1. Who is a Student Carer?

Carer definition: ‘A carer is anyone who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without their support.’ (Carer Trust Report, 2015)

2. What do the Carer’s Trust highlight?

a. Students with Caring responsibilities may hit ‘bumps in the road’ which they had not planned for, due to the support they give.

b. Students with caring responsibilities do not always ask for help in time as they do not realise it is available.

c. Students with caring responsibilities need to know who to contact to apply for the relevant advice.

3. What support is available at Newman University?

a.Ìý We have an extensions system in place.Ìý Any student can apply for an extension to the deadline of their assignment, if they know, in advance of the deadline, that they cannot submit.Ìý If you are a Student Carer, you can apply and give an explanation of the extra commitment your caring responsibilities bring.Ìý For your evidence, you can attach anything relevant regarding the person you care for (their medication, their hospital admission information or, if you are a formal carer, a letter to show you are recognised as such – if you are not sure of what to show, just ask the Academic Support Adviser team on:Ìýasa@newman.ac.uk).Ìý To apply for an extension, all students follow the sameÌý.

b. Our Academic Support Advisers (ASAs) can advise you on any appropriate procedures for example how to apply to move your deadlines, or how to apply to put a halt on your studies for a while. Email a member of our Academic Support Advisers team onÌýasa@newman.ac.ukÌý, even if you have missed a deadline.Ìý They can explain ourÌýMitigating CircumstancesÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýAppealsÌýprocesses.Ìý They will be happy to offer a Zoom or telephone conversation if you prefer to discuss your situation, rather than email.

c. We can organise a ‘RAP by Proxy’ if you care for someone with a recognised medical condition or long term illness.Ìý A Reasonable Adjustment Plan (RAP) is a plan to adjust your assignment submission dates to allow for a little more flexibility in case some unexpected caring duties arise (the person you care for may need medical attention or you may need to attend to their needs more than you had anticipated).Ìý This RAP is a RAP ‘by proxy’ as it is due to the supportÌýtheyÌýneed, rather than support you may need, if you were ill.Ìý To organise a RAP by Proxy, you can contact our Inclusion Coordinator who will discuss theÌý evidence you will need to supply to move your assignment dates on:Ìýstudentsupport@newman.ac.uk

4. What support is available outside Newman University?

External support

°Õ³ó±ðÌýÌýoffers a wide range of services to local carers.

Ìýare a national charity providing support for carers. On their website they provide help and advice, they have an online community for carers, and a list of local services.

Ìýare also a national charity providing a range of support to carers. There is a range ofÌýÌýavailable on their website, from financial and practical support to information about useful equipment and technology. Their advice line can be accessed on: 0808 808 7777.

ÌýOffer free Yoga for family Carers registered with Birmingham Carers Hub, both online and in person at their studios. You don’t need to be a full-time Carer, or be in receipt of Carer benefits, to take up this offer.

Ìý offer advice and guidance to carers living in Sandwell, including access to their freeÌý

Ìýoffers a wide range of services to local carers.

provides a range of support and advice including carer’s assessments and information about breaks for carers.

Ìý– If you, or the person you care for, need extra help to pay for something there are many grants, funds, and charities that may be able to help.

5. Who is eligible to claim Carer’s Allowance?Ìý

Full-time students are not eligible to claim Carer’s Allowance. If you are claiming Carer’s Allowance prior to starting your university course, your eligibility for this benefit will cease when you enrol at university.

It is important that you notify the Benefits Agency that you have started full-time study to make sure you do not accrue subsequent overpayment.

OurÌýWelfare AdviserÌýcan advise you about other sources of funding.

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At Newman we recognise that as an estranged student starting and studying at university, could be particularly challenging without the support of a family network – there may be concerns around accommodation and financial support. We are committed to supporting estranged students both prior to and for the duration of their studies.

We are aware that not every student who is estranged may want to access additional support, however for those that do, the following support is available.

A dedicated contact for estranged students

Newman has a dedicated contact for estranged students who can offer tailored support prior to arrival and throughout your time at Newman. If you have any questions about studying at Newman and the support available, you can contact our Student Welfare Adviser Tammy Oyekanmi by emailing t.oyekanmi@newman.ac.uk

Pre entry support

We can offer you guidance from your first interest in applying for university right through to studying here. Please get in touch with our Student Welfare Adviser if you have any questions. All our support is optional and you can decide how much support you need at any stage.

