If a student is showing signs of vulnerability, staff can play an important role in responding appropriately and helping them access the right support.

This guidance is intended to support academic and professional services staff in recognising potential vulnerability and responding appropriately within their role. It does not replace specialist safeguarding, wellbeing or immigration advice. Staff are not expected to resolve complex issues themselves but to respond with empathy and refer students to the appropriate professional services where needed.

Staff should avoid making assumptions about a student’s background or circumstances and should allow students to define their own experience.

Understanding student vulnerability

Students may be vulnerable for many reasons, due to their lived experience including care experience, estrangement from family, refugee or asylum-seeking status, caring responsibilities, financial hardship, and/or past trauma. Generally, these students do not wish to be singled out or labelled, coming to University can be an opportunity for them to move on from their past and make a new start. It is important to respect their privacy but also make them feel comfortable and confident in disclosing any concerns to staff.

While some students may face additional challenges linked to their circumstances, many bring significant resilience, independence, and determination to their studies. This guidance should be applied in a strengths-based and individualised way, avoiding assumptions about any student’s experience. Students may identify with more than one of the groups outlined in this guidance and overlapping circumstances can increase complexity or support needs.

Supporting care leavers and estranged students

Care leaver: 18-25 year old who has been in the Care of the Local Authority for a period of 13 weeks or more since the age of 14 and spanning their 16th birthday.

Estranged student: 18-25 year old who is irreconcilably estranged from both their biological, adoptive parents or their only living parent.

Care experienced and estranged students (CEES) are:

• more likely to have experienced unstable upbringing, complex family situations, and neglect or abuse in past, and might lack strong adult role models
• more likely to be uneasy about developing relationships with staff, will take time to gain their trust
• more likely to find it difficult to relate to their peers
  
• not likely to return home during the holidays and therefore may feel isolated
  
• at risk of becoming homeless
• financially independent so may have part- time work commitments
• more likely to have mental health difficulties

Supporting refugee and asylum seeker students

Refugee: A refugee is a person who has been granted Refugee Status or Humanitarian Protection by the UK government because they have a well-founded fear of persecution, war or serious harm in their home country and cannot safely return.

In higher education, individuals granted refugee status or humanitarian protection are normally eligible for home fee status, provided they meet relevant residency requirements. They are also usually entitled to access UK government student finance (including tuition fee and maintenance loans), subject to Student Finance regulations in place at the time of application.

Asylum Seeker: An asylum seeker is a person who has applied for protection in the UK because they fear persecution, war or serious harm in their home country, and whose claim has not yet been decided by the UK government. While their application is being assessed, they do not have refugee status.

In higher education, asylum seekers are often classified as international students for fee purposes and are not normally eligible for UK government student finance (such as tuition fee or maintenance loans), unless they meet specific immigration and residency criteria.

At the University of Bath, asylum seekers are charged tuition fees at the home rate, rather than the international rate. However, they are not usually eligible for UK government student loans while their asylum claim is pending. If an asylum claim is successful and the individual is granted refugee status or humanitarian protection, they are typically eligible for student finance, subject to meeting residency requirements.

Students who are refugee or asylum seeker:

• might suffer from culture shock, find it difficult to integrate with peers
• may have no contact with family and have experienced traumatic events in past
  
• may be needing to adapt to new systems of learning, teaching and assessment
• more likely to have mental health difficulties

Supporting young adult carers

Young Adult Carer: 18-25 year old who looks after a relative or friend due to a disability, chronic or terminal illness, mental health problem or drug/alcohol addiction or dependency.

Young adult carer (YAC) students:

• may need to go home more often than other students, affecting their attendance
• could be tired or distracted in lectures and seminars
• might be living at the family home and commuting, unable to socialise or integrate with their peers due to caring responsibilities and therefore feel isolated
• finding the time to participate in group work may be more difficult
• may have additional financial responsibilities or costs
• may be more stressed due to lack of rest due to increased caring responsibilities during holiday periods

How to support vulnerable students

You can support vulnerable students effectively by:

• demonstrating commitment to their university experience and being reliable in your support
  
• responding with empathy, respect and a non-judgemental approach
  
• respecting privacy while creating safe opportunities for disclosure
  
• noticing changes in engagement, attendance, behaviour, appearance or academic progress
  
• inviting students to discuss concerns and reassuring them that support is available
  
• encouraging early engagement with the Student Support Advice Service
• clearly explaining learning, assessment and university processes such as IMC’s and extensions
  
• highlighting additional academic support (e.g. Academic Skills or English language provision)
  
• making reasonable adjustments where appropriate
  
• being approachable and available while maintaining clear professional boundaries
  
• referring students to specialist services where needed, with their permission

Confidentiality and safeguarding

Staff should be clear about the limits of confidentiality. If a student discloses information that raises safeguarding concerns or risk of harm to themselves or others, this must be escalated in line with university safeguarding procedures. Where appropriate, referrals should be made with the student’s knowledge and consent. If a student declines support but significant concerns remain, staff should seek advice from Student Support or their line manager.

For more information please refer to the Student Support and Safeguarding Confidentiality Policy and Student Support advice for staff, alternatively call our Helpdesk on 01225 383838.

Getting further advice and support

If you would like to discuss a student’s situation, please contact the Student Retention and Success team for advice.

We can advise on any situation and will direct the student to the right support, including for Care Experienced, Care Leavers, Estranged, Refugee and Young Adult Carer students.

You can contact the team at studentsuccess@bath.ac.uk.

Safeguarding:

Any safeguarding concerns should be directed to studentsupport@bath.ac.uk or the 01225 384321 line.