Birmingham University Research Develops New Method to Evaluate Support for Care Leavers

A university partnership programme developed by Birmingham University research, together with the partnership of the University of Cambridge, is finding new methods of evaluating the extent of support from education professionals for care-experienced students. Working in tandem with the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL), the research team has focused its attention on a specific programme meant to facilitate a smooth transition into higher education for young people in care. Only about 15% of UK university students have a care background, despite nearly 50% of young people attending university overall. This disparity goes beyond academic achievement. Many care-experienced young people lack the natural guidance and support families provide, with recent findings indicating that almost two-thirds are unaware of the resources available to them.

In response to this, the Inner Circle Educational Trust (ICET) has initiated a targeted scheme, the Head Start into Higher Education, in partnership with the London Borough of Camden Virtual School. Among the specific components of this scheme will be an education navigator (EN) who will provide personalised support to care-experienced young people from the age of 14 into university and effectively bring the form of academic support into line with the financial and personal challenges that care leavers find locked within educational progression.

The Birmingham University research team, together with Cambridge and NNECL, has been tasked with evaluating the benefits of such interventions. The aim is to understand how academic research improves outcomes for leavers from care in the United Kingdom and precisely whether focused funding and support can make a difference that lasts. Because the circumstances of each young person are unique and using traditional research methods for education policy (usually based on large uniform groups) will not suit, the team has developed a new method that looks at the individual experiences through a 'best odds' method of comparing their educational progress against wider national data.

Such higher education research UK, though, is fraught with challenges, particularly related to data sharing and privacy. Nevertheless, these scholars amorphously presume that the research will plug a significant hole in the assessment of small-scale, personalised interventions. Their findings can be utilised in developing future support for care leavers in universities and other under-represented groups. The work of the EN with Camden's care-experienced students will continue until 2030. The research team comprises Patricia Ambrose, Claire Crawford, Ian McGimpsey, and Chris Millward, with Jade Ecobichon-Grey coming on board as a doctoral researcher in the autumn of 2011. Together, they are enhancing the advocacy efforts through inclusive, thoughtful, evidence-based education policy research between Birmingham and Cambridge in support of care leavers in higher education.

Editor’s Note:

Joint efforts carried out by Birmingham University with the collaboration of the University of Cambridge and the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) are indeed a timely and much-welcomed intervention into the UK higher education research stage. While care-experienced young people continue to be substantially under-represented in university institutions, this project answers much more pragmatically and humanely a long-standing gap in education policy research.  Instead of falling back on conventional evaluation methods, the team made a right choice in inventing a research methodology that recognises the complexity and individuality of care leavers’ journeys; to this day, the role of the Education Navigator (EN) within Camden's Head Start into Higher Education programme is both innovative and deeply personal, providing bespoke support from age 14 to degree completion. This is, in fact, the kind of youth education support that must be there to begin fixing the structural barriers that care-experienced students must confront. Innovation, however, does not end here; the Birmingham University team deserves praise for taking the ‘best odds’ approach for analysis, despite the various issues arising with data security and small sample size. This shows a resolute commitment towards understanding what works and understanding its impact, not merely at a large scale, but also at the individual level. This approach becomes, therefore, an exemplar of how to evaluate and build support for care leavers in universities across the UK. The education navigator route, should it be successful, will not only be useful as a local pilot; it will show the path to wider university partnership programmes and may turn upside down how institutions deal with hitherto under-represented groups.

Skoobuzz believes that the collaborative efforts of Birmingham, Cambridge, and NNECL warrant the attention of policymakers, funders, and sector leaders. Significant progress stems from actively listening, understanding how best to address needs, and then collaborating with those who require the change.

FAQs

1. What is the Birmingham University research project about?

The University of Birmingham, in partnership with the University of Cambridge and NNECL, is leading a research project to evaluate a programme that supports care-experienced young people in their journey to higher education.

2. How are Birmingham and Cambridge supporting care leavers in higher education?

Both universities are working with the National Network for the Education of Care Leavers (NNECL) to assess the impact of personalised support provided through the Head Start into Higher Education programme, which includes guidance from an education navigator.

3. What is the aim of the joint research between the University of Birmingham and the University of Cambridge?

The research aims to understand how targeted support and funding can improve educational outcomes and life chances for care-experienced students, and to explore how this model could be applied across other regions in England.

4. What is the Head Start into Higher Education programme?

Head Start is a funded initiative by the Inner Circle Educational Trust (ICET), delivered in partnership with Camden Virtual School. It provides care-experienced young people with individualised support from an education navigator from age 14 through to university graduation.

5. What methods are used in education policy research for supporting young people leaving care?

The research team has developed a new evaluation method that focuses on individual experiences and uses a ‘best odds’ approach to compare academic progress with broader national data, addressing the limitations of traditional large-scale research models.

6. Why is support for care leavers in universities important?

Care-experienced students are significantly under-represented in higher education. Tailored support helps bridge gaps in guidance, funding, and access, improving their chances of success and inclusion within the university system.

7. Which UK universities are developing programmes for care-experienced students?

The University of Birmingham and the University of Cambridge are actively involved in developing and evaluating support programmes for care-experienced students, alongside local authorities and national networks such as NNECL.

8. What challenges does the research team face in evaluating the programme?

The team is addressing complex issues around data sharing, privacy, and the need for personalised evaluation methods due to the small and diverse nature of the participant group.

9. Who is involved in the Birmingham University research team?

The research team includes Patricia Ambrose, Claire Crawford, Ian McGimpsey, and Chris Millward, with doctoral researcher Jade Ecobichon-Grey joining in autumn 2025.

10. How does academic research improve outcomes for care leavers in the UK?

By identifying effective support strategies and evaluating their impact, academic research helps shape education policy and practice, ensuring care-experienced students receive the guidance they need to succeed in higher education.