Supporting the hiddenvictims ofCOVID-19: Lessons from the first wave

Transforming the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable children

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Contents

1.Whythisreport? 05

2.TheimpactoftheCOVID-19pandemiconchildren,youngpeople,andfamilies 06

3.Barnardo’sresponse:supportingvulnerablechildren,youngpeople,andfamiliesduringthecrisis 14

4.Workingdifferently:Barnardo’sapproachtoinnovationandpartnership 16

5.Amplifyingthevoicesofchildrenandyoungpeople:Barnardo’sBigConversation 20

6.Workingtoinfluencethesystemsaroundchildrenandfamilies 21

7.Lessonsforthefuture:Children’sServices2.0 22

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As the UK’s largest children’s charity, Barnardo’s aim is to achieve better outcomes for more children.

To achieve this, we work with partners to build stronger families, safer childhoods, and positive futures.

Compared with the same period in 2019, we have experienced a 17,000 decrease in the number of service users supported overall, but a 12,000 increase in our direct work with individuals.

This increase in individual work is due primarily to an additional 10,200 children and young people directly supported through the Department for Education-funded See, Hear, Respond programme, in response to COVID-19.

We supported

children, young people, parents and carers throughourservicesandvitalpartnershipswithotheragencies.

174,900

By the end of September we had worked with:

63,400through

individualwork

35,100 throughour

children’scentresandfamilyhubsprovision

24,800 throughour

school-basedprogrammes

During the first national lockdown of COVID-19, from 1 April – 30 September 2020:

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1. Why this report?

TheCOVID-19pandemiciscausinggreatchangeanddisruptionforeveryone,presentingnewchallenges,andforcingusalltofindnewwaysofliving,working,andinteracting.However,asthepandemichastakenhold,ithasbecomeevidentthatitsimpactonlivesandlivelihoodsisnotbeingequallyfeltbyall.

AtBarnardo’swearewitnessingfirst-handtheacuteimpactthepandemicandassociatedrestrictionsarehavingonthemostvulnerablechildrenandfamilies–manyofwhomwerealreadyfacingsignificantchallenges.

Atthesametime,charitieslikeBarnardo’sarefacingunprecedentedchallenges–bothfinancially,andinhowweprovidesupport.Butdespitethis,wearecontinuingtoharnessourpassion,knowledgeandexpertise;ourinnovationandlearning;ourpartnershipswithotheragencies,supportersanddonors;andthevoicesofchildrenandfamiliestodeliversupportatatimewhenchildrenandfamiliesneedusmorethanever.

Wearepublishingthisreportinearly2021,whichseemsliketherightmomenttoreflectonourlearningfromthefirstwaveandfirstnationallockdown–inthehopethatthiscaninformwherewegonext.

Inthisreport,wehaveembracedtheopportunitytoreviewtheevidenceoftheimpactofthepandemiconchildrenandfamilies,andlearnfromourresponse,sothatwecanidentifythestepsrequirednotjusttorebuild, buttoachievea‘resurgence’insupportforvulnerablechildrengoingforward.

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2. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children,young people, and families

The impact of COVID-19 on poverty and inequalityCOVID-19 has had a catastrophic impact on the finances of families and young people, exacerbatingthepressureonthosealreadyexperiencingfinancialoremploymentinsecurity,whilealsopushingothersintopoverty.Inthelongerterm,theeconomicfalloutfromthepandemicriskshavingasignificantimpactonmanyfamilies’income–manywhowere‘justaboutmanaging’pre-pandemiccouldnowfindthemselvesstrugglingsignificantly.

