University of Dundee Corporate Parent Report 2021

Background

In April 2015 Part 9 of The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 came into effect. As a consequence of this act the University of Dundee, as a post 16 education body for the purposes of Higher Education (Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005), became a Corporate Parent.

Definitions

Corporate Parenting: An organisation’s performance of actions necessary to uphold the rights and safeguard the wellbeing of a looked after child or care experienced, and through which physical, emotional, spiritual, social and educational development is promoted. Looked after child: a child or young person who is looked after by a local authority, whether at home or away from home, including a young person in continuing care after the age of 16.

Corporate parent:  An organisation or person in power who has special responsibilities to care experienced and looked after children and young people, a group that includes:

• Those in residential care
• Those in foster care
• Those in kinship care, who live with a family member other than a parent
• Those who are looked after at home with social work involvement

Care experienced / Care Leaver: A person aged 25 or under who ceased to be looked after by a local authority on, or at any time after, their sixteenth birthday.

At present, many looked after children and care leavers experience some of the poorest personal outcomes of any group in Scotland. Low levels of educational engagement and achievement feed into high levels of poverty, homelessness and poor mental health. Barriers to education which care experienced young people face include lack of funding, disrupted schooling, an unstable home environment, and accessing further and higher education at a later age than their non-looked after peers.

The University of Dundee is fully committed to supporting young people who have had experience of care and to fulfilling its Corporate Parenting responsibilities.

The University of Dundee Corporate Parenting requirements are as follows:

• Prepare a plan for how it proposes to exercise the above responsibilities and keep this plan under review.
• In so far as reasonably practicable, collaborate (with each other) when exercising the above responsibilities.
• Report on how it has exercised its Corporate Parenting responsibilities, its planning and collaborating function
• Be prepared to provide information to Scottish Ministers on how it has exercised its Corporate Parenting responsibilities, if requested.
• Have regard to any guidance about Corporate Parenting issues or any direction issued by the Scottish Ministers in relation to Corporate Parenting responsibilities requirements.

The University of Dundee’s Corporate Parenting duties

Part 9 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 has put the concept and policy of ‘corporate parenting’ onto a statutory basis in Scotland with all post‐16 education bodies included in the list of Corporate Parents. As such, the University has a responsibility to be systematic and proactive in its efforts to meet the needs of looked after children and care leavers. Specifically, it must:

• 58 1(a) Be alert to matters which adversely affect the wellbeing of looked after children and care leavers;
• 58 1(b) Assess the needs of those children and young people for the services and support they provide;
• 58 1(c) Promote the interests of those children and young people
• 58 1(d) Seek to provide opportunities which will promote the wellbeing of looked after children and care leavers;
• 58 1(e) Take action to help those children and young people access such opportunities and make use of the services and support provided;
• 58 1 (f) Take action to improve as a corporate parent;
• 59 Prepare publish and keep plan under review;
• 60 Collaborate with other corporate parents;
• 61 Report on fulfilment of corporate parenting duties;
• 62 Provide Scottish Ministers with information on fulfilment of corporate parenting duties;
• 63 Have regard to any guidance about corporate parenting duties.

In compliance with Section 59 of Part 9 of The Children’s and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 the University’s has written a Corporate Parenting Action Plan.

University of Dundee support for looked after children and care leavers

As a Corporate Parent, the University is required to uphold the rights and safeguard the wellbeing of a looked after child or care leaver. The legislation defines wellbeing in terms of the eight SHANARRI indicators which are:

• Safe: protected from abuse, neglect or harm
• Healthy: having the best possible standards of physical and mental health, supported to make healthy and safe choices.
• Achieving: accomplishing goals and boosting skills, confidence and self-esteem
• Nurtured: having a nurturing and stimulating place to live and grow
• Active: having opportunities to take part in activities
• Respected: being given a voice, being listened to, and being involved in the decisions which affect their wellbeing
• Responsible: taking an active role within their home, school and community
• Included: being a full member of the communities in which they live and learn, receiving help and guidance to overcome inequalities.

While each indicator is separately defined, in practice they are connected and overlapping. Taken together the eight indicators offer a holistic view of each child or young person, identifying strengths as well as barriers to growth and development. These indicators provide a mechanism by which the University can assess its performance as a corporate parent.

University of Dundee Corporate Parenting Policy

The University’s Corporate Parenting Policy is available here.

This report is an overview of how University of Dundee has worked on fulfilling its Corporate Parenting Duties during the period April 2018- March 2021.

1. Review and identify any outstanding actions from previous Corporate Parent Action Plan 2016-18

The working group noted that all actions from the previous Corporate Parent Action Plan were either complete or ongoing (see points 2-5) with a rebranded Care-Experienced leaflet being developed to fit in with the new Student Services’ branding. Further information is being provided in new publications ‘A-Z of Student Services’.

