From 20th – 30th October is National Care Leavers’ Week; a chance to reflect on the experiences of young people leaving care, and to think about how we all have a part to play in supporting these young people.
At Sheffield Hallam we are immensely proud of all of our students. We recognise the different experiences and challenges that people may have faced before they enrol as students and also during their time with us. In Student Support Services, we see our role as supporting students to make the most of their time at University and to feel welcomed.
Esther, a care leaver student who graduates with a BSc in Events Management with Arts and Entertainment this year
Universities have been recognising the potential, and the sometimes difficult experiences, of care leavers, for a long time. The Buttle UK Quality Mark was set up in 2006 to recognise universities that provided good quality support for care leavers. Sheffield Hallam University was one of the first universities to be awarded the Quality Mark and the support has developed over the years.
The Buttle Quality Mark has come to an end now, but the support we’re offering at Sheffield Hallam continues to grow.
Our approach to supporting care leavers
We recognise that all parts of society have a responsibility to support care leavers so that they can make a successful transition into adulthood. We also recognise that care leavers may face additional barriers to accessing support and opportunities, which other students may not face. As such the support that we provide
- should aim to facilitate access for care leavers to the same level of support and opportunity available to all students
- We recognise that care leavers are great assets to Universities. As such the support that we provide aims to
- empower students to make their own informed choices
- celebrate the successes and the achievements both ordinary and extraordinary of our students
- enable our students to achieve their potential
- encourage our students to engage with the full range of opportunities open to them at University
- be responsive to feedback from care leavers about our services
- We recognise that all care leavers are individuals and that they, their experiences and their willingness to share these experiences, should always be treated with sensitivity and respect. As such the support that we provide is
- optional
- non-judgemental
- mindful of the best interests of the individual student
What support do we offer?
Students who come to Sheffield Hallam from care can expect to be offered:
- one-to-one support and advice from a named adviser
- help accessing accommodation all year round
- a £1,500 per year bursary for those who meet our eligibility criteria
- named contacts in our Student Wellbeing and Careers and Employability services to help access to this specialist support
- access to specific schemes and opportunities e.g. Career Impact Programme, invitation to apply for paid Student Ambassador employment
- opportunities to take part in shaping the future of the support e.g. some students have attended conferences with us and participated in research
In 2016 we also offered:
- a ‘buddying’ scheme where second and third year care leavers offer mentoring to new care leaver students
- a graduation support package for care leaver graduates, including free gown hire, photographs, guest tickets and a high street voucher to mark the achievements of our students
Times Higher Education Awards
In recognition of our work to support care leavers, Sheffield Hallam has been shortlisted for an award for Outstanding Student Support in the Times Higher Education Awards.
We are pleased that we will have the opportunity to share our ethos towards supporting students through this nomination but we also recognise that we can always do more to understand the experiences of our diverse student population. We believe the award nomination is testimony to the brilliance of our students, who, through their engagement with our services, help us to better understand and respect their experiences, and tailor our support to suit their circumstances. We also acknowledge that there are students who choose not to take up support and those for whom we need to try harder to help in the future.
Help us to improve our services
We would like to invite students to take part in a focus group to offer feedback and suggestions for how we can continue to improve our support for care leavers, whilst maintaining a respect for students’ autonomy and right to be treated equally to all other students. Previous student feedback has led to changes in the way we offer support, such as the introduction of a buddying scheme. But we know we can do better.
My support from Sheffield Hallam has been immensely significant and of such a high standard. Every problem I have had has been talked through with me by a member of staff and has always been resolved to the best it could be…all the personal issues I have had in the past year have been lessened knowing that support was available through the care leavers team at university”
Feedback from a care leaver, 2015