A student at Queen’s University has told how her confidence has been restored after emerging from the care system to get her education on track.
The story of Lauren Stewart (25) is one of many which has now seen the university officially recognised for the extensive support it provides to students with experience of care.
Queen’s is the first higher education body in Northern Ireland to receive a National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) Quality Mark, a prestigious accreditation that recognises universities and colleges for their support of students who have experience of care.
Some of the young people to have benefitted from the support offered gathered at the Students Union for a special event to celebrate the achievement, where Lauren, a first year Biochemistry student at Queen’s, said her route to studying at the university had shown her anything is possible.
“I always dreamed of going to university from a young age but didn’t always feel it was possible,” said Lauren.
“My background and care experience left me lacking in confidence, and after dropping out of my A Levels, I thought the ship had sailed. But after undertaking therapy and through the support of close friends, I felt ready to return to education.
“I completed an Access Course at South Eastern Regional College (SERC) which led me to my degree at Queen’s. The Widening Participation Unit at Queen’s have been a real help and comfort during my time at University.”
Lauren wants other to be inspired by her own route to follow her dream.
“It is so important that everyone has access to further education, no matter their circumstances,” she said.
“It’s never too late to go back to education, and there are other pathways to university.
“I would like my own experience to demonstrate to others that it is possible, and there is support available to you. Sometimes all it takes is a person or people to believe in you to help change your perspective.”
Queen’s held a special event in its Students’ Union where undergrads and young people shared their lived experiences of care and education, and Queen’s and NNECL staff highlighted the importance of initiatives that enable young people with experience of care to access opportunities that allow them to thrive academically and socially.
The university has a dedicated programme in place to ensure students with experience of care are supported to reach their full potential and this year has administered 54 Care-Experienced Bursaries and has close to 100 students who have indicated that they have experience of care.
Queen’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Ian Greer, added: “Becoming Northern Ireland’s first Higher Education institution to achieve the NNECL Quality Mark highlights our University’s commitment to fostering inclusivity and providing a supportive environment for all students.
“This is particularly important for students from care-experienced backgrounds, who may face additional challenges in higher education. Providing wraparound support and tailored initiatives contributes to our care-experienced students’ overall wellbeing and future success.”
Financial assistance and guaranteed student accommodation 365 days a year is available for students with experience of care, as well as academic guidance and prioritised internship and work experience placements.
The University’s holistic approach to supporting the needs of students with experience of care aims to ensure these students can engage with mental health and wellbeing support. The approach also offers a range of pre-entry support for prospective students.
The increased emphasis on this tailored approach, and stronger partnership referral processes with schools to establish priority course placements, has seen care-experienced young people in schools engaged with the University’s Pathway Opportunity Programme, grow from two to 10 in the last academic year.