Care Leavers into Higher Education Louise Howson Aimhigher South East Conference

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Care Leavers into Higher EducationLouise
HowsonAimhigher South East Conference
Spark your imagination
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Overview

• Role
• Compacts
• Visits
• Prizes
• Special Event
• Success Stories
• Summary

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Role

• Role Education Liaison Manager
• Inherited 16 compact agreements
• 15 local colleges, one with Hampshire Social
  Services
• 36 now, including Southampton Social Services

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Compacts

• Ist generation applicants
• Circumstances beyond students control
• Part-time work
• Carers
• Sickness
• Disrupted family life/bereavement
• From local authority care
• Interview and where appropriate, adjusted offer

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Compacts (2)

• Some looked after children in colleges with no
  compact agreement
• Social Services can identify students who may
  benefit
• Signing ceremony publicity to raise awareness

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Visits

• Look at life visit
• Care leavers and social workers
• Meet lecturers/students
• Tour campus and halls of residence
• Inspiring it could be them
• Reciprocal visits to Childrens Services events

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Prizes

• 100 prize plus engraved salver to all partner
  colleges
• Social Services no exception
• Hampshire received for several years, at
  celebration evening
• Generates publicity to raise awareness

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Recent Event

• Inaugural Careers Bonanza
• Saints Stadium 22 February
• HEIs, FE/6th Form Colleges, training providers,
  Hampshire and Southampton Social Services and
  support networks
• Well attended
• An excellent beginning

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Success Stories (1)

• Marie 21 Criminology 2003
• Alton College no compact agreement contact
  through Social Services
• Lower offer helped her onto course
• Did extremely well
• Works for Probation Service

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Specific Issues

• Finding deposit for halls of residence cheque
  from Social Services took time I held room open
• Maintaining funding for foster carers for
  weekends
• Marie happy to be part of graduation publicity,
  also at compact signing, and prize
• Came to recent Careers Bonanza

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Success Stories (2)

• David had a false start at Bournemouth
  University, part-time job
• Came to us through Social Service Compact
• Now in 2nd year WDIT, on line for 1st class
  degree
• Came to recent careers bonanza
• Ill be tracking him on graduation!

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Summary

• Compact Scheme there if needed for care
  leavers, either through college or Social
  Services
• Help on entry and continued support
• Useful positive publicity/ambassadors
• Visits can break myths/barriers about university

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Summary (2)

• Prizes offer a deserved reward, and chance to
  raise awareness
• There has been some success even a small
  handful make it worthwhile

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• Feel free to contact me
• Louise Howson
• Education Liaison Manager
• 023 8031 9539
• louise.howson_at_solent.ac.uk