Staff Opportunities

WORKSHOP: Relationships as the building blocks of trauma informed practice delivered

Corporate Parenting in Higher Education

The Hub for SUCCESS can deliver a workshop at your place of learning. We can tailor it to meet the needs of your institution, and will cover the following:

The Promise, how it relates to tertiary education, the meaning of care experience, where care happens and consider your role as
part of the scaffolding of the care system in Scotland
Your views of relationships and why they matter for students with care experience. We will explore what students tell us matters
Consider perceptions of care experienced individuals and where these perceptions come from. Through exploring what we all need
to thrive we will consider our own support systems and recognise how our own needs are met
Impact of childhood trauma, specifically looking at how disrupted relationships may affect children and young people and how this
may affect learning
Professional curiosity and radical candour – how caring personally while challenging directly can be invaluable in building
relationships

To enquire, please contact g.maxwell@napier.ac.uk

Care Experienced, Estranged, Carers Forums

Care Experienced, Estranged, Carers Forums bring together further and higher education practitioners working in Scotland to support these student groups. This group offers an opportunity to share best practice, shape policy, keep up to date on research and reports impacting these student groups, and seek advice on individual student issues.

The regional groups meet quarterly online. We will also share in person opportunities. There are 3 regional forums:

East Forum

Including representation from Abertay University, Barnardo’s, Borders College, Carers Trust, College Development Network, Dundee and Angus College, Dundee University, Edinburgh College, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh Young Carers, Fife College, Forth Valley College, Heriot Watt University, Hub for Success, Lothian Equal Access Programme, Midlothian Council Young Carers, Newbattle Abbey College, Open University, Queen Margaret University, Robertson Trust, SCAPP (Scotland’s Community of Access and Participation Practitioners), Scotland’s Rural Agricultural College, St Andrew’s University, STAF, Stirling University, SWAP, University of Edinburgh, University of Stirling, West Lothian College

- Current Chair – Jenny Edwards, Edinburgh Napier University. Email address: j.edwards3@napier.ac.uk
- Current secretary – currently vacant
- Meetings held online in February, May, September, December

West Forum

Including representation from Ayrshire College, Argyll College UHI, City of Glasgow College, Dumfries and Galloway College, Forth Valley College, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow Clyde College, Glasgow Kelvin College, Glasgow School of Art, The Open University, New College Lanarkshire, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, South Lanarkshire College, Scotland’s Rural College, University of Glasgow, University of Stirling, University of Strathclyde, University of the West of Scotland, West College Scotland.

- Current chair – Dr Dan Keenan, daniel.keenan@glasgow.ac.uk
- Current secretary – Niamh McCrossan, The Hub for Success. Email address: n.mccrossan@napier.ac.uk
- Meetings held online in February, May, August, November

North Forum

This forum is currently being re-established. If you would like to be part of this, please contact Niamh McCrossan at n.mccrossan@napier.ac.uk

- Current chair – Vacant
- Current secretary – Vacant
- Upcoming meeting – scoping meeting 14th March 2025

Child Poverty Action Group Training

If you need to know more about benefits for kinship carers, we have an online training course, Kinship carers and benefits – an update coming up on 20^th May 2025. The course covers:

Universal credit managed migration
The two child limit
The benefit cap
The interaction between benefits and the local authority kinship care allowance

If you work with care-experienced young people, we have the Care-experienced young people and the benefits system online course on 23 September.

Many young people who have been ‘looked after’ by the local authority are affected by special social security rules. Some are excluded from universal credit and instead the local authority is responsible for supporting them. Some are entitled to a ‘care-experienced bursary’. This course looks at the special benefit rules for this group of young people and provides the opportunity to consider other support available.

Online Training for Staff

Corporate Parenting in Higher Education

This course, Corporate Parenting in Higher Education, is intended for staff working in universities in Scotland. It will develop your understanding of care experience, listening to the voices of Care-Experienced students, and improve your awareness of your responsibilities as a Corporate Parent.

Corporate Training Programme

Events

We offer events aimed at anyone involved in the care and development of care-experienced individuals, as well as those interested in enhancing support systems within further and higher education. These events offer a unique opportunity to learn from peers, exchange best practices, and collaborate with others dedicated to supporting the care-experienced community.

Past events

The impact of trauma on students, and the importance of supporting ourselves

This workshop is designed to look at how we can continue to deliver support to students whilst ensuring that we take time to support ourselves. We will do this through the following:

Exploring the impact that trauma has on our students, particularly our Care Experience students and the positive impact you can have on their educational outcomes.
Asking what does reflective practice mean and how can reflective practice help you to look after your own wellbeing and help you to develop trauma informed responses
Offering helpful hints, tips and practice and exploring how to support teams and individuals to navigate challenging circumstances.

Thursday 5th December, 9.30-12pm
Hosted online via Teams
£- FREE

The Power of a Promise – Supporting our Care-Experienced Learners

Join us for an engaging and interactive “Sharing the Learning” day. Together, we’ll delve into what it means to be trauma-aware, explore actionable changes to support your care-experienced learners, and share insights on how we are upholding The Promise Scotland across our organisations.

Workshops provided by The Hub for Success, University of Strathclyde Widening Participation team, the Why Not Trust, Kibble Education Centre, and Edinburgh Napier University Funding Team.

Wednesday 14th August, 9.30-3.30pm
Hosted by University of Glasgow, James McCune Smith Building
£- FREE

Improving support and upholding the rights of Scotland’s care experienced learners

We will share best practice to collaborate, collect action points and pledges to ensure that the educational rights of the care experienced community are upheld and outcomes are improved.

Speakers include Lorraine Moore (Hub for Success), Dr Autumn Roesch-Marsh (University of Edinburgh), Dr Zoe Baker (University of York), Debbie Duncan and Louise Martin (University of Strathclyde)

Tuesday 26th March, 9.30-4pm
Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus
£- FREE

Being Curious about Care Experience

In partnership with the Hub for SUCCESS, Who Cares? Scotland and the Each and Every Child Initiative this exciting event will offer you the chance to explore or revisit your corporate parenting duties.

The Each and Every Child session aims to create a fresh, inspiring narrative to shift public attitudes and improve life chances of children, young people and their families.