Factsheet will explain care leavers statutory rights
The UPP Foundation has pledged £7,000 to Become – a charity that supports children in care and young care leavers – to develop and produce a factsheet explaining their statutory rights and entitlements of care leavers when applying to and studying at university.
Care leavers are around six times less likely to go on to higher education than their peers. Many factors play a role in this disparity, such as frequent disruptions to education, the impact of pre-care experiences and concerns about financing their studies. Increasingly, universities are responding to the specific needs of young people who have spent time in care and offer support ranging from accommodation out of term-time, to bursaries and additional welfare provision.
However, young care leavers need to know where the support is, what they are entitled to and how they can access it. That’s why the UPP Foundation is providing funding which will allow Become to produce a free factsheet for care leavers considering their future in higher education. The factsheet will complement the charity’s online higher education resource, Propel (propel.org.uk), summarising the support on offer and what care leavers’ rights and entitlements are. It will be produced in English and six other languages commonly spoken among Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children.
Natasha Finlayson, Chief Executive of Become, said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the UPP Foundation. Young people who want to go into higher education have to believe that it is open to them. This factsheet will encourage young people both to apply to university and complete their course, taking control of their future and moving towards realising their potential.”
Richard Brabner, Head of UPP Foundation, said: “The fact care leavers are six times less likely to go to university than their peers shows that we must do more to enable this vulnerable group to access and succeed in higher education. Become is one of the leading charities supporting care leavers in the UK so we are thrilled to be partnering with them to develop this much needed, practical information tool.”
Image of Zion courtesy of Become
