Devon care leavers are helping the University of Exeter create better support for care experienced students

Devon care leavers – young people who have been in the care of Devon County Council – have been working with the University of Exeter to help the University gain a better understanding of life in care.

It follows an independent report last year saying that just 14 per cent of care leavers under the age of 19 progress on to higher education, compared to 47 per cent of all other children.

The overall proportion of care leavers attending Russell Group universities was just 0.4 per cent, the report by the educational charity, Civatas, said.

The University of Exeter wants to be a more accessible place for care experienced young people so that Devon’s care leavers aspire to attend and feel supported in higher education.

They and Devon County Council invited a group of care leavers to work with the University to highlight the challenges that care experienced people can face, and how best to support them at university.

Over the course of a week, they worked with university staff to develop a better understanding, to identify good practice, and to help bring together a training resource pack for university tutors and recruitment teams.

The resources include guides on trauma-informed tutoring; financial support for care leavers; and a resource to help tutors to better guide their students.

Tedi is one of the care leavers who worked with the University.  They said:

“Many care leavers are put off from applying to University for any number of reasons.  It might be to do with cost, or personal circumstances like where they’re living. Or it might be that they’ve just not thought that going to university is something they could do, because they’ve not had those role models or ideas in their heads that it’s achievable.

“It’s good the University of Exeter is trying to understand things better from care leavers’ perspective, so that they can offer a better level of education and support to care leavers.”

Talking about their work with university staff, Robin, another of the care leavers, added:

“I found it really useful. I learned some interesting things, and I got to help the tutors help other students. So, overall, it was a positive experience.”

Ellie, another of the care leavers, said:

“It was nice to have people believe in me, and for me to help them to create resources for future young people.”

The University says that the new resources will enhance the support that is already available to students from their Academic Personal Tutors.  

Dr Karen Kenny is the University of Exeter’s Senior Educator Developer. She and her colleague, Flo Bessé-Jones, worked with care leavers, Tedi, Robin and Ellie, throughout that week. She said:

“This work is important to me, and the wider university. Care experienced young people are hugely underrepresented in higher education, and this project will help our tutors to better support their students, as well as inspiring other young people to see that they too belong in university, and matter to us.

“This week has clearly shown how we, as a university, can work with underrepresented groups, to develop knowledge, skills and confidence. Together with these amazing young people, we have shown that we can embody the principles behind ‘nothing about us without us’, ensuring that we can continue to improve our support for our students.

“We have already started planning how we can roll out this initiative in the future.”

Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for care experienced young people, said:

“draft: We want to improve the higher education journey for all care experienced young people in Devon, and this initiative with the University of Exeter is just one example of that.

“Our aim is for more of our care leavers to move onto higher education and to feel supported when they get there, so it’s fantastic to see a group of our care leavers helping to make this a reality.

“I’d like to thank our care leavers, Teddi, Ellie and Robin, for being involved with this project, and conveying their experience in the hope that it will enable other care leavers to attend university.”