Between March and June 2020

individual claims1 for3.1 milliontherewere

Between March and May 2020 thenumberofUniversalCreditclaimantsaged24andunder

almostdoubled2 500,000

overall

Pre-pandemic,

30% of UK

children livedinpovertyintheUK3(over4.2million)

46%

26%

toaround

UPapprox

50%

The surge in unemployment causedbythepandemiccouldhaveresultedinaround

200,000morechildren4fallingbelowthe

pre-COVID-19relativepovertylinebytheendof 2020

comparedto

for Black, Asian, and ethnic minority children(over1.1million)

of white British children

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Although governments have implemented a number of temporary measures to cushion against the worst effects of the crisis on incomes, many families are still struggling due to job losses, reductions in income, and difficulty accessing benefits. For many children, young people, and families, the worst is likely still to come.

Barnardo’sfrontlineworkershavehighlightedsubstantialincreasesaroundneedforfinancialsupportorgrants,familiesunabletopaybills(includingrent),needforbudgetinghelp,andfamiliesaffectedbywaitingtimesforbenefits

Childreninthelowestincomefamilieshavespent less time on educational activities

during lockdown5thanchildrenfromthehighestincomefamilies

46%

Lockdown widened the learning gap6

betweenwealthierandpoorerchildren by

havesoughtfree schoolmealsas a result of COVID-19,ontopofthe1.4 million who were already claiming7

900,000morechildren

Youngpeopleweremorelikelythanotheragegroupstoneedtousefoodbanks8orfoodcharitiesduringtheinitialstagesofthepandemic,andhouseholdswithchildrenwereparticularlylikelytoreporthavingreduced meal sizes,orskipping mealsaltogether9 ThegrowingnumbersofBarnardo’sfrontline

workerswhoweresupporting someone in, or at risk of being in, povertyin2020.

67%Oct

47%April

60%July

weresupportingyoungpeopleorfamiliesexperiencingreduced earnings due to job losses or reduced hours

In October

77% of Barnardo’s

frontline workers

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The impact of COVID-19 on youth employmentThe COVID-19 crisis and the resulting recession have had far reaching effects on employment, leaving many people – especially the young – with limited prospects and hope.

Havingalreadycosthundredsofthousandsofjobsandlivelihoods,thepandemicriskspushingmoreyoungpeopleoutofwork,leavingmoreyoungpeopleunemployed,withsignificantlongtermimpactsontheiremploymentopportunities,andatincreasedriskofpoverty.

Estimates suggest that more than

During the first wave of COVID-19, young people were more likely to work in the sectors hardest hit by lockdown measures11,beamongthosemostlikelytohavelost their jobortohavebeen furloughed,andbeamongthosemostat risk of redundancies12

1 million18-24 year olds

mayhavebeen unemployed at December 202010

At September 2020

1 in 5ofthoseontheJobRetentionSchemewereunder 25 years old13

The impact of COVID-19 on mental health and emotional wellbeingCOVID-19 and the measures to contain it have negatively affected the mental health of many children and young people.Duringthefirstnationallockdown,mentalhealthandwellbeingwasaffectedbyarangeoffactors,includingprolongedperiodsofisolationandstayingathome,aswellasconcernsaboutemployment,finances,andhousing.

Childwellbeingandwelfarecanbeinfluencedbyparentalmentalhealth,andevidencesuggeststhatadultmentalhealthissueshavealsoincreasedduringthefirstnationallockdown.

In April

young people aged 8-24intheUKreportedexperiencinganincrease in mental health and wellbeing issues during the first national lockdown14

1 in 3of young people aged 13-25

whowereexperiencing mental health problems pre-lockdown said

their mental health had worsened duringthefirstnationallockdown15

81%

ofBarnardo’sfrontlineworkersweresupportingchildren reporting an increase in mental health issues duetotheCOVID-19pandemic.

48%

increased to By July this had

64%

Themostcommonlycitedissuesincreasinginchildrenasaresultofthepandemicrelatedto anxiety and sleep dysregulation.

ofBarnardo’sworkersweresupportingparents or carersreportinganincrease in mental health issuesduetotheCOVID-19pandemic.

In April

54%

had risen to By July this figure

62%

Themostcommonlycitedissuesincreasingamongparentsasaresultofthepandemicwerestress and anxiety.

