1. Introduction

Lews Castle College UHI serves the communities of the Western Isles and has campuses on four of the islands – the main campus is at on Lewis with other centres on North Uist, and . As part of the University of the Highlands and Islands, the college leads on several online courses and so has Further and Higher Education students from across , the UK and in a few some instances some courses are delivered internationally. Covering an island chain 130 miles in length, dominated by remote and rural populations, we offer courses from SCQF level 1 up to level 12.

In order to provide a broad range of curriculum for a relatively small population base, we mostly have small class sizes and there is an emphasis on personal support from tutors to the students. Community is also key, as people often know one another through other means. This can have its disadvantages as well, as people’s circumstances are often common knowledge.

Our Mainstreaming and Equality Outcomes Report 2013 to 2017 details our commitment to creating a positive environment where students can study and achieve their full potential. Our aim is that anyone can study here at a level that is appropriate to them and receive the encouragement and learning and teaching experience to enable them to achieve their maximum potential in education before going on to a positive destination where they can continue to contribute effectively to society.

Current Statistics

In 2015-16, College UHI had seven care-experienced students at FE level who disclosed their status and one identified at HE level. However, through informal non-recorded means we were aware of a further seven at FE level and another three at HE level. The pattern is similar for 2016-17.

Care Leaver Disclosures:

FE formal FE informal HE formal HE informal Total 2015-16 7 7 1 3 18 2016-17 6 4 7 0 17

Our responsibilities and what we are doing about them

As Corporate Parents, we have responsibilities as defined in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 as “the formal and local partnerships between all services responsible for working together to meet the needs of looked after children, young people and care leavers”. In practical terms, this requires us as a college to take all the actions necessary to promote and support the well-being of care leavers in order to achieve the best outcomes for them before, during and after their time at our college.

97% of care-experienced young people were either abused or neglected by their parents. They, as children, did nothing wrong. They may have moved several times whilst in care, at short notice, and may have been separated from siblings. There may not have been any stable adult relationship in their lives for a long time.

A care experienced person can be someone who was looked after in various ways:

 Someone who has been in residential care  Someone who was in foster care  Someone in kinship care, living with a family member other than a parent  Someone who is looked after at home, with Social Work support

In simple terms, a corporate parent is intended to carry out many of the roles a parent would and give the kind of support a parent would. This support is necessary because children and young people who are care experienced have the poorest outcomes of all children and young people in Scotland. Evidence suggests that

 33% of young people and 31% of adult prisoners self-identified as having been in care as a child.  45% of 5 to 17 year olds living in care were assessed as having a diagnosable mental health issue  40% of care experienced young people leave education with 1 or more qualification at SCQF level 5, as opposed to 86% of all school leavers  Only 5% of looked after young people went on to higher education after leaving school, compared with a national average of 40%  9 months after leaving school, 29% of care experienced young people are classed as not being in a positive destination, against 9% of non-care experienced peers.

The sad reality is that currently care-experienced young people are more likely to end up in prison than at university. Our job is to do what we can to change these figures positively.

In order to be sure we are doing all we can, we need to first identify our care-experienced students and applicants. We can make improvements in how we explain questions asked on forms relating to being care-experienced and how that information is used. We can ensure that all staff are aware of the obstacles and issues that care-experienced applicants may be encountering and we are developing ‘contextualised admissions’ designed to help people who have protected characteristics, with a view to including care-experienced young people in this work.

Disclosure and improving our disclosure environment are key, as is staff development around the responsibilities we all have towards care-experienced applicants, students and leavers. Most of our plan is concerned with addressing these issues and the steps we are putting in place and the monitoring of these for effectiveness that we are doing.

Currently students may disclose their status as care experienced at application and enrolment. However, the two application processes (FE and HE) ask the questions in different ways and the wording is not designed to encourage disclosure. Some of the wording is prescribed by maintaining consistency with UCAS and the SFC. Therefore, if we cannot alter the wording, we need to improve how we explain what we are asking and why.

The Student Funding Officer deals with all applications for bursary and EMA funding at the FE level. This is often where informal disclosure occurs, due to requirements regarding standard questions relating to ‘parental income’. She is very experienced in the requirements of the bursary system and can provide a bespoke personal service to anyone who is care experienced, helping them to complete the form appropriately and ensuring that they are receiving the most appropriate form of funding.

