Students with care experience bring unique perspectives and resilience to their learning environments. Yet, many still believe higher education isn’t an option for them and don’t pursue their aspirations.
From conversations with advisers, we know that care-experienced students often don’t fully understand the support available to them, especially around finances and accommodation. They may also struggle with confidence and worry about disclosing their care background.
As advisers, your role often extends beyond academic guidance – you help students navigate accommodation, finances, relocation, and the transition to independence, often with very little time. However, we also know that care-experienced students may not talk about their background with you – either because they find it too personal to share with someone they don’t know well, or because they don’t see any reason to.
If you share these challenges, here are five practical ways to support your care-experienced students:
- Use the adviser’s toolkit: Offering practical tips on how to support students at each stage of the application process, this toolkit will help you ensure they are informed and prepared throughout.
- Share the supporter’s toolkit with other staff: This step-by-step guide assumes no background knowledge of the UCAS process – it walks you through each stage, from initial discovery to getting ready to go, with specific advice for supporting care-experienced students.
- Start conversations early: The UCAS Hub offers tools to spark meaningful discussions about next steps. From the careers quiz to subject tasters, there are plenty of resources to engage students and build their confidence. Create an account and familiarise yourself with the platform. Understanding its features first-hand will help you guide students more effectively.
- Encourage social media engagement: With National Care Leavers' Month approaching, students can follow UCAS social channels for timely tips, resources, and support tailored for care-experienced students.
- Join the LinkedIn community: Connect with peers and access resources by following the LinkedIn group UCAS for Advisers, where we share advice and updates specifically for advisers.
With the right tools and approach, you can empower them to unlock their potential and succeed on their chosen pathway.
