We understand that young people leaving the care system may face specific challenges and concerns about starting a degree than other students. We are committed to supporting the choices of care experienced students and are here to help them through course applications, student finance, accommodation selection, course enrolment and throughout their time at University Centre Leeds.
We provide support through our CARES scheme to help you access our courses and achieve the best results whilst studying with us. The CARES scheme offers support both, before and after enrolment and we will explain the support options to you on this page.
What does ‘care experience’ mean?
We define it as an individual aged under 25 who has spent time living with foster carers under local authority care, in residential care (e.g. a children’s home), looked after at home under a supervision order, or in kinship care with relatives or friends, either officially (e.g. a special guardianship order) or informally without local authority support.
The CARES Scheme offers tailored, wrap around support to help students feel safe, valued, and able to thrive both academically and personally.
Our on-course support includes:
Named Contact
All CARES students are assigned a named contact within the Access and Participation team who acts as their key point of support throughout their time with us. This contact provides regular check-ins, helps students navigate institutional processes, and advocates on their behalf when needed.
Pastoral Support
CARES students have access to one-to-one wellbeing check-ins throughout the year. These offer a safe, confidential space to discuss any concerns. Our team can also help connect students with appropriate services within and beyond the institution.
Academic Support and Guidance
We support students in developing the skills and confidence needed to succeed academically. CARES students are encouraged to access:
● Study skills workshops and academic coaching sessions
● Personalised guidance on time management, academic writing, and assessment period planning
● Referrals to academic staff or support services if additional learning support is needed
Other support offered to care leavers include:
- Nominated care experienced student support from the University Centre Leeds HE Welfare and Student Engagement Officer and /or a Named contact from within the Safeguarding Team;
- Buddying and/or mentoring schemes;
- HE Counselling and Mental Health Officer.
If you would like to discuss your concerns further, please contact our Admissions Team at [email protected].
To help potential students make informed decisions about their higher education and degree choices, we offer:
● Personalised tours
● Named contact to support you throughout your studies
● Impartial information, advice and guidance on the courses available in higher education
● Foster family/Care experienced taster days
● 1:1 application support
● Contextual admissions
● Enhanced transition support
● Access to the Widening Participation Mentoring Scheme
Eligible students will receive priority consideration for year-round (365-day) accommodation with our partner providers. While a guarantor is usually required, this may be waived upon evidence of CARES eligibility. Applicants will be contacted by our named contact to clarify the accommodation support offer and will be given the opportunity to select a suitable tenancy. The accommodation team contact information is [email protected].
Depending on eligibility, we offer several forms of financial support in the form of bursaries and grants.
We offer:
● CARES Bursary (up to £1000)
● Support for interview travel and/or materials (up to 50% of costs)
● Graduation gown hire and photography support (up to 50%)
● We also offer guidance on applying for student finance as an independent student.
Through the Wellbeing Team, students can be paired with trained mentors who offer encouragement, share their own experiences, and provide practical guidance to support their wellbeing.
Students will have priority access to confidential counselling services and, where appropriate, may be referred to external mental health services. We work proactively to support students' wellbeing and create a culture where seeking help is normalised and encouraged.
If you would like to find out more about the support available, you can contact our team on [email protected].
Go Higher West Yorkshire provides a CPD-certified training programme for those who support care-experienced young people, called Care to Go Higher. The course has real impact and previous attendees have said the course offers “a wealth of information to support care leavers on their journeys to HE”. The training is free to attend and includes contributions from HE professionals, Care Experienced Students and employers from across the region.
Support in Leeds For Care Leavers
The Care Leaver Service in Leeds can support you, and your personal advisor may be able to help you explore your options. They can also provide financial support including paying towards accommodation and living costs.
For more information, you can visit the Leeds City Council Website or contact them 0113 378 9988 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or at [email protected].
In Leeds there is a range of services for care leavers provided by the local authority, health and third sector agencies. These include:
Within the Looked After Children Service there are teams who work with young people over the age of 13. When the young person is 16, social workers in the team support them to develop the pathway plan; from age 18, personal advisers are allocated to support the young person into adulthood and to ensure the pathway plan is carried forward. Key aspects of the role is to ensure care leavers are living in suitable accommodation, engaged in education, employment or training and they keep in regular contact.
