An exploration of care experienced and estranged students' experiences of university-based support in England: a case study design

Most universities in England provide some form of dedicated support for care experienced
and estranged students. Despite this support and accompanying best practice advice, these
students are more likely to withdraw from their studies and less likely to achieve a 2:1 or 1st
compared to students without these backgrounds. Although some previous research has
explored experiences of support of care experienced and estranged students, there is a
paucity of in-depth qualitative research on this topic. I argue that care experienced and
estranged students should be treated as one, albeit complex, group more frequently in
research and practice and have grouped them accordingly in this research because of the
similarities in their support needs and experiences at university. 

This thesis explores this group of undergraduate students’ experiences of specific university-based support initiatives at two universities in northern England from a critical realist perspective. Interviews were conducted with staff at four universities to gain an in-depth understanding of the support available. This was followed by interviews with eight students at two of these universities to explore their experiences of this support. The data collected from staff and students was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Bourdieu’s theory of practice and Fraser’s social justice framework were synthesised to create a theoretical framework.

Key findings include student suggestions of why they or other care experienced or estranged students may not access available support, students’ experiences of feeling supported at their university, and students’ experiences of feeling othered. These findings provide data which could direct future changes to support for these students. This research makes original contributions to knowledge in the following areas: increased understanding of how support is delivered to care experienced and estranged students; increased knowledge of these students’ experiences of support; and new application of a theoretical framework that synthesises Bourdieu and Fraser.