary Funds at any point of the duration of study should they experience financial difficulty. We will work with CEYP to access support from relevant departments should they need additional support. To achieve these goals in 2023-25, we will:

1. Collate data on students declaring as care-experienced at admissions and at online matriculation, ensuring the list of CEYP students is accurate 
2. Develop a communications strategy to provide information to students on support available at multiple points of the academic year, collaborating with the Student Association with outreach and promotion
3. Improve our proactive outreach and engagement to promote financial health and budgeting awareness 
4. Provide information to students on financial support available during their studies, enhancing the work of the Student Money Mentors, an internship scheme launched in 2022-23
5. Continue to help students to engage with relevant departments should they need additional support, e.g. CEED for study advice or Student Services for wellbeing, health, disability or money issues.
6. Review and enhance the staff available in Student Services to provide 1:1 named contact support for CEYP
7. Review information sharing with academic schools and communication about additional support or adjustments for CEYP

Outcome: The University will strive to ensure that there are increased opportunities for paid employment and ability to enhance graduate attributes. Improved employment opportunities post-graduation

The University of St Andrews will ensure that there are paid work opportunities and internships available across the University (e.g. Student Ambassador scheme, Laidlaw Scholarships) and that CEYP can access additional financial support to access work experience or opportunities to enhance employability. We will provide proactive and ongoing support with the transition out of university post-graduation. To achieve these goals in 2023-25, we will:

1. Ensure care-experienced students are made aware of paid employment opportunities through the University Ambassador scheme. Where financial need is great, the Admissions department at the University can bypass the one year of voluntary work before paid work is available and place students onto casual contracts. 
2. Ensure care-experienced students are made aware of paid employment opportunities through the Career Connect Platform and the Careers Centre website
3. Consider development of a CEYP internship within Admissions and Student Services
4. Promote the Careers Centre’s Employability Bursary which provides up to £500 to support a work related activity and CEYP are prioritised.
5. Ensure that CEYP are aware that Careers Centre support is available up to 3 years post-graduation
6. Establish a Leaving University Well group to develop a strategy and support package to support the transition out of University
7. Explore piloting options for careers mentoring for CEYP, potentially through alumni networks
8.  

Outcome: The University will be alert to developments within the sector. Ensure that the voice of CEYP is taken into consideration when implementing changes. Continuous reporting and evaluation, including regularly reviewing the Corporate Parenting Plan.  Work with local authorities and colleges. Raising staff awareness of CEYP.

The University of St Andrews will work with other Corporate Parents (CPs) to ensure good practice is being shared within the sector and any new developments can be discussed on a wider scale. We will review and track CEYP engagement and progression within widening access programmes. We will ensure that the Corporate Parenting Plan is created with input from key stakeholders. We will raise awareness amongst academic and professional services staff about supporting CEYP. To achieve these goals in 2023-25, we will:

1. Ensure ongoing membership of Care- Experienced Young People networks, such as CEECEF, Fife’s Corporate Parenting Board, and NNECL. 
2. Participate in the ongoing expansion of the network of Careers Advisers looking at support for CEYP and explore the development of a network of Care-Experienced Coordinators in the Scottish HE sector
3. Obtain feedback from CEYP regarding widening access programmes and implementing improvements through the establishment of a biannual forum and robust communications strategy.
4. Ensure regular communication to CEYP through different channels within Student Services and in collaboration with the Student's Association to ensure regular feedback throughout their studies.
5. Review progression, retention and attainment information for CEYP cohorts
6. Regularly review the progress of the action plan via the Supporting Access Students Group, under the Student Experience Strategic Management Group structure.
7. Provide regular reporting to SESMG, the Widening Participation Working Group and the Committee for Equality and Diversity, as well as incorporating evaluation and reporting on CEYP into Access Reports 
8. Provide training to staff in a tiered approach, with an initial focus on School Wellbeing Officers, Residential Services Managers, Wardennial Teams, and Student Services staff.
9. Investigate ways to incorporate corporate parent module from the Open University as part of role specific training