Care Leavers who have been living in fostering placements now have increased access to ‘Staying Put’ arrangements where they stay living with their foster carer following their 18th birthday. There is also an accommodation hub to ensure that the range of accommodation available is used effectively to meet the care leaver’s needs. This includes trainer flats with floating support or non-supported tenancies.
care leavers have targeted Information, Advice and Guidance to support them to access an offer that is right for them. As a city, Leeds is aiming to achieve the Care2Work quality mark which recognises best practice and is awarded to local authorities and employers who demonstrate their commitment to building the employability skills of children in care and care leavers. It covers areas such as traineeships, apprenticeships, jobs within the council, access to Further Education and Higher Education and volunteering.
health providers work in partnership with care leavers and with their social workers, personal advisers and other practitioners working with them, to ensure they access the right health services to meet their needs.
a dedicated welfare rights worker supports care leavers to identify and access their entitlements for 18-25 year olds and work with other practitioners to support their knowledge and understanding.
The EaCES Handbook is a platform by and for students with care experience, as well as estranged students and refugee students. They provide advice, information, and peer-support.
Care Leaver Local Offer: Compare different local authorities to discover how they support care leavers and encourage councils to improve support in multiple areas, including;
● Health and Well-being
● Relationships
● Education and Training
● Employment
● Accommodation
● Participation in Society
UCAS Guide for Care Experienced Students: UCAS have a helpful guide to navigate higher education, including what financial support you may be eligible for.
Become: Become offers a wealth of information and advice for students (including finance and funding, accommodation, and applying to uni) through their Propel website. Here, you can also search universities to see how they support care-experienced students. Become also offers lots of information about your rights as a care leaver, and a free (and friendly) advice line on 0800 023 2033 (open 10:00 – 17:00, Monday to Friday).
NNECL (National Network for the Education of Care Leavers) is a charity dedicated to supporting care experienced students – you can join their Student Voice Network to make education a better place for care experienced students. University Centre Leeds have recently been awarded the NNECL Quality Mark, showcasing our commitment to Care Experienced Students.
The Care Leavers’ Covenant supports care leavers aged 16-25 in England to live independently. On the website you’ll find universities, colleges and businesses making a public commitment to support care leavers, including career opportunities (e.g. job vacancies, apprenticeships and internships), discounts, and other support). Read a blog article explaining more about the Covenant.
We are also signatories to The Go Higher West Yorkshire Care Leavers Covenant.The Go Higher West Yorkshire Care Leavers Covenant.
Read the Charlie Waller student guide for care leavers making the transition to higher education.
The IMO website - created by the Children’s Commissioner for England in collaboration with an advisory network of care-experienced teenagers is a space to share stories, experiences, and achievements. Here, you can find the Care leavers practical guide to starting university and information about education and careers. There’s also a free advice service for teenagers in care and care leavers.
The Rees Foundation offers lifelong support and guidance for people who have been in care. Their support workers are trained in mental health first aid and always willing to offer emotional support. Rees collaborates with cafes across the country, offering a safe social space and a free coffee with your Rees Guest Card. They also have a careers service helping you with anything from creating a CV to making a decision about which course to study.
You can also join This Is Us, an online community of estranged and care-experienced students in the UK.
This safe space allows students to connect, give each other support, share info, arrange meet-ups and more. It’s free, national and open to all ages and years of study.
We also feature on:
- The Go Higher West Yorkshire Care Leavers Covenant (https://www.gohigherwestyorks.ac.uk/care-leaver-covenant/)
- The Who Cares? Trust – Propel (https://propel.org.uk/Details/leeds-city-college?subject=)
We have recently been awarded the NNECL Quality mark, an accreditation which demonstrates our support for care experienced students. Learn more.
Hear from our Students:
“I’ve definitely felt very supported by University Centre Leeds as a care leaver. I’ve had many issues with student finance, which people like Jo and Laura from the Access and Participation Team have helped out with a lot. The course tutors help a lot too by listening to issues that have come from being in care.”
"Leaving care isn’t a very simple process, and depending on what type of care you’re leaving, life can be drastically different. My advice to others leaving care is to be prepared.”
“I found the transition into starting full-time higher education at University Centre Leeds very smooth and accommodating. Although I’d struggled to get everything sorted in time to start higher education as a care leaver, when I talked to my tutor and explained my circumstances, I was given the support I needed. Focusing on the now, I’d have to say what I’m most enjoying about my course at University Centre Leeds is the practical aspect of being able to create something using code!”
FAQs
Yes, we are happy to have conversations with any supporting staff, please get in touch via our email with any questions or to arrange a call. Email [email protected].
You can get in touch with the team by emailing [email protected].
