21 December 2006/ updated 29 January 2008
To: Principal contact for OFFA / Managers responsible for access agreements
Dear colleague
In June 2007, the Government’s Care Matters: Time for Change White Paper was launched. That paper reiterated the Government’s commitment to improving the outcomes for young people in the care system. A Children and Young Person’s Bill has recently had its second reading in the House of Lords. That Bill will establish the provision under which an HE bursary for young people leaving care and entering HE will be paid. Further updates on the passage of that Bill and the impact that it will have on local authorities will be posted in due course.
While it is not compulsory, we would like to encourage institutions, if they have not done so already, and in the context of widening participation policies more generally, to consider how their access agreements address the needs of care leavers.
We would also like to encourage institutions to consider the benefits of adopting the Buttle UK Quality Mark for Care Leavers in Higher Education.
Looked after children are hugely disadvantaged in society and this is reflected in their chronic under-representation in higher education. Many of these children face cumulative and significant barriers to entry including lower attainment, lack of positive role models, low expectations (from carers and advisers), low aspirations and a lack of confidence in the affordability of higher education. As things stand, only about one or two in a hundred actually continue into HE.
Quality Mark
We welcome the Government’s determination to address these disadvantages and we are very pleased to be able to support the care leavers agenda by highlighting the ‘Buttle UK Quality Mark for Care Leavers in Higher Education’, which recognises the efforts of institutions in supporting students who have been in care. To date twenty-four institutions already hold the Quality Mark and nine more are considering applying. Information on the Quality Mark and its supporting report, ‘By Degrees: from care to university’ can be found on the Buttle UK Trust website.
We would strongly encourage institutions to consider the recommendations in the research report and consider the benefits of adopting the Quality Mark.
Access agreements
Addressing the needs of care leavers in access agreements
We would encourage institutions to consider how access agreements address the needs of care leavers.
We recognise that access agreements may already benefit this group of students simply by making financial support available to low income groups and as care leavers will usually qualify for full support this will almost certainly be the case. However, we feel it is worth considering whether care leavers would benefit from specific targeting to raise expectations and aspirations and targeting of bespoke financial information around fees and support, or additional financial or other support.
Amending access agreements
We have always said that, beyond the minimum requirements for students on full state support, it is for institutions to determine the focus of their access agreements. This remains the case, but we also recognise that in the light of experience and evidence, institutions may wish to refine their access agreements over time to ensure that they are effective in their aims, and this may include opportunities to target additional under-represented groups, such as looked after children, where a need is identified.
If institutions do wish to make any changes to access agreements in light of the above, then they should be sent to accessagreements@offa.org.uk. We would be happy to discuss proposed amendments in advance of a submission if that would be helpful. Enquiries should be directed to Chris Scrase, enquiries@offa.org.uk or tel. 0117 931 7171.