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The impact of COVID-19 on education

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on every aspect of education,theeffectsofwhichhavebeenparticularlydetrimentalforthemostvulnerablechildrenandyoungpeople,likelyincreasingtheeducationalinequalitiesbetweenchildrenfrombetter-offandpoorerhouseholds.

Schoolprovidessomuchmorethaneducation–especiallyforthemostvulnerablechildren.Itcankeepthemsafe,provideahotmeal,andsurroundthemwiththeroutines,structure,andtrustedadultrolemodelsthattheymaynothaveathome.

Althoughschoolsremainedopenforvulnerablechildrenduringthefirstnationallockdown,uptakeofplaceswasverylow,asparentsandcarerswereencouragedtoonlytakeuptheseplacesiftheywereunabletomeettheirchild’sneedsathome,andmanyschoolswereclosedduetostaffshortages.Caringforchildren’sneedsathome,whileadditionallysupportinghomelearningplacedadditionalpressureonfamilies.

overhalfofBarnardo’sfrontlineworkersweresupportingfamilieswhere children were eligible to attend school but were not currently attending.

53%In July 2020

Workers cited these families’ main concerns to be:

‘fear around catching the virus in school’80%

‘following new rules around social distancing’56%

‘different school environment to before’50%

By July this figure

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Interimmeasurestosupporteducationduringthefirstnationallockdown–suchasremotelearning–wereheavilydependentuponfactorssuchas:proficiencyinEnglish;achild’shomeenvironment;accesstodigitaltechnologyandothereducationalresources;availabilityofaquietspaceforlearning;and,childorparentalengagementinschool.Thesefactorshaveservedtofurthercompound pre-existing inequalities in educational attainment16.

Childrenandyoungpeoplefromlowerincomefamiliesaremorelikelytoexperiencedigital poverty17(i.e.lacktheequipmentanddataneededforhomelearning).Inthecourseofourwork,childrenandyoungpeoplewithoutthenecessaryaccesstodevicesanddatadescribedthenegativeimpactthishadontheirschoolworkduringthepandemic.

Whilesomefamiliesreportedreceivingremotesupportfromtheirschoolduringlockdown,othersreportedreduced,orno,supportfromschools.

Asnotallschoolsprovideddevicesforchildren,manylowerincomefamiliesreportedhavingtopurchaseresourcessuchaslaptopsduringlockdown,resultinginadditionalcostsforfamiliesalreadyexperiencingfinancialstrain18.

ofBarnardo’sfrontlineworkersweresupportingfamilieswhere children were off school due to partial or complete school closureas a result of COVID-19.

In October

26%

Among workers supporting these families, 53% felt that children, young people, and families hadnot been provided with sufficient supporttohelpchildrenre-engagewithlearningwhileunabletoattendschool

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The hidden victims of the COVID-19 pandemicChildren not being in school, coupled with services and support being withdrawn, paused, or taking place remotely has resulted in reduced oversight of children during the first national lockdown.

Thishasservedtoplacemanychildrenatincreasedriskofharm,includingneglect,abuse,andexploitation.Reducedsocialcontactandlockdownrestrictionsmeantthatopportunitiestoescapeunsafehomeenvironments,andaccesstohelpandsupportwerereduced.Thefullimpactsofsuchharmsare,asyet,unknown.Thesearelikelytocometolightasrestrictionsareliftedandface-to-faceinteractionsoutwiththehomeincrease.WeanticipatethelevelofneedcharitieslikeBarnardo’sarerespondingtowillcontinuetorisesteeplyasaresultofcurrentcircumstances.

HalfofBarnardo’sfrontlineworkersfelttherewillhavebeenan increase in the number of children and young people experiencing domestic abuse during the first national lockdown

referralstochildren’sservicesinEnglandwerealmost

a fifth

From April to May

lowerthaninthesameperiodoverthelastthreeyears19.