At Higher Education, notification of any UCAS applicant who has declared that they are care-experienced is now sent to the Student Services Manager and she is in a position to advise students of the SAAS funding that may be appropriate, as well as other potential sources of funding.

Students and their appropriate adults can also access drop-in sessions held throughout the summer for help and advice around these issues.

The online application for Discretionary Funds currently does not ask if a student is care-experienced, but this will be amended for the next academic session across UHI.

The Student Services team of two and a half also is heavily involved in the Induction and Enrolment process at the start of the academic session. On-site students have the opportunity to talk one-to-one with Student Services staff and initial contacts can be made and follow up appointments made for the first few weeks of term. The named contact for care-experienced young people is Kate Mawby, the Student Support Services Manager. The plan is the responsibility of everyone in the college, including teaching and support staff.

Health and Welfare

The Student Services Team at Lews Castle College handles financial, welfare, disability and student engagement issues for our student body. We take a person-centred approach, and may well deal with a student on a variety of interlinked issues; one student may be eligible for childcare support and discretionary funds have a disability requiring a support plan and be referred for counselling, all within our office. Students are not a tick-box exercise for us, they are complex people with multiple strands of their lives and we may provide input into some of them in their time with us.

For anyone who is care-experienced, we offer one-to-one meeting with Student Services to make sure that they are aware of the range of support we can offer and find out what they feel they might need.

Financial advice is not limited to FE and HE government funding but includes a broader perspective of student funding queries at FE and HE level. This includes benefits advice for students, issues of eligibility, debt management, and signposting to third parties is used where appropriate for specialist advice and support.

Welfare issues may mean we refer to external third parties or partners such as Western Isles Foyer, CAMH, Western isles Women’s Aid, and our local Who Cares Scotland co-ordinator etc.

The Student Services Team are involved in supporting students with mental health issues, and have all undertaken the Mental Health First Aid course. We have a college counsellor who is external to the college staff, and we have modified the referral process to ensure the confidentiality, which is so crucial in small communities.

We are able to issue vouchers for the local Food Bank and work with a variety of partners locally to improve student knowledge of and accessibility to sources of support. Similarly, we have good relationships with the local Homelessness staff in the council and the local Lone Parent Advisor at the Jobcentre.

We have some laptops that can be loaned out to student to give parity of access to ICT. Students can also use the open access PCs across the college, in the Learning Resource Centre and at the various centres across the islands. This can be helpful for students from poorer backgrounds who cannot afford PCs or broadband and in many places across the island; connectivity can be patchy or non-existent. Making Wi-Fi available in our buildings provides an opportunity for our students to undertake their studies in the same way as others on the mainland. #

All of these opportunities and services are available to care-experienced students and they can access them using a variety of methods to suit their own personal requirements, within a confidential setting.

Partnership Working

We work in partnership with local agencies - local secondary schools on transitions, our local Skills Development Scotland services, the Western Isles Foyer , the local Council Social Services Department , Action for Children and Who Cares Scotland. Internally within the University of the Highlands and Island, Lews Castle College is part of the UHI Care Leavers Group, a well-established group that includes members from all the partners. It has bi-annual meetings and there is sharing of good practice and an informal networking outwith these meetings whenever there is a query that someone needs help with. This is an invaluable source of support.

We also liaise with Who Cares Scotland locally to ensure that our plan is appropriate for our locality and takes note of local sensitivities. We asked for feedback and input from former and current students who are care- experienced. This was done with help from the Who Cares Co-ordinator as we have developed a good relationship and she has several students as clients, so has become a trusted intermediary for some. Their responses have been invaluable in ensuring our plan is fit for purpose.

Curriculum

At FE level we offer two courses at Level 4 – Introduction to FE and the Introduction to Hair and Beauty, with Horticultural Employability and Learning and Working at level 2/ 3. These offer students who have few standard qualifications entry to Further Education. We also offer the National Gateway at level 5, which is available both full-time and part-time, allowing students who may have missed out on schooling for a variety of reasons, the opportunity to gain qualifications so often essential for future progression in subjects such as English and Maths. Publication

We will publish this plan on the Lews Castle College website and it will be reviewed annually, in line with statutory requirements on reporting. A Gaelic version will also be available. Paper versions are available by request from the Student Services Team. We will also share it with our local corporate parents and we will use its publication as an opportunity to bring it to the attention of other key stakeholders in the college.

