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As Children’s Commissioner, I have had the privilege to hear from many brilliant and inspiring care experienced young people about their lives now and hopes for the future. Care experienced young people are rightly ambitious for their futures and have told me what support they need to help them meet their own goals.

To help ensure every care experienced young person is supported to achieve their aspirations, this handbook has been created in collaboration with the young people on my Care Experienced Advisory Board and incorporates insights from professionals working in the sector.

Higher education institutions in receipt of government funding are required to develop Access and Participation Plans to address the needs of young people less likely to access higher education. The Office for Students highlights young people from care experienced backgrounds as a group who may benefit from access and participation interventions.

This handbook’s purpose is to help professionals working in higher education institutions recognise the challenges faced by care experienced students and encourage them to embed policies which would help to improve their lives. The handbook aims to provide professionals working in all types of higher education institution, including smaller provisions and distance learning, with ideas to improve their offer to care experienced students over time.

This practical handbook covers support from pre-admissions through to finishing studies including financial assistance, social integration, career development, and overall well-being. It will help you create inclusive, supportive, and nurturing environments for care experienced young people.


The recommendations outlined in this handbook come directly from care experienced young people. Through my board, they have come up with practical proposals that would make the experience of higher education better for care experienced people, as professionals you can tailor the recommendations to what works for your students.

Through amplifying the voices of care experienced young people and sharing this set of recommendations developed by them, I encourage colleges, universities, apprenticeships and support networks to provide the assistance care experienced students need and the welcoming environments that can help them thrive. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of these resilient individuals, empowering them to pursue their educational goals with confidence.

Flick through the Handbook on Issuu here.

Open the Handbook as a double page spread here.

Open the Handbook as single pages here.