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Estranged Students Solidarity Week: find out more about support available

15 Nov 2021

Estranged Students Solidarity Week takes place from 22-26 November - find out more about staff training for supporting estranged and care experienced students

Our University offers enhanced support to estranged students. Estranged students are those studying without support of a family network, which is usually due to a long-term breakdown in the relationship with their parents or guardians. 

This enhanced support includes a £1,000 bursary via the Undergraduate Access Scholarship, and having named contacts at the University. Emma Lewis-Kalubowila from Widening Participation offers pre-entry support, and Hannah Armstrong and Ailsa Skelly from the central student support team offer support to estranged students during their studies.

As part of Estranged Students Solidarity Week, the team would really like to get the message across to colleagues that if a student discloses that they are estranged to them, please liaise with the team so that they can ensure that they are receiving the support they are entitled to.

A message from Hannah and Ailsa: “Students may self-identify as estranged to staff members they know well and feel comfortable with. If a student discloses to you that they are estranged, please ask them if they are already receiving support from us. If they are not, the student can contact us by emailing us on studentsupport@manchester.ac.uk, or you can ask for consent from the student for us to contact them instead.

"A student can become estranged at any point of their studies, and we want to make sure that all estranged students have access to the enhanced support package and opportunities that they are entitled to, such as the option to meet with other estranged students from across the University.

"You can check if a student meets the University’s definition of an estranged student and please try to avoid confirming whethe r or not a student will receive the £1,000 bursary as there is a verification process by us that must be followed. Thank you for all of your support.”

Hannah and Ailsa will also be delivering a session for colleagues on the support available for students who are estranged and care experienced on Friday, 26 November from 2pm-3pm. This will include the challenges this group faces and how to signpost to appropriate support. Places are limited so please be quick to sign up. We plan to run more of these sessions later in the year. You can sign up via Eventbrite.