Action Plan 2017-18

PRE – ENTRY

Stage Present Provision Areas for improvement / Actions (AY 2017-18 and beyond) Responsibility Deadline Projected development Outcomes

Develop effective Lews Castle College UHI has Some staff have good knowledge Develop contact relationships and All staff June 2018 Improved links with local good links with a broad range of individual care experienced ensure all appropriate agencies are partnership working authorities / Health of external agencies, e.g. backgrounds, but there is a need included. and Social Care Skills Development Scotland, to develop the links with our Trusts, schools, Who Cares Scotland, and the partner organisations to highlight Ensure care-experienced young SMT to ensure June 2018 Third Sector Foyer Project etc. the college’s commitment to all people are Included as a priority group care-experienced Embedding of

organisations and individuals who could be in strategic and operational planning. students needs Corporate Parenting are incorporated into the framework other partners in considered vulnerable. order to make into strategic of all strategic available relevant Funding Clinics and one-to- planning, as a planning.

information, advice one assistance distinct group separate to other and guidance (including financial vulnerable groups. Ensure all front-line support staff support) about are Care Aware and offer an Offer a personalised service for all Student Services progression to and care experienced students relating to appropriate level of service to care Manager to September 2017 study options at experienced students. admission, funding, induction and organise staff FE/HE enrolment development sessions with the Develop relationships by identifying Staff Development opportunities to attend local agencies Officer. and organisations to promote the Develop more college’s commitment to this group. effective partnership working.

Encourage access The college specifically The college needs to develop its Develop a care experienced Webpages to be August 2017 Improved disclosure to FE/HE for care identifies underrepresentation flexibility around admissions information point on our website and updated by experienced young from specific groups as part of arrangements to meet the specific keep it up to date. Student Services people. annual curriculum planning and challenging needs of learners. Manager. processes and looks at whether college courses meet their specific and challenging Develop our relationships with Make links with key individuals in SMT , Quality July 2018 Improved agency needs. Consequently, our institutional gatekeepers for care social work, SDS and Action for Manager and working. access programmes were experienced school leavers, to Children locally. Admissions revised and additional support ensure they are aware of our Officer. provided for these student offering and the support available. groups. Annual quality monitoring processes ensure the programme remains fit for purpose.

At HE level, care experienced applicants form part of the ‘contextualised admissions’ process. This allows for special consideration around entry requirements for some courses, depending on the learners’ educational background.

Provide impartial Well-established pre-entry There is a need to make more Ensure local centre staff are also Care Staff Development April 2018 for front pre-entry guidance guidance is given to all detailed reference to the support Aware. Officer of house staff on FE/HE study prospective students at that is available at Lews Castle college information days and College UHI for care experienced Work with the local secondary schools 16+/transitions June 2018 for the personal callers. For young people on our website and to ensure they are aware of the staff teaching staff those at a distance it is also promotional materials. support we offer to care experienced given informally via telephone applicants. or email contact.

Ensure we promote this widely across all schools and agencies within our catchment area, including those in Uist and Barra.

Provide impartial Financial advice and support As above Increase Student Services Team Student Services October 2017 Greater pre-entry financial services are promoted at the knowledge of local authority financial team understanding of advice and above meetings. This support available to care experienced potential financial information on includes awareness of the students. support available for support services eligibility for benefits. care experienced. available Provide more opportunities for self- Aiming to include it declaration on funding forms. as a question on the online funding forms for intake 2018-19 Effectively publicise Details of support which is The college needs to develop its As above Autumn 2017 the support your specific to be available on the strategy to publicise the support onwards institution offers to website available at all stages of the potential students student’s college journey who are care specifically targeted at and for experienced and care experienced young people. market to those See above. colleagues in local authorities / Health and Social Care Trusts, DWP colleges, etc. who are supporting them in their educational progression

APPLICATION, ENTRY AND INDUCTION

Area Current provision Areas for improvement / -Actions (AY 2017-18 and Responsibility Deadline development beyond)

Identify a designated team Three members of the Student Ensure all staff have an Staff development session for Student Services Team/All Staff June 2018 of staff to act as a key points Services Team are the main contacts increased awareness of support staff and teaching staff to of contact for care for all vulnerable groups. However, issues facing care- ensure that they are care aware. experienced young people there are also key personnel in experienced students and We aim to deliver this for all staff Finance, Student Records, Admissions improved ability to respond by the end of 2017-18. An online and Course Leaders who all have an appropriately. training package is being produced active role as initial points of contact. by UHI which is suitable for all staff. The Student Support Services Manager is the prime contact for care This will form part of the mandatory experienced young people. training for all new staff.

