Bournemouth & Poole College are proud to announce that they have been recognised by the Carers Federation and achieved the Quality Standard in Carer Support accreditation.
This accreditation recognises The College’s continued work to support carers, provide them with equal opportunities along with any additional support they may need. The College has worked hard to gain this accreditation – including working to maximise retention of students who are also carers, providing them with the best possible education and start to their careers.
This ties in with the Carers Federation’s Driving Change programme. National data shows that carers are three times more likely to be NEET (not in education, employment or training) and five times more likely to drop out of college. For Bournemouth & Poole College, this is simply unacceptable. The College have worked diligently to reduce this in their setting and are now being recognised for their impact.
Policies and procedures have been implemented across The College, all with the goal of ensuring education is accessible, consistent and offers the support carers require throughout their studies.
Lloyd Perry, Head of Inclusion & Support at The College, was thrilled with the recognition. He said: “Working with the Carers Federation on this accreditation has been brilliant. At The College, we always aim to offer equal education opportunities to everyone and recognise that nationally, carers are often left behind in this. We’re actively working to remove barriers to education for carers.”
This accreditation is nationally recognised and it is hoped that carers will feel more comfortable disclosing that they are carers and therefore more able to access the variety of support on offer at The College.
Lloyd said: “This is a fantastic achievement for The College, but we won’t rest on our laurels. Providing accessible education for carers is immeasurably important and we will continue to work towards this.”
