Report
Corporate Parenting Plan 2025-28: Report
This report on our Corporate Parenting Plan shows how we are meeting our requirements as set out in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014
Updated on 14 October 2025
Our Corporate Parenting responsibilities
University of Dundee is identified as a ‘Corporate Parent’ in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. Corporate Parenting is defined as:
“An organisation’s performance of actions necessary to uphold the rights and safeguard the wellbeing of a looked after child or care leaver, and through which physical, emotional, spiritual, social and educational development is promoted.”
And
The formal and local partnerships needed between all local authority departments and services, and associated agencies, who are responsible for working together to meet the needs of looked after children and young people.”
Care-experienced students
As a Corporate Parent, University of Dundee will support every young person, under the age of 26, who is looked after by a local authority through Foster Care Placement, Supervision Order, Kinship Care Order or in Residential care. In addition, those young people who were in care on or any time after their 16th birthday but are no longer looked after by a local authority, known as a ‘Care Leaver’.
Committed as a Corporate Parent
As part of our Corporate Parenting Responsibilities, we are required to demonstrate how we are meeting the requirements in Sections 58 to 61 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014; this plan meets the university’s obligations under Section 61.
Continuing to build on the University’s Corporate Parenting Action Plans 2019-21 and 2022-24, the plan for 2025 -28 sets out the following objectives:
Objective 1: The University should grow as an inclusive and supportive place to study where Care-Experienced students feel engaged, included, supported, and valued as part of the University community.
Objective 2: The University will seek to promote the interest of our care-experienced students and alumni who face additional barriers and provide opportunities designed to support their achievement, progression, employability and wellbeing.
Objective 3: The University will continue to ensure strong and widespread understanding among staff of matters that might adversely affect the wellbeing and/or achievement of care-experienced young people.
Objective 4: The University will work to fulfil its role as an inclusive organisation and good corporate parent, working collaboratively with other local and national agencies and corporate parents.
Update and progress on our aims
Objective 1
Action – key task
- Ensure that student recruitment and admissions policies and processes continue to encourage and support care-experienced applicants and entrants.
Lead(s)
Globalisation.
Update and progress
New objective for 2025-28.
Status
Action – key task
- Communicate with care-experienced applicants/students in a regular and timely way through the application, transition and entry stages.
Lead staff
Globalisation, Student Services.
Update and progress
Continuing objective for 2025-28.
Status
Action – key tasks
- Students are invited for a support meeting with named contact before or shortly after commencing studies.
- Students are offered a Peer Connections Student mentor/buddy.
Lead(s)
Student Services.
Update and progress
Continuing objective for 2025-28.
Status
Action – key tasks
- Develop a corporate parenting plan oversight group with care-experienced students to meet twice-yearly to review progress against the plan and recommend developments.
Lead staff
ASET, Student Services.
Update and progress
New objective for 2025-28.
Status
Objective 2
Action – key tasks
- Encourage peer support between care-experienced students with informal social events through the academic year.
Lead(s)
Student Services
Update and progress
Continuing objective for 2025-28.
Status
Action – key tasks
- Ring-fence discretionary funds (<~5% of total) for care-experienced students and provide a streamlined application process so they do not need to resubmit their full evidence to help make applying for small funds more feasible.
Lead(s)
Student Services
Update and progress
New objective for 2025-28.
Status
Action – key tasks
- Continue to offer extended on-campus accommodation contracts.
Lead(s)
Student Services
Update and progress
Continuing objective for 2025-28.
Status
Action – key tasks
- Commission from DJCAD graduands a series of cards marking key occasions, including birthdays, graduation, accommodation moves.
Lead(s)
ASET, Student Support, DJCAD
Update and progress
New objective for 2025-28.
Status
Action – key tasks
- Provide a small ‘house-warming’ packs of a mix of essentials and ‘nice-to-haves’.
Lead(s)
ASET, Student Support
Update and progress
New objective for 2025-28.
Status
Action – key tasks
- Offer priority access to key Welcome Week and semester 1 transition activities, including the STEP programme and Big Green Giveaway.
Lead(s)
Student Services
Update and progress
New objective for 2025-28.
Status
Action – key tasks
- Life Skills check-ins – managing budgeting, domestic chores, navigating bureaucracy – in-house support/CAB referrals?
Lead(s)
Student Services (RSAs).
Update and progress
New objective for 2025-28.
Status
Action – key tasks
- Personalised Career Service provision such as one-to -one support, skills awards, internships with the development of Advancement support to support the costs of placements, etc.
Lead(s)
Student Services, Advancement.
Update and progress
Updated objective for 2025-28.
Status
Objective 3
Action – key tasks
- Provide appropriate training for University staff (including personal tutors), on the issues, needs, challenges and support available for care leavers.
Lead(s)
Student Services, People
Update and progress
Request to People team to host and promote the existing OU module; work with sector partners on a new HE staff training package through the CEECEF network.
Status
Action – key tasks
- Develop a briefing pack on corporate parenting and the university’s commitments under the corporate parenting plan for distribution among staff supporting open days and offer-holder days
Lead(s)
ASET, Student Services
Update and progress
New objective for 2025-28.
Status
Action – key tasks
- Establish named contact(s) within Schools, Directorates and DUSA for Care- Experienced Young People, Estranged students and Student Carers similar to that provided currently for Disability (DSO) to share effective practice, ensure needs of student are met and a written and individual Support Plan is enacted to make any ‘reasonable adjustments’ if required.
Lead(s)
Faculties, Student Services
Update and progress
Updated objective for 2025-28
Status
Objective 4
Action – key tasks
- Keep up to date and informed of sector development regarding best practice to inform and develop policy and practice at University of Dundee through active engagement in sector networks, including CEECEF.
Lead(s)
ASET, Student Services
Update and progress
Updated objective for 2025-28
Status
Action – key tasks
- Engage with local and regional partners, including local authorities, colleges, sister universities, Who Cares? Scotland and The Promise to develop our support for care-experienced students and especially their transition to a degree.
Lead staff
ASET, Student Services
Update and progress
Updated objective for 2025-28.
Status
Action – key tasks
- Ensure that information about the University’s corporate parenting commitments remains up to date and published on the institutional website.
Lead(s)
External Relations
Update and progress
Continuing objective for 2025-28
Status