Insomeareas,child protection

referrals havereducedbymorethan

50%

50%

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The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities

Ithasbecomeevidentduringthecourseofthepandemicthatthe impact of COVID-19 is not uniform.Systemicracism,andsubsequentinequalitiesexperiencedbyBlack,AsianandethnicminoritygroupsintheUKhavebeenexposedandexacerbatedbyCOVID-19,andchallengesforBlack,Asian,andethnicminoritycommunitieshavemanifestedinarangeofways–acrosshealth,social,andeconomicdomains.Alreadymorelikelytoliveinpoverty20,thishasresultedinchildrenandfamiliesfromthesebackgroundsfacingarangeofadditional,related,challenges,whichthreatentocompoundpre-existingracialinequalities.

TheimpactofCOVID-19onBlack,Asianandethnicminorityfamiliestakesanumberofforms:

more likely to die from COVID-19 thanwhitepeople21

In September 2020

33% of coronavirus patients in intensive carewerefromBlack,Asianorethnicminoritycommunities22

of theUK population isBlack,Asian,orethnicminority

4xBlack peopleare

Adults from Black, Asian, and ethnic minority backgrounds have experienced higher levels of depression, anxiety, and loneliness25 than white adults during the pandemic

Thenumberofchildren suffering anxiety or stress23 in

lockdown increased by:

Childrenseeking help for suicidal thoughts24 went up nearly:

White children

Black, Asian or ethnic minority children

27% 18% comparedto11% compared

to 3% White

children Black, Asian or ethnic

minority children

Only

14%

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Concernsaboutemployment,finances,andhousinghavebeenparticularlyprevalentforthosefromBlack,Asian,andethnicminoritybackgrounds26.

In October ofBarnardo’sfrontlineworkersreportedhavingsupporteda child or young person who has experienced a hate crime or incident/abuse due to their race, overthelastyear14%

Therehasbeenareportedincreaseinracismandhatecrime32,including‘shaming’ofBlack,Asian,andethnicminorityindividualsonlineforgoingoutside(inkeepingwiththelockdownguidelines).Additionally,inthecourseofourwork,wehavefoundthatnotallfoodbanksandothersourcesofsupporthavebeenabletoprovideculturally-appropriatefoodpackages,andinsmallercommunities,families’privacycanbecompromisedbyhavingtodisclosetheirneeds.

ChildrenfromBlack,Asian,andethnicminorityfamiliesaremorelikelytobelivingin‘digital poverty’,affectingtheirabilitytolearn,socialise,andaccesssupport.Further,parentswithoutEnglishlanguageskillshavefeltlessabletosupporttheirchildrenwithhomelearning,meaningBlack, Asian, and ethnic minority children have been more likely to miss out on educationduringthisperiod.Socialdistancingrestrictionshaveresultedinchildrenandfamiliesmissingcontactwithcommunity support networks,therehasbeenalack of informationaboutCOVID-19andmeasurestocontrolthespreadofthevirusavailableinlanguagesotherthanEnglish,andsomechildrenfromBlack,Asian,andethnicminoritycommunitieswehaveworkedwithhaveexperienced attacks on their home,whileothersfeelextreme anxietyaboutleavingtheirhouseorreturningtoschool.

During the first national lockdown,

Black, Asian, and ethnic minority

communities were:

• particularlylikelytobeimpacted

bysectorshutdowns27

• morelikelytohavehadtocutback

onessentialitems28

• morelikelytobebehindonbills

andtohaveencountereddebt29

• morelikelytospendlockdown

inhomeswithlessspacethan

othergroups30

• lesslikelythantheirwhitepeers

tohavehadaccesstoagarden,31

bringinggreaterriskstotheir

mentalhealthandwellbeing

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3. Barnardo’s response: supporting vulnerable children,young people, and families during the crisis

AstheCOVID-19crisishit,welaunchedBarnardo’s Coronavirus Crisis Appeal,whichraisedvitalfunds,aswellasawarenessoftheneedsofvulnerablechildrenandfamiliesduringthepandemic.Inourservices,ourprimaryfocuswason‘crisismanagement’andmeetingtheimmediatesafety,welfare,andwellbeingneedsofchildrenandfamilies.Thismeantrethinkinghowwedeliverservices,focusingonsupportingthemostvulnerablechildren,andinnovatingtoprovideservicesdifferently.Whilemorethan500frontlinecolleaguescontinuedtoprovideface-to-facesupportthroughoutthenationallockdown,manyofourserviceshadtomovetooperateverydifferently,veryquickly–providingsupportbyphone,messagingapps,andvideocalls.

