Skip to content
Scroll to the top of the page
Care Experienced Week takes place each year in October.

Care Experienced Week takes place each year in October.

What is a Care Experienced Student?

The term “care experienced” refers to anyone who has been or is currently in care. This care may have been provided in many different settings, such as:

  • Kinship care – living with a relative who is not your mum or dad.
  • Looked after at home – with the help of social work.
  • Residential care – living in a residential unit or school.
  • Foster care – living with foster carers.
  • Secure care – living in a secure unit.
  • Adoption

We use the definition Care Experienced, rather than Care Leaver, following the guidance of Who Cares? Scotland. They have told us the term is a reflection of CE members' wishes, who tell them that being CE is a part of their identity and isn't something that is left behind after they leave formal care.

CE/E Society

A free society for all care experienced and estranged students to join. Creating an environment where students can access peer support and socialise with other care experienced and estranged students.

The society is run exclusively by care experienced and estranged students, for care experienced and estranged students.

They have a hugely diverse range of students involved, from undergraduates, to postgrads, mature students, across all disciplines. They aim to be as inclusive as possible, welcoming care experienced and estranged students regardless of background, mental or physical disability (including hidden disabilities), race, religion, sexuality, gender, or gender identity.

Who Cares? Scotland

Who Cares? Scotland is a national voluntary organization, working with care experienced individuals across Scotland. A week-long event is held annually to celebrate the Care Experienced community.

Find out more

Digital Inclusion Programme

The Digital Inclusion Small Grant and Technology Loan Scheme provide support for eligible students to access technology for their learning - Care Experienced Students are prioritised for this support!

Eligibility details

Unite Foundation Accomodation Scholarship

Having somewhere of your own to call home matters. With the Unite Foundation scholarship, you’ll have accommodation and bills covered for up to 3 years of study. That includes all through the holidays too, so you don’t have to wonder where to go during reading weeks or over Christmas or summer. You can even stay the summer after you graduate to plan your next move.

About the foundation

The Unite Foundation team will help you settle in, keep in touch and offer plenty of opportunities for employment and enjoyment. So far, over 500 estranged and care experienced young people have gone to university on the Unite Foundation scholarship, are you next?

Apply in January 2024

CYCJ Youth Just Us

Youth Just Us is a steering group for young people aged 16-25 with experience of the care and justice systems in Scotland. They have been working together since 2019 and we are always looking for new members.

They meet Monday evenings in-person in Glasgow or online, so you can join from anywhere in Scotland! They do fun and creative activities as well as influencing work where they drive change. It’s a safe, social space where you can meet new people and try new things.

If you are interested in getting involved you can contact Youth Justice Participation Lead, Ruth directly (or ask someone else to). Ruth can meet you for a chat and help you decide how you might like to get involved. You can email Ruth, text or message via WhatsApp (07940068343) or contact them via Twitter.

CYCJ STARR

STARR is Scotland's only curated space for people with experience of secure care. STARR aims to inform, advise, challenge and change secure care. It's a safe space to share your experiences and hear from people who have also spent time in secure care.

They're seeking new members to help shape, drive and deliver their aim for secure care to be rights-respecting and trauma-informed. You'll have a space to use your experiences to bring about change.

STARR meets twice a month in person and online, and they welcome members who are currently living in secure care. You can get in touch by contacting Julia Swann by phone (07398925106), via email or find out more on the website.

CYCJ website

CELCIS

CELCIS is the Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection, and are an organisation based at the University of Strathclyde. They partner with a wide variety of key stakeholders including students to 'drive long-lasting change in the services' that children need. These links provide insight on how students have engaged with Celcis in the past. If you are interested in working with Celcis on future projects, please contact Paul Sullivan.

View website

  • Continuing Care Rights – a collaborative creative project, working to design resource that support young people with information about their rights to Continuing Care.
  • Voice and Inclusion Project – care experienced led research project looking at ways to improve the experiences of children and young people when they take part in a children’s hearing.
  • Drawing Together Research – creative research project working with young refugees to understand more about what supports relational wellbeing.
  • Participation Network – a community of practice for anyone interested in participation.
  • UNCRC blog – just one example of the blog series where CELCIS often have care experienced writers.

Explore this area