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“It’s the most exhausting and also the most rewarding project I’ve ever been involved with” Success4Life: Lessons learnt from 5 years of running an after school project for Looked after Children. Emma Lewis-Kalubowila Student Recruitment and Widening Participation Officer
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“It’s the most exhausting and also the most rewarding project I’ve ever been involved with”Success4Life: Lessons learnt from 5 years of running an after school project for Looked after Children Emma Lewis-Kalubowila Student Recruitment and Widening Participation Officer The University of Manchester
Today’s session will explore: • Why we do this project • An overview of the Sucess4Life Project • Challenges we’ve faced • Successes we’ve had • Nuts and Bolts of planning a project like this • Top Tips from staff who’ve worked on the project • Discussion and questions
Why do we run Success4Life?Target Group • Work with young people who have experienced Local Authority Care is, and continues to be, a key priority in the University’s Access Agreement.
Why do we run Success4Life?Why are LaC and CL a target group • 6% of care leavers go to University – compared with 38% of all young people Source 1) NSPCC https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-protection-system/children-in-care/statistics/ 2) https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-by-local-authorities-in-england-year-ending-31-march-2011
Why do we run Success4Life…Barriers to Higher Education for Care Leavers • Some real, some perceived • Level of educational attainment due to disruption to education • Lack of understanding by support workers/foster carers regarding HE e.g. myths around student finance- lack of knowledge of breadth of Higher Education • Lack of HE role models • Lack of consistent people to encourage or support
UoM Pre-16 support • Ad-hoc Visit Days – for any looked after young person. • Looked after children are a target group in all our WP work e.g. Gateways, Greater Manchester Higher, Summer Schools, to encourage teachers to include this group on visit days/events. • Success4Life (years 8/9): This extended project (spread over approx. 10 weeks) encourages young people to explore their skills and strengths, work with current University students who are care experienced and think about their future choices. Themes are positive self-image, confidence building and awareness raising of HE and beyond. • Success4Life on the road (years 7-11): A condensed version of our Success4Life project, delivered in local authorities from 2016.
Success4Life…What is it?! • Success4Life is a WP project with a difference; whilst the theme of higher education runs though the project, there is a particular focus on the transferable life-long skills and how these apply to education and careers more broadly. The project seeks to develop positive self-image, confidence, presentation and teamwork skills, through a range of group work activities and themed sessions. Pupils work alongside positive role models (current University students, some of whom are care experienced) and University staff. • After school project held at University, sessions follow same structure each week, with different topic or theme. See handout on session structure
Success4life.. Challenges we’ve faced… • Accessing Audience • Support from Adults around the young people • Fluidity of situations, e.g. accommodation • Prevalence of additional learning needs & impact on “energy levels” (!) • Safeguarding concerns and disclosures
Success4life.. Challenges we’ve faced… • Care Leaver Ambassadors: triggering • TRANSPORT!
Success4life.. Successes we’ve had • Sustained Pupil engagement • Increased demand over the 5 years from designated teachers resulting in larger cohorts • Behaviour
Success4life.. Successes we’ve had… impact on young people… End-of-programme evaluations make it clear that participants demonstrate increased confidence, feeling more comfortable taking part in discussions and group activities. A key aim of the project is building self-confidence in young people, so they feel able to make the most of opportunities open to them, including higher education in the future. We asked learners what the project has meant to them: • “A lot because it’s built my confidence and communication skills” • “They mean a lot because I’m building my confidence” Attendees were asked if they would recommend the project to a friend: • “Yes, so that they don’t just stay at home playing on the estate and getting into trouble” • “Yes, so they could meet new people”
Success4life.. Successes we’ve had… impact on young people… Feedback from young people who have attended the project: • “Success4Life is great…I love going” • “I have been going to Success4Life at the university…it has really helped me to feel more confident. Last year I was dreading my English presentation, this year has been much easier because I have learned to express my views in front of others”. • “I went to success4life at the University, it was good because I could talk to other children who are also in care and get to know them as friends. It was good to talk to others who have shared similar experiences”. • “I just want to say that this project has made me realise that just because I have a social worker doesn’t mean I’m any different from anyone else”.