Regular support staff meeting to share information as appropriate.

Have in place methods of Care experienced individuals are one Improve our disclosure Identify an appropriate timescale to Admissions/Registry/Student Initial changes implemented for identifying applicants from of many vulnerable groups identified environment and make initial contact with the Services August 2017, further work during year. care-experienced as potentially requiring support and opportunities at induction student following notification of backgrounds. are identified through questions on the and interview stages. disclosure within the college application and enrolment forms, both procedure for managing student online and paper based. support.

These notifications come directly to Improve liaison between Student Services who contact the Admissions and Student student. Subsequently, a Personal Services to ensure care- Learning Support Plan (PLSP) may be experienced young people created detailing their individual applicants are identified and support needs, if appropriate. this information is passed Permission is obtained from the on effectively and efficiently, student to share specific details with whilst observing all the tutors and other appropriate parties. necessary protocols.

. Work with UHI to ensure care-experienced students can self-disclose when applying for Discretionary Funding.

Ensure information on the Information about student support, The information pages need Review all college marketing Marketing Manager/Quality February 2018 full range of support offered including that for care-experienced to be refreshed and materials and add specific Manager to care-experienced individuals, is currently available updated. information for vulnerable groups individuals is readily where required, e.g. prospectus, available and easily through several dedicated website course leaflets, finance and accessible (financial, pages. student support leaflets and web welfare, accommodation, Provide a specific web page pages. academic) e.g. via dedicated Student Services Staff are aware that detailing support for care- website pages. additional support is available for experienced students and Develop a Student Services leaflet Student Services Manager August 2018 care-experienced students and that giving details of the named outlining support available to care- special consideration should be given contact. experienced students and ensure to their needs it is given to our partner

College marketing materials organisations, as well as available need to highlight our for the general public. commitment to vulnerable learners. Develop web pages and use of social media in the promotion of the above.

Offer identified personal Once the need has been identified, The timing and frequency of Identify timing and frequency of the Student Services team August 2018, review in year support before the course appropriate personal support is review meetings will need to PLSP reviews and include within starts and identify provided via the PLSP. This is be adapted to meet the the college procedure for arrangements for any reviewed with the student at key points specific and challenging managing student support. continuing support post throughout the year. needs of students from a enrolment as required. care background, in consultation with the student.

Where required, support There are systems currently in place to Arrangements will need to Ensure relevant contacts remain Student Services team August 2017 care-experienced students support students with accommodation be monitored to ensure appropriate and current. seeking accommodation enquiries. needs are met in a timely (FE) or to secure 365-day manner. accommodation over the full Student Services staff can signpost to life of their course (HE). external agencies such as the Foyer etc for care-experienced students with housing issues.

In addition Student Services staff will work with external support agencies to assist care–leavers in securing accommodation.

The same support is currently given to HE students.

Where appropriate offer The college makes every effort to There is a need to re-iterate Incorporate this expectation within Student Services/Admissions June 2018 flexible application ensure special arrangements are the requirement to be dedicated staff development for arrangements e.g. made to meet specific individual flexible across all staff programme leaders. compacts, interview needs, where required, e.g. flexible undertaking interviews. The guarantees. timing for interviews where travel is an college should also consider issue, possibly telephone interviews where the student lives on the interview guarantees for all Senior Management Team to mainland (HE mainly). care leavers. consider interview guarantees for all care leaver applications.

ON-GOING SUPPORT

Area Current provision Areas for improvement / Actions (AY 2017-18 and beyond) Responsible Deadline development

A designated member of staff to The named contact is the Student There is a need to raise awareness of Provide staff development sessions for Student Services August 2018 act as a key point of contact and Support Services Manager. the college procedure for managing programme leaders regarding college Manager and Staff supporter for care-experienced However, it may be delegated to the student support for care-experienced processes for supporting vulnerable Development Officer students throughout the Student Services Officer as young people across all college students. duration of the student’s course. appropriate for each individual. This campuses, particularly the person will meet with each student responsibilities of key members of and aims to develop a professional staff. supportive role. In addition, the student will have a programme leader (Personal Academic Tutor), as a main contact on their programme. This tutor will liaise with the named contact regarding support needs and to monitor progress.

