Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) policy engagment with care experienced individuals: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for:

• How Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) have engaged Care Experienced individuals in the production of current policies that impact them; and
• How Care Experienced people have been involved in the production of the definition and associated guidance in relation to “Support for Care Experienced Students 2019-2020”.

Response

Care Experienced Bursary (CEB) Policies

The CEB was developed by Scottish Government colleagues in conjunction with SAAS following a recommendation in the Commission on Widening Access Report in 2016.  Other organisations involved in the policy development were:

• Scottish Funding Council;
• Who Cares? Scotland (WCS);
• Centre For Excellence For Looked After Children In Scotland (CELCIS);
• Universities Scotland; and
• Quality Assurance Agency.

Production and content of ‘Support for Care Experienced Students 2019-2020’ guidance

SAAS engaged with various organisations and individuals in the development of the care experienced guidance. The guidance that is currently available for session 2019-2020 was developed  during discussions with the aforementioned stakeholders during the production of the Care Experienced Bursary in 2017-2018.

In addition to our main guidance, we collaborated with WCS to create a Care Experience evidence template to identify ways we could streamline the application process.  

Our current online application service for CEB students was developed in partnership with key stakeholders including WCS, CELCIS as well as care experienced students. 

About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.