Are you a looked-after young person or classed as care-experienced? You can find the information on the support available to you right here.
The term “care-experienced” refers to anyone who has experienced a certain form of care in their life (sometimes known as having been ‘looked after’). This care may have been provided in many different settings, such as:
• Formal kinship care – living with a relative
• Looked after at home – with the help of social work
• Residential care – living in a residential unit or school
• Foster care – living with foster carers
• Secure care – living in a secure unit
• Permanence Order
Who Cares? Scotland: Who Cares? Scotland is a voice and a champion for children and young people in the UK living in care. They have recently produced ‘A Guide to the Support Available in Further Education in Scotland’, which you also might find useful and informative.
Propel: A comprehensive online resource for care-experienced individuals with information about the support available to them from universities and colleges in the UK.
Student Award Agency for Scotland: If you are undertaking Higher Education at college, you may be eligible for a vocation grant from SAAS which helps with your accommodation costs during the summer holiday that falls between each year of your course.
Skills Development Scotland (SDS)
Child Poverty Action Group: You can read about the benefits for care-experienced students by downloading the factsheet on their website.
You can also find out about Advocacy for Children's Hearings here.
Linda Buchanan - Student Adviser
E: Linda.Buchanan@nclan.ac.uk
Paula Etherson - Student Adviser
E: Paula.Etherson@nclan.ac.uk
Alison Fernand - Student Adviser
E: Alison.Fernand@nclan.ac.uk
Paula Etherson - Student Adviser
E: Paula.Etherson@nclan.ac.uk
Linda Williamson - Corporate Parent Co-ordinator
E: Linda.Williamson@nclan.ac.uk
Billy Findlay - Student Adviser
E: William.Findlay@nclan.ac.uk
"The college offers great support for all care-experienced students and the Learning Support team and Horizon Centre are always available to ALL students. Don’t ever feel like you are on your own because New College Lanarkshire is with you every step of the way.” - Student Marc Jones
Find out more about our future plans for care-experienced students below
Starting college can be a daunting thought for any potential student but knowing your funding entitlements can help make your journey easier. You can view what support is available here.
To support your funding application, you will be asked for a letter from the social work department or from your head teacher, confirming you are care experienced, a care leaver or a looked after young person. If you are struggling to provide the evidence required, please complete this form.
To make sure you get the support you need, the College needs to know if you are looked-after or a care-leaver. You will be asked to highlight this on internal forms such as the application form, enrolment form and bursary application forms. The College will keep this information confidential and this will be used to support you.
In order for your looked-after/care leaver status to be taken into account when your application is processed, you may be asked to provide evidence of this. This is usually in the form of a letter from your social worker, children’s house manager, key worker or other relevant person.
Please do not hesitate in contacting the College’s Student Advisers at each of our campuses if you need help with this.
Once you have informed the college that you are a looked-after or care experienced learner, what can you expect?
We are committed to providing a range of learner support services in order that learners can achieve their full potential whilst at college.
This can include support with childcare arrangements, literacy or numeracy support, learning and study support, emotional support or counselling.
