Abstract

This article presents the findings of a systematic literature review to explore best practice in engaging care-experienced and estranged students with university support services. These students are referred to collectively as
‘students without family support’ by the Office for Students (the regulator for Higher Education in England), and are known to experience diverse challenges in relation to access to higher education, attainment and progression to further study or graduate employment. A systematic literature search was undertaken using a modified version of the PICO framework. A total of 69 items were found. Following an abstract screening process, 26 papers, articles and reports were included in the final analysis. The review demonstrates that there is a profound deficit of understanding of how to engage students without family support with support interventions across the HE sector, with no published studies identified which explore or evaluate initiatives and strategies to increase engagement, despite widespread
acknowledgement that this group of students are more likely to require additional support with finances, orientation, wellbeing and study skills and less likely to access that support than other students. Four main themes were
identified in the review of literature and these are explored here with a view to identifying the factors university staff could consider and address when providing support designed for these groups (impact of past experiences,
barriers and facilitators to accessing support, stigma and identity and developing a sense of belonging).