Are you a care experienced student or an estranged student? A member of staff or someone seeking to support these students? This is our page that signposts out to existing and specialist support.
Unite Foundation and This Is Us
+ The This Is Us community is a dedicated and safe online space for estranged and care-experienced students in the UK to connect, share info, arrange meetups and more! It’s free, national and open to all ages & years of study. It is the perfect place to go for peer support and to get advice from other people who understand. Read more and join us.
+ Guide for Our Loved Ones is an accessible guide that estranged and/or care-experienced students could share with their loved ones (close friends, romantic partners, etc) to help explain to them what it is like being an estranged or care-experienced student.
+ The Unite Foundation scholarship, provides accommodation and bills covered for up to 3 years of study at partner universities.
+ This Is Us podcast is created by and for care experienced and estranged students (but a great listen for anyone) and packed with music and meaning. Presented by Paige Mackenzie.
+ This Is Us social media is run by care experienced and estranged students. Twitter (@ThisIsUsAtUni) + Insta (@thisisusatuni) + TikTok (@thisisusatuni)
Support for All
+ The EaCES Handbook is written by estranged and care experienced students (EaCES) to bring together information and advice to help others – including their own experiences and practical tips. They also have several pages on their website on both the support available and meeting other people from a similar background.
+ UCAS pages on Estranged Students and Care Leavers/Care Experienced Students
+ Buttle UK: Individually tailored grants of up to £2,200 for children and young people who have experienced a crisis that has recently had a significant and enduring impact on their wellbeing and educational engagement.
+ Crisis Homeless helpline: Information on how and where to get help if you’re homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless.
+ Displaced Student Opportunities has study opportunities to support refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK to access university.
+ Helplines Partnership: ‘Find a Helpline directory’ lists dozens of approved members of Helplines Partnership providing support via various different channels, so you can find one that suits you.
+ The Mix – Essential support for under 25s: Free helpline, chat and crisis support, including information on housing, money and mental health.
Care Experienced Students
+ Propel is a website created by Become for care experienced people providing information on the support available to you at colleges and universities across the U.K.
+ Rees Foundation’s Uni:Fy is a virtual community of care experienced people, of all ages, who also share the experience of University Life.
+ The Alliance for Care Experienced People in Higher Education is a project by care experienced people for care experienced people in Higher Education.
+ Coram Voice will help you with any questions if you are in care, leaving care, have or need a social worker. They have an advocacy helpline – Call: 0808 800 5792
+ Who Cares? Scotland is a national voluntary organisation, working with care experienced young people and care leavers across Scotland.
Estranged Students
+ Stand Alone is a national charity that supports estranged adults and has a section of their website for students. They also run support groups for estranged adults.
+ Estranged Students’ Network (ESN) is a UK-wide, student-led network, aiming to support and assist estranged students navigating academia.
+ Together Estranged is an international peer-support group that aims is to support and empower those estranged from family. ‘We empower people who’ve lost family relationships due to childhood trauma, abuse, lack of acceptance for being LGBTQ+ and more, promoting their strength and inner healing.’
+ NewGrad have a private Facebook group exclusive to estranged students & graduates.
+ r/EstrangedAdultChild is a community for adult children where a conscious decision to estrange from parents has been made. They state that estrangement primarily occurs when there is physical/emotional abuse, differing expectations about family roles, neglect and clashes based on personalities or value systems. (Parents of Estranged Adult Children are not welcome to participate in this sub.)