How do 'care' or 'pastoral support' activities contribute to core strategic outcomes in higher education?

As part of our ‘Growing the Workforce of the Future’ Member Benefit Series, the ‘Decoding Support’ project seeks to:

• define the characteristics and activities of ‘support’.
• understand the impact of providing ‘support’ on ‘support givers’.
• understand the importance of ‘support’ work on organisational effectiveness.
• explore possible implications of the findings on organisation and.
• identify opportunities for organisational re-design.

Following an initial literature review, which identified tangible benefits for students and colleagues in receipt of support, it was shown there is an absence of structural recognition and reward in organisations for support or care.

This report outlines the current situation, focused on the lived experience of providing support. In this context, we identify 3 recommendations (emphasising the value of care) to invite progress in accounting for the impact of providing support and care in HE organisations:

1. Questioning our assumptions about what it means to care
2. Co-creating a shared understanding of the importance of care
3. Building relational capability

To find out more about the Decoding Pastoral Support project, click here.

Advance HE members can download the report below.