Ulster University has announced a new and unique short course specifically designed for care-experienced and adopted young people, aimed at encouraging those who have experienced adversity during childhood to pursue higher education via university.
The Early Adversity and Developmental Trauma course offered by Ulster University's School of Psychology is the first course of its kind anywhere in the UK and Ireland. Thanks to funding from the University’s Widening Access and Participation (WAP) Scheme, this course is offered entirely free of charge to students, eliminating financial barriers and making higher education more accessible.
Research consistently highlights the education challenges faced by children in the care system. Frequent school changes, often resulting from entry to care and subsequent foster placements, can be disruptive and distressing, significantly affecting their academic performance.
As these children progress through the educational system research shows a gap between the performance of young children in care and their non-care peers which progressively widens over time. By the time these children reach GCSE stage only 14% of care-experienced children achieve 5 GCSEs at A* to C, compared with 54% across the UK, and only 15% sit A Levels, compared with over 60% of their non-care peers. As a result, only 14% of higher education students are care experienced.
The Early Adversity and Developmental Trauma course runs over ten weeks and is tailored for those considering applying to university to study psychology, social work, or community work, to possibly work professionally in these areas in the future. A key aspect is increasing their confidence and allowing them to feel comfortable in the university environment.
Dr Dominic McSherry, course director and developmental psychologist has dedicated 25 years of his career focused on understanding the impact of experiencing adversity and trauma in childhood and using that knowledge to inform theory, policy, and practice. He developed the course alongside university colleagues Paul Cassidy and Philip Turbitt.
He said: "It has been one of the greatest privileges and honours of my life to work with this group of care experienced young people and help them build the confidence to see a pathway for themselves to university, to understand that they are as entitled and able as anyone else to aspire to achieving this goal and going on to work as a psychologist, social worker or community worker. Actually, given their expertise by experience, that they are exactly the type of people we need to see working in the system, and trying to ensure that children in care and adopted from care, and other children who experience early adversity in their lives, receive the support that they need to reach their full potential.”
To address the sensitive nature of topics such as adversity and trauma, Ulster University has collaborated with a range of external partners, ensuring a supportive environment for all students. Organisations such as the Voice of Young People in Care (VOYPIC), the Fostering Network, Action for Children, and Adoption UK play vital roles in this initiative. Furthermore, the students receive specific mentoring throughout the course from Brenda Kilpatrick, who works in VOYPIC, and therapeutic support from Sophy McFarlane, who works in the Pneuma Healthcare Centre.
Dr McSherry added:
“An important aspect of the course involves input from care-experienced Ulster University students, foster carers/parents and adoptive parents, and care-experienced professionals from psychology, social work, and the community sector. This allows the students to get a more direct understanding of pathways from care to university, and to life as a professional. We are really looking forward to following their journey.”
19-year-old Naomi Bright from west Belfast said:
“Before I went into care, I didn’t really have many goals because with my home life, there was no stability. University wouldn’t have been something I would have thought of before getting involved in this course. This course has changed that. Now I would. I definitely have goals now."
Esla Ibrahim, 19, from north Belfast, passed her GCSEs and went into care when she was in sixth form but dropped out of school a few months later. After a break, she returned to education, did her A levels at Belfast Met and is now awaiting her results.
She is also taking part in the course in the hopes of pursuing a career as a research psychologist or forensic psychologist. She believes there needs to be more support for young people who come from a care-experienced background in education.
Esla said:
"I think they should be doing more for young people in showing them the importance of education and that their experiences don’t define them.”
"Just because their experience is a bit different than other young people who haven’t come into care, it doesn’t mean that they can’t get an education and that they aren’t smart enough."
For more information about the course, or how to apply, please contact Dominic McSherry by email: d.mcsherry@ulster.ac.uk'