Supporting care-experienced learners in further education

Care-experienced young people are among the learners FE serves most often and supports least consistently. Many arrive at college after disrupted schooling, several moves and a lot of adults who came and went. Some are still looked after, some have left care, and some were in care years ago and never mention it. FE is also where many care-experienced young people get a second chance at qualifications, work and independence. This guide sets out the support available, who is responsible for what, and how colleges and training providers can make it work.

It explains duties, funding and good practice, not legal advice. Funding amounts are for the 2026 to 2027 year and change annually.

Who counts as care-experienced?

“Care-experienced” is an everyday term for anyone who has been looked after by a local authority at any point. The law uses narrower categories, and they decide what support a learner can get:

Funding schemes define eligibility differently. The 16 to 19 bursary, for example, defines a care leaver as someone looked after for at least 13 weeks in total, in a period starting after age 14 and ending after age 16. Always check the specific scheme’s definition.

Use the language the learner prefers. Many dislike acronyms such as “LAC”. “Care-experienced” or simply using their name is usually better.

What financial support is available?

Money worries are a major reason care-experienced learners leave courses. The main sources in 2026 to 2027 are:

16 to 19 bursary for defined vulnerable groups

Students in care and care leavers are in the defined vulnerable groups of the 16 to 19 bursary fund. The key rules:

• up to £1,200 a year for a study programme of 30 weeks or more
• a maximum, not an entitlement: institutions must assess actual participation costs and must not claim £1,200 automatically
• students must be 16 or over and under 19 on 31 August 2026
• written confirmation of care or care leaver status from the local authority is required
• support above £1,200 can come from the discretionary bursary or institutional funds where criteria are met

Help learners get the local authority confirmation quickly. Delays in paperwork often delay payments for weeks.

Care leaver bursary for apprentices

Under the apprenticeship funding rules for 2026 to 2027, apprentices who are, or have been, in the care of a UK local authority can receive a £3,000 bursary. It is paid in three £1,000 instalments at 60, 120 and 300 days after the start date, as long as the apprentice is still on the apprenticeship. Providers must give apprentices aged 16 to 24 the chance to declare eligibility before or at the start.

The same rules give the employer and the provider an additional £1,000 each for apprentices aged 19 to 24 who have an EHC plan or are, or have been, in local authority care. See learning support funding for apprenticeships.

Local authority support

Every local authority must publish a local offer for care leavers (section 2, Children and Social Work Act 2017) setting out its services, which can include education, training and employment support. The learner’s personal adviser can explain what is available locally.

Who else supports a care-experienced learner?

Several professionals may be involved, and good support depends on colleges knowing who they are.

• Social worker, for a learner who is still looked after.
• Virtual school head (VSH), the local authority officer who promotes the education of looked-after children. The statutory guidance says the personal education plan (PEP) covers education up to age 18. For young people preparing to leave care, the PEP is maintained as part of the pathway plan, and the VSH should liaise with the personal adviser.
• Personal adviser, for care leavers. Under section 3 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017, former relevant children can ask for a personal adviser up to age 25.
• Carers, such as foster carers, residential staff or supported accommodation workers.

For learners under 18 who are looked after, invite the VSH or their representative to contribute to PEP meetings held at or about college. For care leavers, ask the learner whether they would like their personal adviser involved in support planning.

What will the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 change?

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. It creates corporate parenting responsibilities for a list of public bodies in Schedule 1, which includes the governing bodies of institutions in England within the further education sector and the proprietors of special post-16 institutions.

Section 23 says these bodies, when exercising their functions, must:

• be alert to matters that adversely affect, or might adversely affect, the wellbeing of looked-after children and relevant young people
• assess the services and support they provide, or could provide, to them
• give them opportunities to take part in activities that improve their wellbeing or employment prospects
• take reasonable steps to help them access the body’s services, support and opportunities

“Relevant young people” are those aged 16 to under 25 who were looked after on or after their 16th birthday. The duties apply only where consistent with the body’s proper functions and reasonably practicable.

At the time of writing, sections 23 to 27 were not yet in force; they will be brought in by regulations, and statutory guidance is to follow. Colleges can prepare now by reviewing how they identify, support and listen to care-experienced learners.

How can a college support care-experienced learners well?

The common thread is a named adult who is reliable, and support that does not depend on the learner repeating their story.

1. Make it easy to share. Ask on application and at enrolment, explain why, and say what support is available and who will know. Repeat the invitation later in the year.
2. Name a lead. Many colleges appoint a designated member of staff for care-experienced learners who knows the bursary rules, the local VSHs and personal advisers, and can unblock problems.
3. Agree a plan with the learner. Use the same agree, deliver and review approach as other support. Ask what has helped before and what has not. See person-centred support planning.
4. Sort money early. Process bursary applications in the first weeks. Consider emergency funds for travel, equipment and food.
5. Plan for holidays and breaks. Some learners have no family to go to; college closures can be isolating.
6. Watch attendance closely and respond kindly. Absence often reflects housing moves, court dates, contact arrangements or crises. Ask before sanctioning.
7. Coordinate, do not duplicate. Agree with the social worker, VSH or personal adviser who is doing what.
8. Think about mental health. Many care-experienced young people have experienced trauma. See mental health support in FE.
9. Plan progression early. Apprenticeships, higher education and employment all have specific support for care leavers. Start the conversation in the first year.
10. Listen. Ask care-experienced learners, as a group and individually, what would help. See learner voice in further education.

Fictional example: Jade, 18, is a care leaver studying health and social care. She misses a week in November. Her tutor’s first instinct is a formal attendance warning. The college’s care-experienced lead knows Jade’s supported accommodation placement ended that month and she has been sofa-surfing. With Jade’s agreement, the lead contacts her personal adviser, uses the discretionary fund for a travel pass, and agrees a catch-up plan. Jade’s attendance recovers. Her support plan now includes a fortnightly check-in and a named contact for housing problems.

What should a college check at enrolment?

A short, private conversation early in the first term can prevent most of the problems care-experienced learners face. Useful questions, asked by someone trained to ask them well:

• Are you in care now, or have you been in care? You do not have to tell us, but it can unlock support.
• Who supports you at the moment: a social worker, a personal adviser, a foster carer, a key worker?
• Would you like us to contact any of them, and about what?
• Do you have the local authority letter you need for the bursary? Shall we request it?
• How will you get to college, and can you afford it?
• Is there anything about your living situation that might affect your studies this year?
• What has helped you most in education before, and what has not?

Record the answers in the learner’s words, share only what is needed, and agree when you will check in again.

How should information about care status be handled?

Carefully, and with the learner’s understanding. Care status is personal and often closely linked to safeguarding, health and family information. Share it on a need-to-know basis, explain to the learner who will know and why, and keep detailed history out of general records. Information about health, mental health or disability within a care-experienced learner’s record is special category data. Safeguarding information should follow your safeguarding procedures, not the general support record.

How does Inclusion Studio support work with care-experienced learners?

Inclusion Studio is learner support software in development for England FE colleges and apprenticeship providers. It is at pre-pilot stage with a clickable prototype using fictional learners. It is designed to record what helps in the learner’s own words through learner voice, agree a support plan the learner has seen, and track whether support happened and helped. Permissions are enforced on the server by organisation, relationship and field, so sensitive details can be limited to the people who need them. It is not a safeguarding case management system; see safeguarding boundaries.