Welcome to the University of West London. Information, Guidance and Support for Care Leavers

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1 Welcome to the University of West London Information, Guidance and Support for Care Leavers

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3 Coming to study at university is an exciting, enlightening and extremely rewarding experience. You will have the opportunity to specialise in an academic field, develop skills to help you in your future career and personal life, take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities and make new friends. As you take this step it is important to have information on the assistance available to you. At the University of West London we support students of all ages and backgrounds to succeed in higher education. We understand that the experience of care leavers may differ from other students and there may be specific areas in which you would like further information. This guide has been designed to provide you with key information to aid you in your decision to attend university, as well as details of the support available to care leavers should you wish to access this. Be sure to read through this guide and start your preparations for life as a university student! The University of West London has been awarded the Buttle UK Quality Mark for good practice and commitment to supporting young people in and leaving care. We are committed to supporting care leavers through: Working with care leavers to incorporate the needs of young people Providing a package of support specific to the needs of care leavers throughout their time at university Supporting the progression of care experienced students into employment. The University of West London defines a care leaver as: a person who has been living with foster carers or in a children s home for at least 13 weeks and who was in care on their 16th birthday a person preparing to leave the care of their local authority and coming to university on a full time basis to study an undergraduate course (first degree) a person who has told us about their care background and will be able to provide evidence that they have been in care. 3

4 Pre-entry support Application advice and guidance Choosing to go to university is an important decision. The University of West London can provide impartial advice on applying to university, courses available, funding, budgeting and welfare support. If you are a care leaver and would like to speak to someone to help you make informed decisions about the options available to you, please contact Zohra. Taster days Taster days are half day workshops that are a great way for you to experience lectures, seminars and practical workshops in a particular subject. You will also meet some of our lecturers and current students and get a feel for student life and what it would be like to study that particular course at university. We have a range of taster days available across these subject areas: Art, Design and Media Aviation, Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Business, Accounting and Finance Computing, Engineering and Technology Law, Criminology and Policing Music and Performance Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare Psychology, Social Work and Forensic Science. Open days Our open days are a great chance for you to explore university life. They give you the opportunity to find out about UWL and the course you are interested in, see our facilities and meet our staff and students. For open day dates and booking information please visit uwl.ac.uk/open The University of West London supports care leavers with the cost of travel to open days and taster day events. We can also provide a Student Ambassador to meet you at the open day who will accompany you and guide you through your visit. If you would like to visit the University but are unable to attend one of the open days, we offer campus tours of our Ealing site on Thursdays at 2pm, led by one of our Student Ambassadors. If you are a care leaver and would like to access application advice and guidance, taster days or open days information, please contact Zohra. Zohra Hussain - Schools and Colleges Relationships Team Leader zohra.hussain@uwl.ac.uk

5 Post-entry support Funding The main student finance package is from Student Finance England and includes a: Tuition Fee Loan Maintenance Loan - full-time students only Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant - fulltime students only. You might get extra help on top of this. You can apply for this at: There are also additional sources of financial support that you can apply for directly from the University. These include: UWL scholarship programme - UWL offers scholarships to 500 new undergraduate entrants worth 3,000 to applicants from a household income of 25,000 or less. The scholarship will be spread over three academic years ( 1,000 per year). Funds can be used towards the cost of University accommodation or transport, depending on the student s choice. Foyer university bursary A foyer is a place where young people can live and receive support to enable them to achieve their goals and move on to independent living. If you currently live in a foyer or have lived in one within the last 12 months you may be eligible for a foyer university bursary. This is a one-off award of 1000 to support you with accommodation and living costs. UWL hardship fund - This is a discretionary fund to support students in times of financial hardship. Whilst this support is not guaranteed, care leavers are one of the priority groups for receipt of this scholarship. Asylum seeking care leavers The University of West London classifies asylum seeking students as those with discretionary leave to remain as home students. This enables you to access the same financial support as UK students. Accommodation Students who will be commencing their studies at the University of West London can apply for student accommodation at our Paragon Accommodation site in Brentford or in our Student Village Housing in Ealing. Both sites are located in the heart of west London and are easily accessible from the University s teaching centres as well as being only a short journey into central London. The University can also assist with deposit payments at either accommodation sites. We understand how important it is for students to have a secure, suitable living environment whilst studying. Care leavers are made a priority for student accommodation at Paragon Accommodation and the Student Village and can access 52 week contracts. We can also support students to find private accommodation should they wish. If you would like support in applying for UWL funding and/or accommodation or if you would like further information on the support available please contact: Andrew Mathias - Accommodation Officer andrew.mathias@uwl.ac.uk 5

