GHWY is a partnership of 13 HE providers, working collaboratively to reduce long-standing inequalities in access to, success in and progression from HE.

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Welcome to July's issue of GHWY's Care to Go Higher newsletter.

If you have a young person who's still considering their Higher Education (HE) options then we encourage you to sign up to our taster days. We'll be running two events in August that are aimed at making HE seem more accessible to care-experienced young people. Read more below!

The newsletter is taking a break next month. We wish you all a happy summer and we will be back in September with more news, events and useful resources.

As always, we're looking for news stories, resources or upcoming events to promote. If you have anything to share from your organisation then please get in touch with Susan Darlington .

Contents

Click on the title to be taken to the relevant section.

News for care professionals

Learn from Care to Go Higher
Upcoming CPD opportunities
Upcoming Higher Education (HE) events
Latest HE sector updates
Support offered to care-experienced young people by our members
Useful GHWY resources

News for care professionals

HE taster days for care-experienced students

Care-experienced students and their guardians/carers are encouraged to register for two GHWY taster days that will help to make HE seem more accessible.

They will be held at the University of Huddersfield on 1 August and Leeds Arts University on 22 August.

They will include a campus tour, talks with student ambassadors, and information about available HE support.

Lunch will be provided free of charge. Travel assistance may be available on request.

Care Leavers: What support we offer, Leeds Arts University

Leeds Arts University is dedicated to providing holistic support to its care-experienced students.

It understands that the young people have faced unique circumstances and have overcome barriers on their way into HE. This is why it provides bespoke support, to help alleviate pressure and assist students with any challenges they may face.

Its care-experienced students are in complete control of the support they access and any support they choose to engage with will be taken at their own pace.

Learn from Care to Go Higher

GHWY has been running its innovative CPD programme for the key influencers of care-experienced young people, Care to Go Higher, since 2019. In this series of articles, we share some of the information from it that focuses on educational support.

Inconsistent schooling

The inconsistent schooling that many care-experienced young people face can be incredibly disruptive, with them having to make new friends and support networks, and adapting to new teaching styles.

Support is often available through designated teachers, and many care-experienced pupils also have a Personal Education Plan to keep track of their progress.

In order to compensate for these disruptions, many HE institutions offer contextual admissions. This means that young people from a care background can sometimes be given reduced entry requirements.

Upcoming CPD opportunities

We know that many students who are care-experienced also belong to other under-represented groups, such as disability and minority ethnicities. These free sessions provide a broader understanding of these lived experiences and ways in which to engage with young people.

Supporting students to make choices at 18

When: Available now
Where: Online
Who: Advancing Access

Find out how to support your young person make HE choices. The session will encourage you to think about their career ambitions and areas of academic interest.

It also looks at different types of university course, including sandwich courses and degree apprenticeships as well as the differences between more and less competitive universities. Advice is provided on how to support students in responding to university offers.

Further information.

Upcoming Higher Education (HE) events

HE events can help young people to plan the next steps on their educational journey. They offer an opportunity to visit campuses, talk to staff and current students, and learn more about what courses are available. They are free, with in-person as well as online options usually available.

Clearing open day

When: Saturday, 19 August between 10am-2.30pm
Where: Bradford, BD7 1DP
Who: University of Bradford

Get the answers your young person needs about Clearing courses, tour the University's facilities, and speak to its support teams. Only courses with places available in Clearing 2023 will be represented.

Further information.

Open day

When: Wednesday, 18 October between 5-7pm
Where: Wakefield, WF1 2DH
Who: Wakefield College

Find out more about the College's courses, talk to the tutors, and take a tour of its facilities. The event will cover options for school leavers, including T Levels and Apprenticeships, HE, and options for adults.

Further information.

Latest HE sector updates

Revealed: children’s care homes flood into cheapest areas of England, not where most needed

New research suggests that private companies are locating children's care homes where it is cheapest for them to do so, rather than where they are needed.

The practice helps them increase profits but it means vulnerable children can end up being moved hundreds of miles for a care place, splitting them from family and support networks

Focus on state as 'problem parent' rather than care-experienced mothers, says new research

New research led by Lancaster University has concluded that mothers with a criminal record, and who have also been through the care system, could face negative judgements and excessive scrutiny because they are already known to the authorities.

It also found a desire to break cycles of stigma and social care involvement across the generations.

Support offered to care-experienced young people by our members

Our spotlight features highlight what support our 13 member institutions offer to care-experienced young people. They detail care leaver contacts, financial support, and bespoke campus tours among other things.

Each 'what support we offer' feature is regularly updated to ensure that content is up to date, which makes them a valuable resource when guiding your young people through their HE journey.

Find out more.

Useful GHWY resources

Take a look at some of our free resources, which can be used to support care leavers and estanged young people to make informed decisions about their future.

View the GHWY Care Leaver Covenant

GHWY's collaborative Care Leaver Covenant includes information about what our 13 members offer to care leavers, along with useful tips and links. It is reviewed every year to ensure that its information is kept relevant, with addtional details being available online.

View the Covenant.

Resource pack for professionals and carers

Our free resources pack is designed to help you support care-experienced young people to make informed choices about their educational future. It will encourage you reflect on your own role as someone with influence and provide tips and activities to get the conversation going with young people.

Email us at hello@gohigherwestyorks.ac.uk to receive a copy of the pack.

Read GHWY's Stand Alone Pledge

Our collaborative Stand Alone Pledge includes information about what our 13 members offer to estranged young people, along with useful tips and links. Additional information will be added to our website soon to include further support details.

View the Pledge.

Resources bank

Our resource bank holds a wide range of free and informative materials for various audiences to access. There includes sections on wellbeing in education, employability essentials, online taster days, and useful links.

Find out more.

Go Higher West Yorkshire: reducing inequalities in access to, success in and progression from Higher Education.