 Hello there, this is a presentation which is going to outline some of the support that care leavers and care experienced students are able to receive while studying at the University of Greenwich. The University of Greenwich recognises the unique challenges faced by children in care, care leavers and care experienced students as they enter higher education and we are committed to help students achieve their potential. The support we offer has been put in place to help you to have a smooth transition into university and to provide you with opportunities to successfully gain your qualification and progress into a fulfilling career. Our designated members of staff are here to help you with your transition into higher education and can advocate for you and signpost and refer you to the University's support services throughout your studies. We take confidentiality extremely seriously and will not share that you are a care experienced student to anyone including tutors, other students or members of staff without your express permission. So what support is available? Accommodation The University of Greenwich offer all care leavers students accommodation in their halls of residence throughout the year including the summer for the duration of your studies. So please make sure you let the accommodation office know if this is something that you think you might require as due to events and redecorating that take place during the summer we will sometimes have to ask you to move to another flat. Local authorities have a responsibility to relevant care leavers to help with accommodation out of turn time. This might mean that they help to fund summer accommodation in University halls or rent if you're living independently during this period but you will need to speak to your personal advisor or leaving care team to find out what your local authority offer to you as this differs slightly across the country. Finance The amount of student support you will receive to enable you to fund your studies will depend on several factors including where you study and your personal circumstances. You should make your application online to Student Finance England as soon as you know that you intend to enter higher education. As a care leaver you will be required to provide a letter from your local authority to confirm your care leaver status in order to qualify for the maximum maintenance loan. A local authority higher education bursary of £2,000 will be paid to all relevant care leavers entering higher education up to the age of 25. You should speak to your local authority to determine how you will receive your bursary as it can be paid in a lump sum or instalments. Local authorities also have a responsibility to help care leavers with other costs relating to entering higher education and you should discuss what level of support will be provided to you with your personal advisor or leaving care team. The Care Leaver Bursary provides young care leavers with a bursary of £1,500 a year for up to three or four years depending on the length of your course, plus £200 towards the cost of graduation. The bursary is not means tested but you must be in receipt of full student support and meet the eligibility criteria. The Greenwich Bursary is worth £700 for new undergraduate students with a low household income and is paid into instalments. The bursary is assessed and awarded automatically by the student fees and funding team and paid onto an aspire card which can be spent on textbooks, stationery and other learning resources and also on student union, clubs, societies and gym memberships. There are many other university funds and scholarships so do check out the fees and funding web pages to see if you are eligible to apply. Whilst you are studying at the University of Greenwich you can also gain money advice and support throughout your studies through our student fees and funding advice service who can offer financial support, advice and guidance to all students. Lastly, don't forget to search the web and check out external organisations and charities that support care leavers and care experienced students as some of them are able to offer small grants to assist you whilst you are studying. Greenwich Friends Transition Support One of the main areas we support is your transition into university through our Greenwich Friends Peer Mentoring Scheme. Some of our lovely second and third year student ambassadors choose to undergo further training as they want to be able to support new students as you make one of the biggest changes in your life and start university. Greenwich Friends are here to provide you with a friendly contact to welcome you and help you as you navigate your way around campus and the university systems and processes of registration, accessing your class timetables and submitting coursework. They can provide you with confidential one-to-one support and guidance to make your transition into university a positive experience and can offer a range of support and advice from, that room is on the floor, the third floor, to yes, bring a pillow by phone, text, email and in person. We also have student ambassador Greenwich Friends available on campus on moving in day in September so that you can have someone on hand who can answer questions and help you to move into halls. They can also just be a welcoming, friendly face to be able to have a cup of tea with on this important day. We'd really encourage you to take up this offer Greenwich Friends mentor as it can make such a difference to your start at university and help you to overcome any anxieties you may have quickly so that you can concentrate on settling in and making the most of your time at university. Academic support. Your first point of contact for academic support will be your personal tutor but our library services can also offer support throughout your studies. Academic skills and study skills workshops can help you with learning how to reference and write in an academic style. This is a free service that also provides individual advice so please do make use of them throughout your studies to help you with your essays and dissertations. We also have a separate math center which can provide help throughout the year. Student well-being. There are student well-being teams located on each campus who can provide advice and support around maintaining your health and well-being during your time at university. They can be accessed online and through one-to-one appointments. In addition to our mental health advisors and counselors you can also gain free online support with Big White Mall, an online mental health community which is available 24 hours a day. A student well-being team also includes members of staff who can support students with a disability or dyslexia. They can help with claiming disabled students allowance and provide ongoing support and extra help with your studies including setting up any special exam requirements. In addition to our disability and dyslexia team we also provide an initiative called Start which supports prospective and current students who have a disability long-term health condition, specific learning difficulty and or mental health condition. Start is run by Melanie Thorley and Start ambassadors who are student ambassadors with their own disability or diversity. They can provide balanced first-hand experiences of the achievements and challenges of university life. You do not need a diagnosis to join Start. Employability and career service. The university's employability and career service can help you to perfect your CV and job seeking skills throughout your time at university and as you graduate. They also operate a job shop and student ambassador scheme where if you are successful in your application to be a student ambassador you can again work at the university helping to support different departments in their work. An example of this would be working on open days to help students around the campuses or going into schools or assisting with webinars. Recruitment for student ambassadors normally takes place in September and October so do keep a lookout on your student portal as soon as you become a registered student. Student union. The student union at the University of Greenwich run events and activities throughout the year both on campus and online to help welcome you to the university and make new friends. They also support many societies which can help you in your studies and provide opportunities to help you achieve your career ambitions. In addition the student union advice team can provide support for both academic and non-academic issues including welfare, finance and housing. The team is independent from the university meaning they can give you an impartial view and support you with any challenges you face. Lastly don't forget to get your totem national union of students card which can provide you with discounts in hundreds of shops. Questions. Well you may still be left with some questions as they relate to you and your individual circumstances. Every student is different and every student situation is different so please don't hesitate to get in touch with us and we'll do our best to help you. You can contact either Will Calver, the designated member of staff or Chris Coulson, the Careleaver coordinator at Careleavers at Greenwich.ac.uk. Please do also look at our support booklet on our webpage particularly for more information about the pre-entry support we can offer. We look forward to hearing from you and hopefully to meeting you in the future.