Hi, I'm Laura .......

Hi, I'm Laura Mulgrew and I am team manager for Aberdeenshire Council's Throughcare and Aftercare service. 

I lead a team of social workers and support workers who help care experienced young people move on to independent living.

It can be an overwhelming time as you prepare for adulthood and we want you to feel supported and able to make the right decisions for your future.

We provide support with practical tasks such as getting set up in your first home, how to pay bills, budget your finances and build good habits for life.

It’s a pleasure seeing you progress and achieve all you want for yourself. We know you are all capable of great things!

When not at my desk, I really enjoy getting some fresh air walking and running with my daft 1 year old Labrador called Bear.

Beaches are my happy place to unwind and luckily in Aberdeenshire we have plenty to choose from ��

Care Experienced Students Bursary - Update

Here is an update from SAAS on Care Experienced Students Bursaries in 2022.

CARE EXPERIENCED STUDENTS BURSARY – Update from SAAS (2022)

Background

Student support payments are currently paid in monthly instalments during term time only. In 2021, the Scottish Government committed to reviewing the support provided to students during the summer months when student support is not traditionally paid out. From the 2022-23 AY, eligible CESB students can now choose whether to receive their bursary payments over the current term time (which is normally nine months from August/September to April/May) or to spread these payments over the full 12 months. We will keep you updated on the progress of this 2 year programme of work as we will use the feedback to shape any options that might be considered in the future for other students.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the new 12 monthly payment option students must be in receipt of the CESB and be on a course of higher education which takes longer than a year to complete.

Students on a one year course or in their final year will not be eligible to apply for the 12 monthly payments and will be automatically paid during term time.

Students studying elsewhere in the UK will also be able to choose to have their payments spread over 12 months or continue to receive their three payments over term time.

Payments

Whilst the overall amount of bursary will not change, students who choose the 12 monthly option, their monthly payments will be lower than before. This is because their CESB will be spread over 12 months rather than term time only. Which may help students to budget for the year without the gap over the summer. However, they will still receive a maximum CESB of £8,100 each year.

Once selected, students will remain on their chosen payment option for the duration of the academic year. They will have the opportunity to change options (unless entering their final year) when they reapply the following year, should they wish to do so.

The payment option they choose will apply to their CESB and any living costs grants such as Lone Parent Grant or Dependants Grant, in which they are entitled. However, the Care Experienced Accommodation Grant, which is available to help with summer accommodation costs, will continue to be paid as a single payment.

When students apply to SAAS they will be asked to specify their chosen payment option.

Information and guidance

To help support students to choose their preferred payment option:

• SAAS will be hosting interactive online sessions to explain the new payment options and address any questions this raises which can be booked here. These sessions will run from the 23 March to 31 March 2022
• We have produced an on-line video that explains the new 12 monthly payment option which can be accessed at any-time on our website
• There will be information and guidance on both SAAS and the Student Information Scotland websites; which will be updated regularly.

If students have any questions on how the new 12 monthly payment option would affect their benefits they may also want to seek advice from their local Citizens Advice Bureau.

Students can also contact the Who Cares? Scotland advice line. Which is a lifelong offer, open to Care Experienced people of any age across Scotland. It can provide them with independent support when considering their bursary payment options. Call: 0330 107 7540 from 12-4pm (Mon-Fri) or email: help@whocaresscotland.org

Student can also Contact Us and one of our advisors will be happy to help if they need assistance with their application.

Provided by:

SAAS

Student Awards Agency Scotland

Stay safe online and avoid financial fraud

Here's some great advice from PC Mike Urquhart about online safety and avoiding financial fraud. 

More advice can be found at:

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/information-for/individuals-families

Whether you’re a parent, step-parent, auntie, uncle or guardian PC Mike Urquhart looks at why it’s important to speak about online safety and financial fraud with children and young people.   

It’s important to speak openly and honestly about online safety from an early age. As soon as your child starts using the internet, take an interest in what they’re doing so you can be there to support them.