2. The University is an inclusive and supportive place to study where Care-experienced students feel engaged, included, supported and valued as part of the University community.

Support Contacts, Admissions and Ongoing Support Provision: The University has a single point of contact for care-experienced young people within Student Services. Contact details are provided on the University website) and in the University’s Care-Experienced leaflet. Contact details are also published widely by care leaver support organisations such as the Who Cares? Trust, in publications and on the Propel website

Care leaver contacts who have notified their status to the admissions team and/or the Access and Participation Manager have additionally been put in contact with the dedicated care leaver contact within Student Services so that a planned approach for their support can be initiated prior to arrival, and any concerns about finance or accommodation can be sorted out at the earliest opportunity. Meetings prior to arrival have happened and engagement with social workers, schools or youth workers who are advocating for the young person has also been happening regularly. The University ensures that information is provided on all available sources of funding to care-experienced young people and their advisors prior to application, and to care-experienced offer holders, to ensure that they are aware of the funding streams available to them. We continue to use the [email protected]  email address which is included at the bottom of all communications (emails) sent from the Admissions team, so there is an opportunity to disclose care leaver status. This address sends emails directly to the Access and Participation Manager. We are continuing to have this included on all outgoing communications to applicants as we are aware that not all will disclose their status on the UCAS form, and we are encouraging disclosure as a positive step which is beneficial to the young person.

Information about a young person’s care status is generally provided by the individual’s school, guidance teacher, social worker or occasionally youth worker, although it is possible that some care-experienced young people disclose when taking part in Widening Access activities. Every undergraduate applicant who has ticked the “in care” box on the UCAS application form is given information about accommodation, bursaries, specialist support services such as the Student Disability Service, and offered help in accessing any other support they need by being referred to the dedicated Care Leaver Contact within Student Services. Similarly, those who contact via the [email protected] email address.

Care leavers also are helped to access courses through our Contextualised admission process. Applicants who are confirmed as care leavers are supported during this process. Applicants who have ticked the “in care” box but who are not verified as care leavers under the terms of the policy are still provided with advice, assistance and support through the single point of contact system. All identified care leaver students are contacted prior to arrival and on arrival. They are offered an opportunity to meet with the dedicated care leaver support in order to ensure that all identified needs are met, this includes liaison with other corporate parents, especially local authority social work departments. This contact also ensures that all identified care leavers starting at the University are aware of the support available to them, even if they have not made contact prior to arrival. We occasionally have some care leaver students who still arrive without disclosing their status.

Currently we do not ask directly whether applicants to postgraduate degrees have a background in local authority care but they may disclose this to us after getting the communications from admissions which has the prompt to email [email protected]. We are however, dependent on the student disclosing, as the definition of a care leaver in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 includes people aged under 26, it is likely that there will be postgraduate students to whom the University has corporate parenting responsibilities that we may be unaware of; unless they disclose to us based on the communications they have received. Initially awareness information was distributed to other staff within the University including Admissions, Student Services and Academic Departments.

Support is provided on an ongoing basis with regular catch ups provided by the named contact (Student Support Adviser) and any further support needs identified with the care- experienced student.  They are supported to access further services within the University or externally. Peer support meetings were initially trialled in September 2016 and then with limited uptake subsequently now held as online meetings during the pandemic.]

Financial Support: Financial support is provided in a bespoke package– this has included funding for residence prepayment (to confirm the residence room), graduation robe hire and discretional funds as required. Student Funding within the University is working with any Care experienced to ensure they have applied for maximum support. Discretionary funds are available to UK students, including care leavers, who face financial hardship during their studies at the University of Dundee. The Student Funding Officer works closely with the dedicated Care Experienced Student Support Contact (Student Support Advisor) to ensure that care leaver students are not suffering due to financial hardship. All care leaver students are offered the opportunity to have individual budget management coaching sessions with the University’s Student Funding Officer to help them develop their budgeting and money management skills.

Accommodation: We continue to provide accommodation to care leaver students within the University Residences and give priority for this for their first year at the University and with any continuing accommodation they may require within residences, including over the summer vacation period. Their allocation of accommodation is managed to ensure as little disruption as possible for the student, but this also depends on the preferred choice of University residence. Accommodation for 365 days of the year is offered if required, alternative lengths of contract are also available, ensuring that care leavers do not have to worry about where they will live during their studies. If the student seeks private accommodation, then support is given to help them with this and may also include other corporate parents in make arrangement.

3. All staff are alert and aware of matters that might adversely affect the wellbeing and/or achievement of young people particularly Care- Experienced students.

