If you are a care-experienced student, then our We Care Team can help
We understand that as a care-experienced person, you may have additional questions and concerns so we have a dedicated We Care Team who can offer individual, bespoke support to any care-experienced person considering higher education. All contact with the team is kept confidential and your choices are respected at all times.
We can provide personalised support based on your individual needs. This could include the following:
- Accompany you to university events such as Open Days, individual tours, Applicant Days, interviews, and your graduation ceremony
- Liaise with local authority staff or your support workers. With your consent, we can speak to your Personal Advisor, support worker, or carers about the support we offer. We can even attend or contribute to your Personal Education Plan (PEP) meetings if you want us to
- Meet with you at the start of each academic year whether you're new to the University or new to our support
- Act as a central point of contact for you throughout your studies, supporting you with any issues or concerns you might have. You can meet with us one-to-one for a coffee and a chat, or contact us via phone or email. We can offer support 9am – 5pm every day that the University is open
We offer support with the following:
- Accommodation 52 weeks of the year if you arrange it in advance
- Student finance and funding
- Employment and part-time work
- Academic queries such as taking time out of your course
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Accessing the We Care Bursary of £2,500 for each year of study
Dedicated support for you
At the University of Sunderland, we use the broader definition of ‘care-experienced,’ as this term is inclusive of the range of care settings someone may have experienced.
Our definition of care-experienced is someone who, at any stage of their life, and for any length of time, has been in care in the UK e.g. looked after by the local authority. This includes the following:
- Spent time in the care of the local authority (e.g. foster care or children’s home)
- Been privately fostered
- Been ‘looked after at home’ under a supervision order
- Been in kinship care (where a friend or family member becomes the foster carer). Kinship care can be through a formal arrangement, recognised by the local authority, and could be prior to a Special Guardianship Order.
We respect your confidentiality. Our small team is the only people who will contact you about being care-experienced. No one else within the University will be informed unless you choose to tell them.
If you are care-experienced, but your personal circumstances do not match any of the criteria outlined above, please contact the We Care Team at care.contact@sunderland.ac.uk or call 0191 515 2216 for further guidance.
For more information you can visit the University of Sunderland - Support for care-experienced students section.
