Care Experienced

The Care Experience Team is here to support any student at college who is care-experienced. This includes Children Looked After, previously looked after and Care Leavers.

We work closely with Virtual Schools, social workers, parents/carers and other support staff to ensure that you are supported throughout your time at college to achieve your goals. 

Do you need an answer to a question or some help? College can be a big place, so get in touch with the team and we will point you in the right direction to services within college or externally.

If you would like to speak to someone about the support available in college, then please email CLA@leedscitycollege.ac.uk 

Forward Leeds works with care leavers to support them with drugs and alcohol related issues.

They can offer helpful conversations including:

• Harm reduction tips and advice around drugs and alcohol use

• One-to-one support

• Supporting with reducing/being in control of drugs or alcohol use

• 
  

 How to access the service:  Call the Young Person’s Team: 07525 265755 (Duty phone)  or the Care Leavers Coordinator: 07974 288057 (Alexandra Ashley)

For further information: https://www.forwardleeds.co.uk/get-help/for-young-people/

If you are thinking about applying to Higher Education (HE), then Propel is a fully searchable website for care leavers. It provides information on the support available to you at colleges and universities across the UK.
Find out: 

• whether 365-day accommodation is available

• what bursaries and grants are on offer

• the help and support care leavers can expect

• the contact details of specific contacts to get in touch with at each institution

Website: https://propel.org.uk/UK/

Widening Participation to Higher Education

The following HE providers have opportunities for care experienced young people who are wanting to progress onto university.

For year 12 students:

• Progression Module (Leeds Beckett University)

• Reach for Excellence (University of Leeds)

• Realising Opportunities (Russell Group Partner Universities)

• Social Mobility Foundation (Aspiration Raising Activities)

• The Sutton Trust (Aspiration Raising Programme)

If you would like information and practical advice on going to university, Go Higher West Yorkshire has lots of resources on its website, as well as specific information for care experienced students

For students applying to university, the following local HE providers have offers for care experienced students, please see each scheme for eligibility criteria. You should check to see if any of the universities you have applied to have their own contextualised admissions offer.

• Access to Leeds (University of Leeds)

• Progression Scheme (University of Bradford)

• Headstart Huddersfield (University of Huddersfield)

• Leeds Arts University

• Leeds Conservatoire

• Leeds City College University Centre

Study Opportunities to support refugees and people seeking asylum in the uk to access university

https://www.displacedstudent.org.uk/ 

Information about University Scholarships

It may be worth checking the scholarship information for each of the universities you have applied to. They may have care experience-related scholarships on offer. 

UNITE FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP

This scholarship covers accommodation and bills for up to 3 years at university. This includes all through the holidays, so you don’t have to worry about where to go during the Christmas break or summer. The Unite Foundation Team helps you settle in and provide opportunities.

 You can apply for the scholarship if you’re:

• 25 or under

• A statutory care leaver, care experienced (Scotland), or estranged from your family

• Starting or studying your first undergraduate degree

• Eligible for UK home fee status

• Applying to one of the Unite Foundation’s partner universities (see ‘Where you can study’)

For more information and how to apply: https://thisisusatuni.org/unite-foundation-scholarship/

LEATHERSELLERS UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT GRANT 2025

The 2025-26 Leathersellers’ Undergraduate Student Grants Programme aims to support undergraduate students who are care experienced, and/or are students of the Leathersellers’ Federation of Schools or Colfe’s School, whose circumstances may otherwise prevent them from achieving their goals. The maximum grant that may be awarded to a single student is £5,000 per annum, for no more than four years. Whilst we do award grants to the maximum level of £5,000, the average grant we currently give is around £4,100. All grants awarded are reassessed annually.

To apply: https://leathersellers.co.uk/grant/education-student-grants/

Deadline for applications: 5pm, Tuesday 11th March 2025

Become

Become is a charity which supports care experienced young people. They can offer information about your rights and have an advice line if you need any help and support.

Visit: https://www.becomecharity.org.uk/ 

IMO

IMO is a voice for teenagers in care and care leavers. There's lots of articles and advice available on their website.

Visit: https://imohub.org.uk

Support for students who are seeking asylum or who are refugees

https://newtoleeds.org/ 

Care Day

Every year we celebrate Care Day, which is an international celebration of care experienced children and young people.
The Care Experience team provide staff at the college with training materials about what care experience means and how to support care experienced students at college.