VOICES from Leicestershire Cares

Fostering A New Approach Episode 7: Going to university when you're care experienced with Kim Emenike

Episode Summary

Leicestershire Cares’ latest care experienced podcast, Fostering a New Approach, explores the issues surrounding care experienced young people and university. Only 12% of care leavers make it to University compared with the 43% of the general population who participate, and once there over half of care leavers consider dropping out of university due to a mix of health problems, money worries, high workloads and personal and family issues It can be hard, but it can also be rewarding, inspiring and life changing. So how can care experienced young people be better supported to make a success in higher education? This episode Casey and Diana speak to Kim Emenike, a care leaver and recent graduate from Loughborough University

Episode Notes

Leicestershire Cares’ latest care experienced podcast, Fostering a New Approach, explores the issues surrounding care experienced young people and university. 

This episode Casey and Diana speak to Kim Emenike, a care leaver and recent graduate from Loughborough University

Only 12% of care leavers make it to University compared with the 43% of the general population who participate, and once there over half of care leavers consider dropping out of university due to a mix of health problems, money worries, high workloads and personal and family issues

It can be hard, but it can also be rewarding, inspiring and life changing. So how can care experienced young people be better supported to make a success in higher education? 

Main talking points

• Relying on friend’s parents to drive Kim and her belongings up to university because her corporate parent wouldn’t
• Living in a hostel at 17 with no wifi, and finding the self-belief to study for her A-levels
• Motivation - Not wanting to be a negative statistic
• Support for money is fine, but support of wellbeing can be difficult to find
• Care experienced young people do not get encouraged to go to university from their corporate parent
• Conversation at 16-18, should be about options for the future, like university, or apprenticeships, or entrepreneurship.
• Life is not a race. You don’t have to go to university at 18.
• Put yourself out there

Podcast Information

Social media:

@KimEmenike

@DianaOmokore

@_caseyarmstrong

Research for this podcast:

Loughborough graduate overcomes the odds to complete her degree and inspire other care leavers to go to university

Why we must do more to support care leavers at university

Care leavers in higher education: how many are there and why does it matter?

Get involved in the podcast

If you have a questions for Casey and Diana to discuss on their podcast, tweet them at @LeicsCares #CEYPPODCAST or email jacob@leicestershirecares.co.uk

For more information about our Voices project contact jacob@leicestershirecares.co.uk

Find out how we work with care experienced young people