Redesigning ServicesThroughoutthepandemic,Barnardo’sservicesacrosstheUKhavecontinuedtoadaptandinnovatetofittheshiftinglandscape,andcontinuetoremainavailableforthechildrenandyoungpeoplewhoneedusmost.

• Weofferedphone ‘check ins’forchildrenandfamilies,allowingustocontinuetoassesstheirwelfareandofferemotionalsupportintheabsenceofface-to-facecontact

• Forfamilieswhodon’thavedigitaltechnologyavailableandhaveneededsomedirectcontact,we visited them at home,continuingcontact,andmaintainingappropriatesocialdistancingmeasures

• Wedevelopedanddistributedarangeofresources to help families support their own mental health and wellbeingwhileathome,andkeepchildrenhappyandentertainedduringlockdown

• Werepurposed buildings,inmanycaseslookingbeyondourexistingcaseloads,andreachingouttoextendoursupporttothoseinneedwhoweweren’tnecessarilyreachingbefore

• Wecontinuedtoprovidemuchneededpractical support,suchasassistingfamiliestoapplyforbenefits,supportingwithshopping,andadvocatingwithhousingandutilityprovidersonbehalfofyoungpeople

• Wetookadvantageofonline opportunities,flexingourusualmodelsofsupport,including:

- usingdigitaltechnologiesto deliver one-to-one therapeutic support,groupwork,andonlinesupportgroups,providingavitalwayofmaintainingroutines,continuingtohavecontactwithchildrenandfamilies,andcontinuingtosupportmentalhealthandwellbeingintheabsenceofface-to-facesupport

- establishing‘Barnardo’s Family Space’,anonlinefamilycentre,allowingaccesstoinformation,guidanceandsupportaboutparentingissuesforthoseunabletoattendaChildren’sCentreorFamilyHubinperson.

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Barnardo’s Coronavirus Crisis Appeal FromlateMarchtotheendofJuly2020,withthehelpofourgeneroussupporters,includingdonationsfrommembersofthepublic,grantassistance,andin-kindcontributionsfromourcorporatepartners,otherorganisations,andlocalbusinesses,weraisedover£2million.

Barnardo’s Coronavirus Crisis Appeal

wonaThirdSectorDigitalAwardfor

Best online fundraising campaignJudgesnotedthesuccessofthe

agileworkinganditerativeapproachtodelivery.

Barnardo’s Coronavirus Crisis Appeal has allowed us to:

for children, young people and families,providingaccesstofoodwhichtheycouldotherwisenotafford,andhelping alleviate the impact of food insecurity and food poverty

to children, young people and families we support,

helping them to deal with the pressurespresentedbythecrisis,and

supporting them to cope in the absence of face-to-face supportduringlockdown

for families and young people, courtesyoftheEnergySavingsTrust

(with 1,000 more set to benefit from emergency fuel vouchers in due course,

courtesy of a grant to Barnardo’s from the Energy Redress Fund)

to young people and families,therebyempoweringthemwithdigitaltoolstostayconnectedtofriendsandfamily,andaccessonlinelearningandessentialsupport

Life at Home Packs for care leavers,

Provide

3,887food packages

Provide

4,760mental health and

wellbeing packs

Make over

1,000emergency fuel

payments

Distribute over

2,648mobile phones, laptops, and tablets

1,515 of these were new or refurbished mobile phones or tablets courtesy of our Great British Tech Appeal partnership with Vodafone.