6 Ongoing support We all need to access support from time to time. There is ongoing support available to students at the University of West London throughout the duration of their course. Once you have enrolled, we have a designated member of staff within the Welfare, Advice and Wellbeing student support team, who you can speak with in confidence about any aspect of university life and who will ensure that you are taking advantage of the various benefits and scholarships the University has on offer. You are not obliged to take up this support but it is available to you for the duration of your time with us. From time to time we may contact you about new opportunities and support on offer. Careers and employment The University of West London Careers and Employment Service, supports students in getting connected to the world of work, enabling you to become more employable, now and in the future. It provides careers advice, an employment service, placement support and volunteering opportunities for all University of West London students. The service provides support to all students throughout their degree as well as for three years post-graduation. To access this service please contact Student support and mentoring service The University of West London offers a mentoring service to all students. Having a mentor is one of the best ways to help you acclimatise to university life and maximise your student experience, academically and socially. If you wish to access this service you will be paired with a student mentor who has already progressed further on their course and who will be able to provide ongoing support through regular meetings. They can share their experience of university life and their course to help you gain a greater understanding of what s required. You can find out more by contacting Alison Griffin at: alison.griffin@uwl.ac.uk Study support Study support is available to all UWL students who wish to develop their academic skills. Workshops, dissertation writing courses and one-to-one tutorials are offered throughout the year. For further information please learning. support@uwl.ac.uk careers@uwl.ac.uk of our graduates are in employment within six months of graduating* 6 * According to Employment Performance Indicators (EPI) figures published by HESA in July Graduates who have studied an undergraduate degree programme

7 Frequently asked questions How can I find out more about university to help me decide if I want to apply? Attending an open day will give you the chance to have a tour of the University and its facilities. You will find out more about the courses available and have your questions answered by staff and students. Alternatively if you have a specific question or concern you can contact Zohra for information and support. I m not sure which course I want to study? If you re not sure which course to study at university or if you would like to find out more about a course, by attending a taster day, you can visit the University, have a practical workshop around the subject you are interested in and meet current students. How do I provide evidence that I have been in care? To ensure you get the best support from both your local authority and from the University we will ask you for a letter from your social worker confirming that you are a care leaver OR you can instead choose to complete a short form detailing which local authority you were in care with. This information will only be viewed by the Welfare, Advice and Wellbeing student support team and is simply used to verify your eligibility and ensure you are able to access the support available to you. Will you share my personal information? Any information that you share with us will be treated confidentially unless you give permission for the information to be shared and will not affect your application to us. We understand that some students prefer not to be identified as a care leaver. The support available for care leavers is confidential and discreet. You can take up as much or as little support as you wish to. 7

8 Our courses College of Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare BSc (Hons) Health Promotion and Public Health BSc (Hons) Healthcare (Top-up) BSc (Hons) Midwifery (for Registered Nurses) BSc (Hons) Midwifery (Pre-registration) BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult) BSc (Hons) Nursing (Children s Nursing) BSc (Hons) Nursing (Learning Disabilities) BSc (Hons) Nursing (Mental Health) BSc (Hons) Nursing and Healthcare (Top-up) PgDip Nursing (Pre-registration) BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice Ealing Law School LLB (Hons) Law LLB (Hons) Law with Foundation BA (Hons) Criminology BA (Hons) Criminology with Law BA (Hons) Criminology, Policing and Forensics BA (Hons) Criminology with Psychology BA (Hons) Policing* BSc (Hons) Professional Practice 8 *subject to validation

