Understanding the higher education experiences of care-experienced young people in Wales: Towards a model of best practice

End of project summary

Main messages

International research has demonstrated that care-experienced young people achieve poorer educational and life course outcomes than their peers. Based on statistics from 2012, the Office for Fair Access reported that whilst 60% of the general population of school leavers in the UK entered higher education (HE), only 6% of care leavers went to university (although this is now assumed to be an underestimate, with a figure of 10-15% being more likely). 

With rates of children taken into care increasing in Wales, there is value in understanding how best to support this group with their educational transitions. This HCRW-funded project examined access to, and success in, HE for care-experienced young people across Wales. It considered the educational transitions of care-experienced students and the support they have – or have not – had when it comes to university. By interviewing care-experienced young people in Wales (some, but not all of whom have studied at universities in Wales) and the professionals who support them (primarily HE staff), a number of key messages emerged: 

• The importance of key adults in supporting transition to, and success in, HE 

• Regular contact and consistency with care-experienced students 

• Flexible support that meets a care-experienced student’s needs at every educational stage 

• The importance of a personal touch 

• Accessible information is key: what information is relevant to care-experienced students and where can they find it?