In support of Fife College’s Corporate Parent Plan 2021-24 the College is working in partnership with all public service bodies to increase its understanding of the types of support looked after children and young people may need to achieve success when undertaking courses and training.
We are committed to ensuring care experienced young people receive the service, encouragement, and support that will empower them to follow their educational journey through to a positive and sustained destination.
To help the College achieve this, a Corporate Parent Board ( named the Care Experience Action Group [CEAG]) was established and its members produced the Corporate Parenting Plan.
Objectives include:
- Encouraging corporate parenting responsibility in all front-facing staff
- Improving care experienced applicants’ self-reporting
- Increasing care experienced students’ engagement
- Developing partnership-working with other corporate parents
A recent review and evaluation of the plan has been carried out and has shown that the College is making good progress with meeting the objectives to support our students.
The College's key corporate parenting achievements to date include:
- Taking the decision to include Care Experience as a Protected Characteristic to increase awareness of its importance in all College policies
- The introduction of a Care Experience Co-ordinator as a point of contact for all care experience queries and support
- Partnership-working has now been developed and links with other corporate parents in the community have been made providing additional opportunities for Care Experienced students
- Care Experienced students are clearly marked on registers to ensure support can be implemented if required at an early stage
- The Care Experience team now identify care experienced applicants at application stage to offer support through out the process and ensure that the appropriate steps are followed
- Bespoke ‘Getting Started’ sessions run throughout the summer for Care Experienced students to build confidence before attending college
- Funding sessions specifically for Care Experienced students are held pre-course commencement
- Our front-facing staff have corporate parenting responsibility and have received training to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills to support students
- Our Guidance team provides enhanced transition support to care experienced applicants on request and the option of having a named Guidance Adviser
- The FCSA have a remit for Care Experienced Student Reps
Working together with our students, we will continue to improve the college experience, and use feedback from current care-experienced students to further develop our systems and processes as a corporate parent.