9 Ealing School of Art, Design and Media BA (Hons) Advertising and Public Relations BA (Hons) Broadcast Journalism BA (Hons) Fashion and Textiles BA (Hons) Film Production BA (Hons) Graphic Design (Visual Communication and Illustration) BA (Hons) Media and Communications BA (Hons) Commercial Photography BA (Hons) Photography FdA Photography BA (Hons) Radio and Multimedia Audio Production* BA (Hons) Visual Effects London College of Music BA (Hons) Acting BA (Hons) Musical Theatre BA (Hons) Theatre Production BA (Hons) Music Management BMus (Hons) Music Performance BMus (Hons) Music Performance with Music Management BMus (Hons) Music Performance with Music Technology BMus (Hons) Music Performance and Recording BMus (Hons) Music Composition BMus (Hons) Music Composition with Music Management BMus (Hons) Music Composition with Music Technology BA (Hons) Live Sound Production BA (Hons) Music Technology Specialist BA Music Technology (Audio Post-Production) BA Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering) BA Music Technology (Electronic Music Production) BA Music Technology (Recording and Production) BA (Hons) Music Technology (Top-up) BA (Hons) Music Technology with Music Composition BA (Hons) Music Technology with Music Performance BA (Hons) Music Technology and Pop Music Performance BA (Hons) Music Technology and Radio Broadcasting BA (Hons) Music Technology and Video Production FdA Music Technology *subject to validation 9

10 London School of Hospitality and Tourism FdA/BA (Hons) Airline and Airport Management BSc (Hons) Culinary Arts Management FdA/BA (Hons) Event Management FdA/BA (Hons) Event Management with Hospitality FdA/BA (Hons) Event Management with Tourism BA Food and Professional Cookery BA (Hons) Hospitality Management BA (Hons) Hospitality Management and Food Studies FdA Hospitality Operations Management FdA/BA (Hons) International Hotel Management BA (Hons) International Hotel Management (Top-up) FdA Travel and Tourism BA (Hons) Travel and Tourism Management School of Computing and Technology BSc (Hons) Applied Sound Engineering BSc (Hons) Applied Sound Engineering with Foundation BSc (Hons) Architectural Design and Technology BSc (Hons) Architectural Design and Technology with Foundation BSc (Hons) Building Surveying BSc (Hons) Building Surveying with Foundation BEng (Hons) Civil and Environmental Engineering BEng (Hons) Civil and Environmental Engineering with Foundation BSc (Hons) Computer Science BSc (Hons) Computer Science with Foundation BSc (Hons) Construction Project Management BSc (Hons) Construction Project Management with Foundation BSc (Hons) Creative Computing BSc (Hons) Creative Computing with Foundation BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering BSc (Hons) Information Technology Management Systems for Business (ITMB) BSc (Hons) Information Technology Management for Business (ITMB) with Foundation BSc (Hons) Mobile Computing BSc (Hons) Mobile Computing with Foundation 10

11 School of Psychology, Social Work and Human Sciences BSc (Hons) Forensic Science BSc (Hons) Forensic Science with Foundation Year BSc (Hons) Psychology BSc (Hons) Psychology with Counselling Theory BSc (Hons) Psychology with Criminology BSc (Hons) Psychology with Applied Forensic Investigation BSc (Hons) Psychology with Foundation Year BSc (Hons) Psychology with Substance Use and Misuse BSc (Hons) Social Work The Claude Littner Business School BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance with Internship BA (Hons) Business Studies BA (Hons) Business Studies with Foundation BA (Hons) Business Studies with Human Resource Management BA (Hons) Business Studies with Finance BA (Hons) Business Studies with Internship BA (Hons) Business Studies with Marketing BA (Hons) International Business Management *subject to validation 11

12 facebook/universitywestlondon University of West London University of West London University of West London St Mary s Road Ealing London W5 5RF Tel: +44 (0) uwl.ac.uk