HEADstart

Estranged students have a guaranteed acceptance onto HEADstart, ourÌýaÌýpreparatory course for new single, joint and combined honours students. The aim of HEADstart is to help you adapt to student life as quickly and smoothly as possible. HEADstart is delivered in the two weeks before Welcome Week. For further details of the programme visit our HEADstart page.

When you arrive

If you choose to disclose your estranged status to Newman to our estranged student contact, you will be contacted at the beginning of your first year with Newman. Our Student Welfare Adviser will invite you to a meeting, either remotely or on campus, to explain the range of support that is available to you.

Accommodation

As an estranged student, you can apply for and access university accommodation for 365 days per year if you need it. For more details, get in touch with our Accommodation team.

Student Finance

Full-time undergraduate students can apply to for a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan for general living costs. You may also have eligibility for additional support if you have children or a disability or long term health condition. Our Student Welfare Adviser is available to advise you about applying for student finance as an estranged student and can assist you to gather the supporting evidence you will need.

The Stand Alone Charity have produced an excellent with regards to applying to student finance as an estranged student. You may also want to check out this useful webpage from UCAS:Ìý

Grant Funding

Our Student Welfare Adviser can also support you to apply for grants that you may be eligible for such as those listed below.

• If you are experiencing financial hardship you may be eligible for a grant through the

Newman University Support Fund , which is administered through the University’s Finance Office.

• Buttle UK can also offer to students aged 16-20 who are estranged from their family.
• There are also a number of charitable trusts and foundations who offer support to young people in full time education. Use theÌýTurn2usÌýwebsite toÌýthat might be able to help.

Support on your course

Personal Tutors

All students at Newman are allocated a personal tutor who is a single point of contact on your course, they can provide support and advice on academic issues as well signpost you to other support.

Student Support

Our Student Support team provides a wide range of services to ensure you make the most of your time with us. Our support services included Counselling and Mental Health, Welfare, Disability, Dyslexia and Academic Development. For more information on how to access these services visit our Student Support pages

If you would like further details on any of the information or support mentioned above, please email Tammy Oyekanmi our Student Welfare Adviser on t.oyekanmi@newman.ac.uk

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What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that is neurological in origin. It is characterised by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, poor spelling and decoding abilities.ÌýOther difficulties may include problems with reading comprehension and reduced reading experience, that can affect growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

Dyslexia can affect:

• Working memory
• Processing speed
• Phonological awareness

And has relative strengths in:

• Spoken vocabulary
• Problem solving ability and
• Associative reasoning

I think I have dyslexia – how can I find out?

It might feel like a big step to find out if you have dyslexia, but we can support you at every stage and do this for many students each year.

Our Dyslexia Adviser offers ‘screening’ appointments with enrolled, current students, which helps identify indicators of dyslexia. Screening takes place in private and usually consists of a short, computer-based series of exercises lasting about 20 – 30 minutes. Results are instant and you will then be advised on your next steps or options. If you have indicators of dyslexia, you may decide to pursue a full diagnostic assessment. We can help arrange this for you on campus with a fully qualified and experienced Educational Psychologist. Currently, we can usually cover the cost of this assessment from the Newman University Support Fund.

During your assessment, the Educational Psychologist will tell you whether or not you have a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia and they will send you a written report. Our Dyslexia Adviser will then discuss this with you and will put some initial support in place, plus advise you about applying for funding.

I have been assessed as having dyslexia – what support is available?

Support from the University can include:

• Extensions to LibraryÌýLoans
• Extra time inÌýExaminations
• Provide you with electronic ‘stickers’ to put on the cover to your assignments and examination papers – the Red Dot scheme – to alert markers to the reason for particular spelling and grammar difficulties (where academic requirements allow)
• Recording arrangements for teaching sessions, to help reduce note taking

Our Dyslexia Adviser will also advise you to apply for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA), which can pay for computer equipment (after the first £200 that you contribute), assistive software and one to one support from dyslexia support tutors. You can find out more about DSA at theÌý

After you apply to Student Finance for DSA, you will be asked to attend a Needs Assessment appointment. This is to help determine what funded support will be made available to you.

How does dyslexia support tuition work?

Weekly one to one support from dyslexia support tutors is either provided by Newman University on campus / remotely or from an external company / individual and is funded by your DSA.

Tutors will arrange a timetabled session with you, as outlined in your Needs Assessment report, to develop learning strategies designed to help you to understand and manage dyslexia.

Distinct from general study skills support, you will work with your tutor to develop an individualised action plan and work toward targets.

Feedback from students about their dyslexia support at Newman University is overwhelmingly positive, so do get in touch and find out more:

Dyslexia Adviser:Ìýr.hartland-fox@newman.ac.uk

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