Day: February 21, 2024

Hundreds of care experienced learners supported as Hub celebrates five years of Success

The Hub for Success aims to help more people from care into further and higher education

The team behind an innovative service, which supports care experienced people along their journey in education, is marking its fifth anniversary – having already transformed hundreds of lives.

Since it was set up in February 2018, The Hub for Success (Support for University and College for Care Experienced in South-East Scotland) has provided one-to-one support to 628 care experienced learners and responded to 1,241 enquiries.

The project was established to address low rates of higher education admission and retention for people who have spent time in care, which were initially highlighted by Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) research.

It offers individual and impartial advice on topics such as courses, accommodation, and finance to help them get in, stay in, or return to education.

Among the students it has supported in the last five years, 43% got into further or higher education – significantly higher than the national average for care experienced learners.

The Hub has since evolved from being solely a one-stop support service, taking on a more strategic role of amplifying the voices of care experienced learners and tackling the barriers they face.

ENU hosts its team of staff members – which has grown to five – while working alongside fellow core partners Heriot-Watt University, the University of Edinburgh, Queen Margaret University, the Open University in Scotland, Edinburgh College, West Lothian College, Newbattle Abbey College, and City of Edinburgh Council.

A recent independent evaluation of the Hub for Success found it has already “implemented the vast majority of its intended work,” adding that it could act as a model to be replicated in other parts of Scotland. It was also praised by First Minister Humza Yousaf as “vital” to improving the lives of care experienced people during a visit earlier this month.

Staff, partners, and some of the learners who have benefited from the service were among those who marked the Hub’s first five years of work during an anniversary event yesterday (Tuesday 20 February).

Alistair Stewart is one of the Hub’s student ambassadors – and is now completing a degree at Edinburgh Napier University. He said: “Our colleges and universities are stronger if each and every learner has what they need to thrive and succeed.

“This applies even more so to those with care experience, who often don’t have the familial supports or scaffolding of support around them.

“The Hub helped with course planning, financial planning and giving me encouragement and courage to believe that I could do this. They then helped me with the ‘staying in’ part, with a range of practical, emotional and relationship-based support.

“Three years later I am about to graduate and have been offered a masters. I have also been promoted to senior student ambassador with the Hub for Success and now take a role in designing and delivering our work.”

Lorraine Moore, Hub for Success manager said: “What a journey the last five years have been. The time has been packed full of learning from the care experienced people we serve, and the student ambassadors I am privileged to have as colleagues.

“No journey is ever straightforward, no path even, but this is a journey I would gladly take again, as I know I would continue to learn. 

“From one care experienced character to all you others, thank you.”

Advisory board member, and Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, Professor Andrea Nolan, said: “I’m in awe of the talent, tenacity, and motivation our care experienced students show.

“We are delighted to have them join the Edinburgh Napier community, and I take particular joy in hearing about their achievements.

“I hope the impact of the Hub will mean many more care experienced learners can join and continue their educational journey with us as a platform for building successful and fulfilling careers.”

Are you care experienced? Interested in getting back into learning? The Hub can be contacted here.

Gender pay gap means women work first two months of the year unpaid

New TUC analysis reveals Women’s Pay Day – the day when the average woman stops working for free compared to the average man – is today (Wednesday)

  • In some industries and in some parts of the country where the gender pay gap is wider, women effectively work for free for even longer 
  • Union body says Labour’s New Deal for Working People would be “huge boost” for working women, by introducing fair pay agreements in social care, banning zero-hours contracts and giving all workers a day one right to flexible work 

New TUC analysis published today (Wednesday) reveals that the average woman effectively works for free for nearly two months of the year compared to the average man. 

This is because the gender pay gap for all employees currently stands at 14.3%. 

This pay gap means that working women must wait 52 days – nearly two months – before they stop working for free on Women’s Pay Day today (Wednesday). 

And the analysis also shows that at current rates of progress, it will take 20 years – until 2044 – to close the gender pay gap. 

Industrial gender pay gaps 

Gender pay gap reporting was introduced back in 2017. However, the TUC analysis shows that – some seven years later – there are still big gender pay gaps in many industries. 

And this gap persists even in jobs dominated by female workers like in education and care. 

The union body says this is partly because women are more likely to work part-time, where working fewer hours means they earn less overall. And also, because women tend to be employed in lower-paid roles than men. 

  • In education the gender pay gap is 21.3%, so the average woman effectively works for free for nearly a fifth of the year (78 days) until St Patrick’s Day, 17 March 2024. 
  • In health care and social work, where the gender pay gap is 12.6%, the average woman works for free for 46 days until Valentine’s Day, 14 February 2024. 

The longest wait for Women’s Pay Day comes in finance and insurance. The gender pay gap (27.9%) is the equivalent of a whopping 102 days, meaning women work for free until Wednesday 10 April 2024. 

Gender pay gap by age 

The TUC analysis shows that the gender pay gap affects women throughout their careers, from their first step on the ladder until they take retirement. 

The gender pay gap is widest for middle aged and older women: 

  • Women aged 40 to 49 have a gender pay gap of 17%, so work 62 days for free until Tuesday 2 March 2024. 
  • Women aged between 50 and 59 have the highest pay gap (19.7%) and work the equivalent of 72 days for free, until Monday 11 March 2024. 
  • Women aged 60 and over have a gender pay gap of 18.1%. They work 66 days of the year for free before they stop working for free on Wednesday 6 March 2024. 

The TUC says the gender pay gap widens as women get older, due to women being more likely to take on caring responsibilities. And that older women take a bigger financial hit for balancing work alongside caring for children, older relatives and/or grandchildren. 

Regional gender pay gaps 

The analysis shows that in some parts of the country gender pay gaps are even bigger, so their Women’s Pay Day is later in the year. 

  • The gender pay gap is largest in the South East of England (18.9%). Women in this region work 69 days for free and they work for free until Friday 8 March 2024. 
  • Women in the East of England (17.7% pay gap) and the East Midlands (17.4%) also work for free until next month (Monday 4 March and Sunday 3 March 2024). 

The TUC explains that regional variations in the pay gap are likely to be caused by differences in the types of jobs and industries that are most common in that part of the country, and gender differences in who does these jobs. 

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Everyone should be paid fairly for the job that they do. 

“It’s shameful that working women don’t have pay parity in 2024. And at current rates of progress, it will take another two decades to close the gender pay gap. 

“That’s not right. We can’t consign yet another generation of women to pay inequality. 

“It’s clear that just publishing gender pay gaps isn’t working. Companies must be required to publish and implement action plans to close their pay gaps. And bosses who don’t comply with the law should be fined. 

“Labour’s New Deal for Working People would be a huge boost to working women. 

“It would introduce a day one right to flexible working and fair pay agreements to boost pay and conditions in social care – which we know is a predominantly female workforce. 

“It would also see mandatory action plans to close the gender pay gap and extending reporting to disability and ethnicity pay gaps.”