Leicester College achieves national Quality Standard in Carer Support accreditation

Leicester College (@LeicesteColl) has been awarded the national Quality Standard in Carer Support (QSCS) accreditation to acknowledge its commitment to delivering long-term support for young carers.

The QSCS accreditation, awarded by the Carers Federation, has been developed by carers to provide accreditation and training for organisations. The QSCS helps to raise awareness, remove some of the barriers for carers, develop appropriate policies and procedures, and improve access to support. The QSCS demonstrates good practice in supporting carers in the wider community.

Some of the key initiatives implemented by Leicester College, highlighted in the accreditation report include:

• Establishing a working group with three dedicated carer leads to meet different challenges and responsibilities across the College campus
• The creation of a Young Adult Carers Society
• An experienced Mentoring Support Team providing needs-led support
• Preparation of training materials and resources for both staff and students to understand the wide and varied experiences and challenges faced by young carers
• Support of the Marketing department to get across key messages in an accessible and user-friendly way
• Data capture systems in place to report on the number of identified young adult carers, their retention and achievement data

David Jackson, Director of Student Services at Leicester College said:

“We are proud to have achieved this accreditation. It demonstrates not only our commitment to supporting young adult carers but all vulnerable students at the College.”

Rachel Walker, Services Manager at Carers Federation added:

“In working to achieve the Carers Federation Quality Standard in Carer Support, the College has demonstrated its commitment to supporting students who have caring roles. They have worked to ensure that young adult carers have the same access to learning opportunities as their peers, embedding systems of support across the College for those who need it. Their drive to ensure that the College is ‘carer friendly’ will make a difference to young adult carers locally – it’s a fantastic achievement.”