Take more care

A report on higher education for care leavers and estranged students highlights the shortfalls

Chris Skidmore’s final speech before he was removed as universities and science minister for a second time last week came in the Palace of Westminster on Wednesday evening. He spoke at the launch of a report into the factors that affect access, retention and graduate outcomes for students who have spent time in care or who have been estranged from their families.

The report, by the Unite Foundation in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University, the charity Stand Alone and the University of Oxford’s Rees centre, was unfairly overlooked last week following the government reshuffle. It deserves our attention today.