Estranged learners Becca Bland, Chief Executive, Stand Alone Nicola Turner, Policy Executive, UCAS Jeni Clack, Admissions Support Manager, SPA In order of speaker

What is a family relationship lacking to make it estranged? Positive Contact Financial Support Emotional Acceptance and/or Support

Who are estranged students?

Have you had any contact with the local authority care system?

The Stand Alone Pledge

23 HEIs have pledged to support estranged learners

@UKstandalone www.thestandalonepledge.org.uk www.standalone.org.uk/students Get in touch: b.bland@standalone.org.uk

How UCAS is supporting estranged learners Nicola Turner, Policy Executive, UCAS

Application question When? 2019 cycle Why? Current inefficiencies in how HEPs identify estranged learners Improve the process to match support to learner Impact on drop-out rates? How? Extensive work with SPA, HEPs, Stand Alone, SLC, internal colleagues User testing

Information and advice Fees and funding – clarifying what is available Student finance (independent) Other government support (e.g. travel expenses) Bursaries, scholarships, awards and grants (e.g. Unite) Provider-specific funding (e.g. support packages) Accommodation – identifying concerns Year-round accommodation Affordability and budgeting Deposits and guarantors Health and wellbeing – recognising wider needs Mental health support Mentoring and buddy networks Counselling

Internal training Training sessions for our Customer Experience Centre staff have been planned later this month. Further internal briefing sessions are planned for the following months

National Union of Students Building relationships Student Loans Company WP and support staff in universities and colleges National Union of Students Stand Alone Reviewing material Sharing experiences and expertise Sharing and providing website content User testing Collaboration at events Sharing and comparing vocabulary and definitions Fact-checking Sharing progress Inviting feedback

Thank you n.turner@ucas.ac.uk

Supporting estranged students throughout the applicant experience @SPA_Admissions Supporting estranged students throughout the applicant experience Jeni Clack, Admissions Support Manager https://www.spa.ac.uk/resources/estranged-students

What is the applicant experience? Pre-applicant Applicant Student Graduate Aspiration-raising, outreach and marketing Student experience and success Admissions pre-application post-application application transition

Why is a good applicant experience important? Good experience … mutually beneficial … prepares, informs and provides equality of opportunity … accurately matches … improves retention and enhances mission Poor experience … inherently detrimental … perpetuates barriers and disengages … risks incongruence … unfulfilled potential and increased drop-out

The applicant experience for estranged students What are the specific support needs of estranged students in admissions? What’s already being done within admissions? What intelligence/ data/expertise exists? What more could be done in admissions? What’s missing? Successful support in outreach, retention and other areas?

Suggested recommendations Have clear definitions Promote support through policy Implement a communication plan Ensure an integrated applicant experience Include ‘estranged student’ within a contextualised admissions approach

Student feedback University of Salford, Manchester “…recognise that not all young people you are talking to will have families. Your message should be inclusive.... Information on specialised support available should be easily accessible… work actively with organisations that work with young estranged people to reinforce the message that university is for us.”

Student feedback University of Salford, Manchester “… the period between leaving college or school and starting university can be lonely, isolating and bewildering without family support so we would like you to foster a relationship with us before we come to university… help us through this period of transition with advice, guidance and support… opportunities to disclose, our estrangement, in a safe and confidential way, throughout the process and including at registration.”

Thank you Any questions? Please don’t hesitate to contact the SPA team: enquiries@spa.ac.uk All of our resources are freely available on our website: www.spa.ac.uk Follow us on twitter: @SPA_Admissions

How can you help estranged students in the application process?