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Care-experienced graduates face extra pressures when moving on from university

Posted on 23 April 2024

A new report from the University of York outlines the additional challenges that face graduates who have experienced care when transitioning from university than non-care leavers.

The report, which outlines the findings from the second phase of a three-year study, shows that the common milestones following graduation, such as accessing housing, entering employment, navigating work environments and accessing and progressing through taught postgraduate study, are often constrained by graduates’ care histories and/or the circumstances arising from these.

Isolated

Dr Zoe Baker, British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Education, explains: “Graduating from university can signal the end of housing and financial aid as well as access to support networks developed whilst at university. 

“Young people who have experienced care feel this more significantly as there is often no family home to return to after graduation, no financial safety nets, and often little information and guidance to help them settle successfully into their post-University life.”

In addition, the study shows that it can be difficult to navigate the guidance offered by local authorities. A key recommendation made by the report is for local and central governments to look at extending the cut off age for support to 25 for those who study in higher education.

Additional pressures

The report outlines how the absence of safety nets and loss of support upon graduation leads to additional pressures when care-experienced graduates enter the workforce.

“With no family safety net for support, care-experienced graduates were often working extremely long hours or multiple jobs because they needed the money to survive,” says Dr Baker. “Alongside this they can experience stigma in the workplace as a care leaver, which can make the work environment particularly difficult. It is also harder to leave such workplaces as a care-experienced graduate as there is a lack of safety nets to support them while they locate work with a more inclusive employer.”

The experiences of the graduates have been used to develop recommendations for local authorities, the higher education sector, employers and policymakers.

First steps

“We’re starting to see employers signing up to offer opportunities via the Care Leaver Covenant and marketing themselves as care leaver friendly,” added Dr Baker.  “These are good first steps towards addressing some of the issues identified in the project. Yet, more graduate level employment opportunities need to be provided here. All employers who are keen to recruit graduates should ensure that they are engaging with practices that create an inclusive, safe, diverse and trauma-informed culture; this will benefit all employees.

“The impact of care does not stop once a care-experienced person graduates. This study is important as it helps employers and policymakers understand what more can be done on a national scale to create equitable opportunities for graduates who have experienced care.”

The results of the study are published in “The Care-Experienced Graduates' Decision-Making, Choices and Destinations Project: Phase Two Report”. The study is funded by The British Academy.