The Power of Co‑Design: our Associate Scheme

The Hub for SUCCESS has used story telling to capture what our co‑designed Hub Associate programme is all about — created in partnership with Animate Consulting and shaped by the voices of the care‑experienced students we employ.

Our Hub Associates are students from our partner colleges and universities who bring lived and learned expertise to improving education for the care‑experienced community. They’re paid fairly, treated as colleagues, and never expected to share personal care histories. Instead, they speak from their experiences in education, helping us challenge barriers, influence policy, and design better systems.

The stories highlight the honesty, complexity, and power of co‑design: moments of growth, moments of tension, and the trust that comes from working transparently. They also show the impact Associates are making — from influencing funding policy to shaping corporate parenting practice across institutions.

This collection is a celebration of what happens when lived experience is valued, supported, and centred in decision‑making. It reflects a programme that continues to evolve, grounded in radical candour, trauma‑informed practice, and genuine partnership