Success4life.. Successes we’ve had… impact on young people… “When I first got told about this programme I didn’t think it was for me. I decided to give it a try as it’s not every day you get an opportunity like this. So I gave up my time after school on a Tuesday and it was worth every second. I was nervous about working with people I didn’t know and worrying whether or not we will get on…Team work - Doing ice breakers and team work activities helped to socialise and communicate with others. Communicating/Socializing – Giving my opinion and the different things we was doing. Asking for something..etc.. Getting involved – I took part in various different activities we had in the sessions… And by the end I wasn’t afraid to try new things. I’ve made some amazing friends”
Success4life.. Successes we’ve had… impact on young people… Success4Life 100% of students strongly agreed they had enjoyed the programme and 100% considered it should run again. “Because it is a good opportunity for kids in care to express their feelings and make new friends.” “Because it helps me and made me feel more confident and I really enjoyed the activities, staff, and banter.” “Because it helps children build their confidence” See http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/openu/jwpll/2015/00000017/00000004/art00008;jsessionid=1woachbo7m06b.victoria
Success4life.. Successes we’ve had… impact on student ambassadors… • Sustained project, regular work, engages them with University life • Feel they’re “passing something on” and helping others. ‘I think its brilliant being an ambassador.’ ‘Its great to see where and how we are making a difference.’
Success4life.. Successes we’ve had Feedback from Foster Carers: Guests at graduation complete a short survey; overall they stated that S4L had been a positive experience for their young person: • “Both young people have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. They have now both expressed their wish to try and attend University” • “This project has had a positive impact on my young person and she has enjoyed taking part”
Success4life.. Successes we’ve had • Strong relationships have been developed with Children’s Services at Local Authorities. We have developed strong links with partners, which enables the project to develop and succeed. • “Any good parent always wants the very best for their children, including the option of considering going into higher education including university. Every Local Authority's most important job is being that good parent to Looked after Children. The "Success for Life” Programme run by Manchester University and Manchester Metropolitan University is a wonderful example of how to provide such opportunities to care experienced young people. The Programme graduates are a fantastic example of how this programme can raise aspiration and build confidence and resilience so that each and every one of them has the very best chance to fulfil their potential. It is brilliant and we should and must do more” Mike Livingstone, Former Strategic Director of Children’s and Commissioning Services, Manchester City Council • “Thank you for your continued hard work to support all of the children in our care to achieve best possible outcomes” Jane Johnson, Virtual Head and Strategic Lead for the Education of Looked After Children
Success4life.. Successes we’ve had Feedback from Local Authorities: Key workers have also provided us with evidence impact: • “Success4Life project significantly helped several of our young people from Trafford Local Authority. Each young person thoroughly enjoyed the project and gained confidence, new friends and brilliant life skills as well as having their aspirations raised.Virtual School, Trafford
Impact witnessed by teachers/carers • “This project has had a positive impact on my young person and she has enjoyed taking part” • Feedback from Social Worker • “This young person had been struggling in her new foster placement. The foster carer stated that she only spent time in her room and would not eat with the family. After the first session at S4L she came home a different person. She interacted with the family and for the first time, ate dinner at the family table. Things got better and better each week and the foster carer stated that this was down to her growing confidence from the project. This young person has had significant difficulties at school and during her time on the project, school also reported that her behaviour improved”.
Nuts and Bolts… Handouts: • Session Outline • To Do list
Top Tips from Staff who’ve worked on this project… • See handout • Consistency of adults working on the project • High ratio of staff/students • Tell them about the adults • Repetition of session structure • Room set up • Provision of Food and snacks
Lessons we’ve learnt… • Keep Activities Short • Extra Training for Student Ambassadors & staff, e.g. think about language used. • University may not be main focus • Dealing with Disclosures and “non-disclosures” • Ask nominators how the young person can be supported in the session and/or if there is anything you need to know.
Lessons we’ve learnt… • Set high expectations of behaviour, ground rules and pull pupils up when they don’t meet your expectations. • Establish routine early on and make sure you begin on a positive note, sharing good news. Allows for a safe space for young people to share whatever they wish
