GB-Bristol: Feasibility study for a more consistent local offer for care experienced students

Provider commitments to care experienced students in access and participation plans are variable, and stakeholder engagement has highlighted inconsistency of provider and local authority support to care leavers in terms of information, advice and guidance, admissions (academic offer), financial and pastoral support and accommodation. Care leavers report that academic pathways and support offers are unclear and unhelpful, which can be a deterrent to access, and impact upon successful participation in higher education.

To further support our work in identifying and promoting effective practice we are commissioning a feasibility study to identify options for piloting a national common framework of support for care experienced students in local areas across the country. Should the framework prove to be effective, the OfS would seek to encourage all registered providers to adopt it. This would provide care experienced students with a clearer pathway in terms of academic requirements and the support provided in terms of information, advice and guidance, financial and pastoral support and accommodation.

This will be phase one of a two phase project. The commission is for a desk-based research project involving engagement with providers, Uni Connect partnerships, local authorities and regional networks to unpick the complexities and opportunities of developing such a framework. The required output from this phase will be a report to the OfS which maps out the current environment with regard to support for care experienced students and sets out options for how a national framework might be developed. The report will inform the shape and scope of phase two.

Additional information: The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement.