Supporting Young People in Care/Care Leavers Conference

1. Supporting Young People in Care/Care Leavers Conference Tuesday 29th April 2014 Michael Gorman Head of Virtual School, Bath & North East Somerset

2. Outline • How well are we doing for our care leavers? • Some explanations • What help is available for care leavers? • What next?

3. How well are we doing for our care leavers?

4. Poor school outcomes • Gaps in learning • Low aspirations • Frequent changes of schools and carers • Poor professional communication/consistency • Profound effects of early neglect and abuse on capacity to form relationships and learn in school settings

5. The YIPPEE Project • Modest expectations and aspirations • History of extreme disruptions • Underperformance masks genuine ability • Professionals tend to reinforce class and gender assumptions Young People from a public care background pathways to education in Europe 2008-2010

6. Care Leavers in Further Education report – The Lost Cohort • Reinforced YIPPEE findings • Lack of good data and communication • Lack of awareness in FE Colleges of needs of care leavers – ‘universal provision is enough’ Care Leavers in Further Education report – The Lost Cohort Chris Leonard 2011

7. The view of care leavers • Care leavers spoke of the loneliness and emotional stress of living on your own after the support of being in care. • Just under a third of the care leavers thought that coming into care had led to them doing better in education than they would have done otherwise. • Just under a quarter of those asked thought they had been well or very well prepared for independent life after care. Almost half thought they had been badly or very badly prepared. The children’s views digest Dr Roger Morgan OBE, Children’s Rights Director for England [based on views from 308 care leavers in 2012]

8. What help is available for care leavers? The Who Cares? Trust http://www.thewhocarestrust.org.uk/data/files/H.E.Handbook_2014_England.pdf Money Saving Expert http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/student-loans-tuition-fees-changes

10. BUTTLE UK QUALITY MARK Institutions with the Quality Mark are required to offer a range of support, including: • help with year round accommodation • bursaries • a designated member of staff as the key contact for students from a care background.

11. The costs of going into Higher Education Tuition fees Up to £9,000 pa Maintenance loans c. £5,555 pa Repay after earning £21,000pa

12. What help is available for care leavers going into Higher Education? • Maintenance grants • Likely to be maximum amount (£3,387pa) • Institution support: • Access to Learning Fund • National Scholarship Programme • Institution level support • Local authority support: • Personal adviser • £2000 one off grant • In B&NES: • £2000 bursary per academic year • Maintenance based on DWP JSA level • Maintenance and rent in the HE vacations • Travel to and from interviews and the beginning and end of term if needed • Workers advise young people to apply for the Institution Support

13. Support 16 - 18 • Pathway Plans around 16th birthday • ‘Staying put’ – can stay with carers until 21 • Post 16 bursary: • £1200 pa if in full time education • Apprenticeships and Higher Apprenticeships – routes to qualifications from Level 2 to Level 7

14. Support pre 16 • Virtual School headteacher now statutory • Pupil Premium Plus: • £1900pa • Allocation decided by Virtual School head • Must meet educational needs of child • One to one tuition often most effective • Continuing Higher Education visits from Year 5 • National Citizen Service – Year 11 • More training and research around attachment and trauma

15. Where next? • High aspirations from everyone especially foster carers • Overcoming reticence • All round resilience