Understanding social media

The more you know about the social networking sites children are using and what information they like to share, the more likely you’ll be to keep them safe.

When your child joins a social networking site help them to create their profile. Teach your child not to share any personal or banking details – this includes passwords, real name, address and school. Explain that friends should be people they know and that people they meet online may not be who they say they are.

Key terms explained

Fraudsters can take advantage of children as they’re gaining independence and reaching an age where they’d like to have their own bank account.

Phishing

Phishing is when someone tries to get hold of your personal information by sending an email containing a link to a bogus website.

Talk to your child about only clicking on links or opening attachments if they know who they’re from. Make sure the anti-virus software is up to date on your child’s device and if they receive a suspicious email from their bank let the bank know. Banks will never ask you to transfer money to another account.

Vishing

Vishing is when Fraudsters call you on the telephone, impersonating someone from your bank, police, a utility or service provider. They trick you into divulging personal financial information which they then use to gain access to your bank account.

Smishing

Alternatively, fraudsters may contact you by text message – this is known as smishing. You may be sent a text containing a bogus link, or be asked to reply with personal information to a fraudulent number, so make sure your child knows not to respond.

Online shopping scams

If your child has a bank account it’s likely they’ll have a debit card. Fraudsters will often advertise fake products or a bogus service, take your child’s money, but never deliver what was paid for.

Talk to your child about shopping safely online. Advise them to do someresearch before sending money to a private seller or even a legitimate-looking brand. Remind them never to follow links in unexpected emails and to check the spelling in the URL to make sure it’s legitimate.

Free public WiFi

Free public WiFi can be exploited by criminals to intercept your child’s data.

Talk to your child about avoiding making financial transactions and never send personal data to websites while using public WiFi. When using public Wi-Fi fraudsters may intercept anything you’re doing online. They could capture passwords for any account you’re signed into and read your private emails.

Further advice can be found at:

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/information-for/individuals-families

The Gordon Schools

Our group has only recently started, and we have been spending time getting to know each other over the last three weeks. 

Our group has only recently started, and we have been spending time getting to know each other over the last three weeks.  This first term we have been working with Sharon Speirs from Relax Kids, who we are lucky enough to now have full time at the school as a Pupil Support Worker and a co-facilitator of the group.  Along with myself and Jillian Grant from MCR Pathways, we have been setting out to provide alternative experiences for children who fall into the following categories:

Care Experienced, LGBTQ+, Young Carers.

It has been with this in mind that a full academic year programme has been designed to support a small number of pupils who are happy to be part of the group.  We have been lucky enough to secure Craig Barrowman from the Robert Gordon's University Art Bus for term 2, as well as Graeme and Dave from the Youth Music Initiative for term 3, with the final term being based around outdoor education and led by Networks of Wellbeing. However, as I said before, this term we have been working with Sharon Speirs and focusing on relaxation, chill skills, teamwork and getting to know each other.  

Emma Allen (Virtual Head Teacher) came along to our third meeting on Tuesday, and we started with an ice breaker activity where everyone introduced themselves and then told an interesting fact.  This was followed by a relaxation technique that required us to be mindful of our bodies and how tense we can be holding ourselves.  We then tried some breathing exercises before making our own breathing stick.  Used correctly, breathing exercises can help when having moments of anxiety or stress.  It was following this that we played a team building game called 2 truths and 1 lie, we had to try and guess what the lie was, this was a fun exercise and helped everyone feel comfortable.  We then drew the meeting to a close and shared some advice around trying to use the breathing sticks at home.  We look forward to giving you an update from our last Mindfulness session with Sharon next week and hopefully lots of photos! 

Sounding Out at Aden Country Park in Summer 2021

A group of young people from Aberdeenshire had the opportunity to get creative during an event run by Youth Music Initiative and Live Life Aberdeenshire.  As can be seen from the videos they produced, these young people had a great time and certainly showed off their creative skills when they connected with nature at Aden Country Park  

Enjoy the videos they created below.