Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC)

Sara Poole, Assistant Head sara.poole@gloucestershire.gov.uk

Emily Bedworth - Post 16/UASC Education Advisor - emily.bedworth@gloucestershire.gov.uk

Robert Bermingham - UASC Learning Mentor robert.bermingham@gloucestershire.gov.uk

Below is a description of the work undertaken by Gloucestershire Virtual School Learning Mentor for UASC. This key role enables the voice of young people to be heard, which informs the work of GCC at a strategic, operational and individual level.

Learning Mentor for our Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC)

The role of Learning Mentor is to be a human contact for the growing number of Gloucestershire Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children now living in and being supported in and outside of Gloucestershire, to gain access to education and build confidence within the context of the community in which they reside.

The Learning Mentor’s role is to be a meeting point for newly arrived UASC learners and steer them towards education. Before the young person has started their education, there will be a PEP meeting to establish the best educational pathway for the young person as well as starting a practical working relationship with them and the various professionals working alongside them. It is vital that the advocacy of the young person is central in all these discussions.

It is generally the case that many USACs have limited access to much needed learning and socialising. This role has been able to facilitate these opportunities as well as running or planning to run several successful projects. Examples of the work we have been doing or are planning for are as follows:

Drop-in sessions, alongside social care teams, to support engagement in learning prior to being enrolled full time.
The Virtual School working with and strengthening relationships with local charitable and social organisations.
In Stroud, The Virtual School has worked with Access Bikes, supporting the YP with bikes which they have learnt to build and repair as well as supporting them with using public transport and accessing the countryside. This also supports social benefits of working closely together and meeting other YP with shared backgrounds. This was made possible with the support of GARAS, who supported these activities with extra English teaching, advice, counselling, and support.
There are regular football training sessions run by the Kingfisher Church with plans for cricket training sessions being planned, working alongside the Lord Taverners charity and Gloucester Cricket Club.
Other initiatives in the pipeline are to support USAC learners to access creative music and art workshops and classes.
There is a plan to develop cookery resources with Leith Academy Kitchen, that specifically celebrates the cultural richness of UASC learners and teaches cooking and co-operative living skills to young people who speak English as a second language.
We are also communicating with a local charity, Clean Slate. This charity supports financial planning to marginalised people and groups and are working to develop some resources for UASC young people to open bank accounts and manage their money.
Another next step is to create a drop-in tutorial space for young people to meet up on a regular basis. This is planned to happen in partnership with Gloucester Cathedral, who are keen to offer both sanctuary and an education offer, to allow the young people a place to be able to ask for help in a safe space, build supportive peer groups, access resources and practice what they are learning at college to prepare for adult life.

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