Ensure that the individual’s Using the care-experienced support Improve the awareness of how Provide staff development sessions for key Student Services Spring 2018 circumstances are reflected in plan profile, the college tailors the relevant college processes have been college staff regarding college processes Manager and Staff the support offered and support we provide to any student adapted to meet the specific needs of for supporting care-experienced young Development Officer accommodated within with identified support needs, care-experienced individuals with all people. processes related to application, including specific arrangements for members of college staff. bursary and other funding care-experienced young people. provision.

With the consent of the learner, A process currently exists for It would be beneficial if a formal Contact other academic partners in UHI to Student Services Spring 2018 agree a protocol for the sharing sharing information with appropriate protocol, allowing schools and other enquire what protocols they have in place Manager of information with the external agencies to inform the agencies to pass on information to with their local authority. responsible local authority / development of appropriate support college staff, was developed. This Health and Social Care Trust, arrangements to meet individual would improve communication about as appropriate. learner needs at college. specific and challenging needs of care-experienced young people, Develop college protocol for subsequently enhancing the support communicating with external agencies in they receive. relation to car-experienced you g people.

Ensure that sources of financial We work with local authorities and Improve Student Services staff Staff development for student services Student Services Autumn 2017 support for care-experienced other partners to ensure continuous knowledge of the financial provision staff on care leaver’s statutory financial Manager students are in place through financial support for care- available to care experienced students provision and potential access to benefits. working with the local authority experienced students. This often from the local authority and national and appropriate partners and entails working with more than one benefits systems. ensure that individuals are external agency. Discussions take aware of any additional financial place at an early stage to ensure support offered and how to both students and relevant external access it (e.g. Bursaries, agencies are made aware of all Discretionary Fund, benefits). types of financial support available.

Provide impartial progression Guidance is given to all students by At present, there are no special Review college guidance arrangements Assistant Principals Spring 2018 guidance relating to further their programme leader (Personal arrangements for care-experienced and add any specific requirements for study (e.g. FE to HE), or Academic Tutor) regarding students. College processes for care-experienced students progression routes into progression to further study; with managing the student journey will be employment and where relevant careers advice also being provided reviewed to identify and implement Provide staff development sessions for key to support transition to higher by the relevant careers agencies specific arrangements for care- college staff regarding college processes education or employment. and UHIs careers service (HE only). experienced students. for supporting care-experienced students. .

MONITORING THE COMMITMENT

Area Current provision Areas for improvement / Actions (AY 2017-18) and Responsible Deadline development beyond)

Nominate a senior member of The Head of Quality and Regulation has line The monitoring process will be Assess progress on operational Senior Autumn 2017 staff to ensure the management responsibility for the Student reported to the Excellence in plan objectives at review meetings Management implementation of the Services and Front of House functions has Teaching and Learning with all Managers. Team Commitment across the been appointed to this role. Committee and in the Quality institution and specify how it will Committee where it will be part Provide a training opportunity for be monitored and evaluated. of the KPIs. all Board Members to better understand the key responsibilities and the college’s response to their statutory duty.

Ensure application, enrolment All application, enrolment and progression The Quality Monitoring report Review current reporting format to Head of Quality Autumn 2017 and progression data for the data is captured on the college needs to be developed to assess suitability for annual and Regulation various groups identified by the management information system, SITS. ensure it includes the reporting requirements are Reports have been developed across all requirements of statutory captured. partner colleges in UHI. Enrolment, reporting. retention and attainment data is monitored during annual course monitoring processes Review college course monitoring and actions for improvement identified template to include all required where appropriate. This includes equalities data as well as equalities data data. Student representatives are involved in this process.

Ensure care-experienced None. Gather feedback from care- Get feedback from students and Student Support Summer 2018 student views are taken into experienced students and use Who Cares Scotland locally to Services Manager account and are used to help it to revise and improve policy take forward. This to be through improve support. and practice. regular, meetings with care- experienced students and Who Cares Scotland locally.

Assess and promote the needs No specific measures in place. Ensure the care-experienced The Student Support Services Student Support Summer 2018 of care-experienced young student is considered explicitly Manager is part of the UHI Care Services Manager people at college. when implementing new Leavers Group – which meets policies and practices and twice per year to discuss specific when revising existing ones. areas of concern or the impact of legislation and procedural changes. This person will keep relevant staff informed of changes and developments in this area.