Staff Training: Staff were originally encouraged to participate in the online level 1 awareness training provided by Who Cares? Scotland. Work is currently underway to include University of Dundee content within the Corporate Parenting Module currently available through Open University Open Learn. This will then be placed on our VLE for staff when it is ready. The module was developed by a working group of CEECEF (the named contact within the University was part of this working group). The University recognises this as one of the aspects relating to its Corporate Parenting duties that it will continue to address on an ongoing basis, so it is planned that this new module is rolled out to staff as soon as possible to ensure that there is greater awareness of the needs/ potential needs of care leavers and the University’s responsibilities for Corporate Parenting. This is recognised as a priority in our plan.

Student Services staff in the various units ensure that any student disclosing care-experienced status are given contact details for the named contact, and the named contact is also informed about the disclosure so that contact can be initiated.

4. The University will seek to promote the interest of all our young people who face additional barriers and provide opportunities designed to support achievement, progression and promote wellbeing.

Widening Access: Care-experienced young people are recognised as a priority group for Widening Access and outreach initiatives (see the Widening Access webpages ) and we are actively encouraging applications from care leaver students. Care experience is also an eligibility criteria for our summer school courses, and we are offering free additional preparation for entry. However, many looked after children may not have considered higher education as a possibility, and the University of Dundee, working with college and university partners, are exploring ways to work with local organisations. The named contact can help advise prospective students as early as S3 e.g. with education planning, or their application to University of Dundee. Contact details are also published widely by care leaver support organisations such as the Who Cares? Trust, in publications and on the Propel website: www.propel.org.uk. Work has been done with the Care-Experienced, Estranged and Carers East Forum (CEECEF), to explore opportunities to engage looked after children in local authority or voluntary sector care, to introduce the idea of further and higher education through early intervention. The University covers travel expenses for young people participating in many widening participation activities. In general, expenses are claimed back after the event. When required, it may be possible for the University to fund travel expenses in advance for care-experienced young people. Support during the application process has improved with a continued increase in informal enquiries directly being made to the dedicated Care Experienced Student Support Contact (one of the Student Support Advisors, Student Services). We are continuing offer any care leaver student attending the Access Summer Schools free additional preparation to ensure that when starting in September they are fully prepared and supported for life as a student. They also have access to the dedicated care leaver support advisor/ or other Student Support during the Access Summer Schools as required. Care Experienced Student Working group includes representatives from Student Services, Admissions, Academic Schools, DUSA (student association) as well as care experienced students and continues to act as a mechanism for promoting the interests of care-experienced students and ensuring care-experienced students’ views and ideas are included within our action plan and its outcomes.

Ongoing Support, Peer Support and Resources: Regular contact with the named contact is offered to care-experienced students as a means of ensuring that the student’s wellbeing is maintained. A Teams group for Care Experienced students has been set up to allow all care experienced students who wish to be part of this to meet and chat with other Care-experienced students with the aim of reducing possible isolation and increasing interaction. Care-experienced students are also offered the option of having a Peer Connections buddy/mentor to help support their transition into the University. Care -Experienced students are also offered support through the University’s SWITCH service to become involved in University societies, Sports Clubs or volunteering internally or externally to help them build a network of connections and develop skills and interests.

5. The University will work to fulfil its role as an inclusive organisation and good corporate parent, working collaboratively with other local and national agencies and corporate parents.

Care Experienced Student Working Group: Partnership working continues within the University there is a Care Experienced Student Working group which includes representatives from Student Services, Admissions, Academic Schools, DUSA (student association) as well as care experienced students. The remit of the group is slightly broader than just relating to Corporate Parenting duties as also now includes care-experienced students older than 25 years as well –acting as a steering group for the action plan created for Corporate Parenting which also addresses the needs of students who are carers or are estranged The Student Support Advisor (Campus) has been tasked with the overall project development and other work in relation to Corporate Parenting on behalf of the University by the Director of Student Services.

CEECEF: Work continues to be done with the Care-Experienced, Estranged and Carers East Forum (CEECEF), to explore opportunities to engage looked after children in local authority or voluntary sector care, to introduce the idea of further and higher education through early intervention also discussion of common issues and sharing of good practice in relation to care leavers and corporate parenting the Student Support Advisor (Care Experienced Student Support Contact) regularly attends meetings and has been part of the working group for the new online module about Corporate Parenting. Ongoing connections are made with various social work departments across the country, and in some cases with school guidance teachers and youth workers.

Data Sharing: Initial ideas about setting up data sharing protocols have been replaced with individual permissions being sought from each care experienced young person on a case by case basis, due to the wide range of local authorities and other corporate parents that may require to share data.