Distribute over7,500Play at Home Packs to children and

500

comprisedofitemskindlydonatedbyourcorporatepartnerIKEA.

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4. Working differently: Barnardo’s approach to innovation and partnership

Working in partnership to support children and familiesPartnership working has been more crucial than ever before. Thechallengesfacingthemostvulnerablechildrenandyoungpeopleduringthecrisis(andevenbefore)aretoo complex for any one agency or sector to solve alone.Asaresult,wehaveusedthepandemicasacatalysttotrialnewwaysofworkingwithpartners,inordertoidentifyandsupportthosewhoneedusmost.

Inresponsetothepandemic,Barnardo’sformedanewprogrammewithfundingfromtheDepartmentforEducation(DfE),andinpartnershipwithover80nationalchildren’scharitiesandcommunity-basedorganisations(40%ofwhichareBlack,Asian,andminorityethnic-led).

See, Hear, Respond(whichiscurrentlyfundeduntilMarch2021)isanewandinnovativeprogrammedesignedtofindsolutionstothechallengesfacingchildrenandfamilies,whichmayhavebeenexacerbatedbytheuniquecircumstancesofthepandemic.Itfocusesspecificallyonreachingchildrenandyoungpeople‘hidden’fromprofessionalsduringthecrisis.

Throughmobilisingasectorresponsetosupportingvulnerablechildrenandyoungpeoplewhodonotmeetthethresholdforstatutorysupportand/orfaceadditionalbarriersasaresultoftheimpactofCOVID-19,See, Hear, Respondbridgesthegapbetweenuniversalservices(schoolsandhealthcareprofessionals),andstatutorysafeguardingservices(policeandsocialcare).

Throughworkingalongsidebothgrassrootsandnationalpartnersinthisway,See, Hear, Respond hasallowedustoreachintocommunitiesandidentifythosefamiliesmostdisadvantaged,andcutofffromotherformsofsupport.

Byworkingwitharangeofspecialistserviceproviders,includingautism,earlyyears,exploitation,disability,mentalhealth,andeducationcharities,See, Hear, Respondhasprovidedformobilisationofanationaldigitaloffer,aswellaslocalface-to-faceoffers.

Wealsocommissionedarts,sports,andyouthworkorganisationswhohavebeenabletoprovidepositiveactivitiestoimproveconnectivitytodecreasesocialisolationandloneliness,and,alongsidethis,throughworkingwithcorepartners–theAssociationofMuslimSchools,ActionforChildren,andTheChildren’sSociety–See, Hear, RespondhasprovidedcomprehensivechildandfamilysupportacrossallofEngland.

Recognisingtheunequalimpactofthepandemic,See, Hear, Respondprioritiseschildrenwhoareexperiencing,ormostatriskof,harmandincreasedadversity,mobilisingasectorresponsethatidentifiesandmeetstheneedsofchildren‘fallingthroughthegaps’.

By 30 September, See, Hear, Respond had been live for 16 weeks and received a total of 13,157 referrals. These include:

587 childrenatriskofexploitationoutoftheirhome

364 youngcarers

871 childrenundertheageoffive

2,844 childrenrequiringsupportformentalhealthandemotionalwellbeing

1,754 childrenwithspecialeducationalneeds

1,713Black,Asian,ethnicminorityandrefugeechildren

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Althoughthemainreasonforachild’sreferraltoSee, Hear, Respondisemotionalandmentalwellbeing,todate,themajorityoffamilieswehavesupportedhavebeenexperiencingcomplex, multiple, and interrelated needs, affecting various family members.ManychildrenreferredtoSee, Hear, Respondfitintomorethanoneoftheabovecategories.Theprogrammehasrespondedtothisbyengagingwithmultipleagencies,andadoptinga flexible ‘whole family’ approach, focused on making systems work better for each individual child.

