An update about our approach to welcoming children on site and supporting parents and carers

Today we launch our revised children on site guidance. Following feedback from our community, we have made improvements to better support parents and carers and make the guidance clearer and easier to understand. It's important to us that we foster an inclusive environment that is welcoming to parents, carers and their children. Staff, students, and visitors are welcome to bring their children onto site at UAL for brief ad-hoc visits. This includes but is not limited to submitting a piece of work, dropping off library books and collecting personal belongings.

Support

A core principle of our strategy is to bring a creative education to more students than ever before, and we believe that having a child should not be a barrier to studying at UAL. We are also launching new guidance and enhanced support for students who are parents or carers. Student parents and carers will be able to access adjustments to teaching and assessment, summarised in a Parenthood and Caring Support Agreement (PCSA). Student Services will coordinate PCSAs alongside offering other support, including emotional support and health and money advice.

Nursing

The university will be supportive of staff and students who need to nurse and will adjust work and study arrangements to meet this need. Staff members should talk to their line manager about their requirements. Students’ Parenthood and Caring Support Agreements can include adjustments to support students who are nursing.

Facilities

Parents are welcome to nurse their children in public spaces at the university. If privacy is preferred, we have recently refurbished and relaunched our Quiet Spaces provision across UAL. This means that every site has a space which parents can use for nursing or expressing milk in private. We are also in the process of installing baby changing facilities in accessible bathrooms near these spaces. Where this is not yet available, you’ll find changing mats available for use within the relevant quiet spaces.

FAQs

We have put together a list of FAQs to help our community better understand the updated guidance and how it supports them. We encourage students with questions to contact Student Services at: studenthealth@arts.ac.uk