Commonexamplesofpresentingissuesinclude:childrenexperiencingextreme anxietyregardingCOVID-19;childrenexperiencingbereavement and lossoffriendsandfamilymembersduetoCOVID-19;increasingself-harm and suicidal ideation;and,increasedexperienceofhate crime and racismcausingextremedistress.

Earlyfindingshaveshownthatthemosteffectiveinterventionsforfamilieshavebeenthosegroundedinsocial models of mental health, supporting schools and other universal services, alongside families, to develop trauma responsive approaches to support children.Thisapproachalsohelpstopreventspecialistresource-intensiveservicesfrombeingoverwhelmed.

Aspartofthiswork,Barnardo’shasalsoprovidedsome‘capacitybuilding’tohelpsmallerorganisationsdevelopsafeguardingpoliciesandbecomecontract-ready,whichwillnotonlybenefitthisproject,butalsoenabletheseorganisationstodeliversimilarworkinthefuture.

See, Hear, Respondwasoperationalwithinashorttimeframe,evidencingthecrucialrolepartnershipworkingplayedinallowingustoquicklyandsuccessfullyrespondtonewchallenges,andcontinuetoprovidepromptandflexiblesupportforchildren,youngpeople,andfamilies.

The See, Hear, Respond Support Hub33–ourdedicatedareaonBarnardo’swebsiteofferingahostofinformation,resourcesandtoolsfrompracticaladviceonhowparentscantalktotheirchildrenaboutthepandemic,totipsonmanaginganxietyandmuchmore–hadrecorded141,174 interactionsby30September2020.

Presenting needs identified at referral to See, Hear, Respond

n=5,097(reportedforindividualreferralsonly)

Childmentalhealth 26761876

17811557

854609

570442

16066

245

Isolationandloneliness

Barrierstoreintegrationtoeducation

Parentingsupport

Parentmentalhealth

Barrierstoengagementwithsupportservices

Impactofcaringresponsibilities

Concernsaboutchildrenoutsidethehome

Exposuretoonlineharm

Childprotection/safeguardingconcernsreferredtoStatutoryAgencies

Other

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RecognisingthattheseissueswerenotjustEngland-specific,wesecuredfundingfromtheNationalEmergenciesTrust(NET)toextendsomeaspectsofSee, Hear, RespondtoScotland,WalesandNorthernIreland,tobegintobridgetheidentifiedgapinthesecountries.

See, Hear, Respond Celtic Nationsofferstherapeuticsupportthroughahelplinetargetedatthoseassessedashavingpresentingissues(distress,traumaormentalhealthproblems)thatcanbesafelyworkedwithdigitally.Barnardo’ssupportpeopletoreflectandunderstandtheseissues,self-regulate,developcopingstrategies,establishwidersupportnetworks,andmanagefeelingsandbehavioursduringthisperiod.

Inadditiontoprovidingremote,online,andvirtualtherapeuticinterventionstoyoungpeopleandfamilies,See, Hear, Respond Celtic Nationsreferschildrenandfamiliestorelevantagenciesandservices,ensuringintegrationintowiderformsofsupport.

Supporting Black, Asian, and ethnic minority communitiesBuilding a network of partners to address the factors leading to Black, Asian and ethnic minority children experiencing poorer outcomes

Withthepandemicservingtobothhighlightandcompoundexistinginequalities,combinedwithheightenedglobalawarenessofracialinjustice,Barnardo’spublisheditsCommitment to Tackling Racism34.

However,weknowwecannotsolvetheissuesfacingBlack,Asianandethnicminorityfamiliesalone.Wehavethereforebroughttogethermorethan100peoplerepresentingmorethan60Black,Asian,andminorityethnic-ledcharitiesandorganisationsforaseriesofwebinarsaboutsupportingBlack,Asian,andethnicminoritychildrenandyoungpeopleinthepost-COVIDera.

Goingforward,wewillcontinuetodevelopthisnetwork,tofocusonissuesaffectingBlack,Asian,andethnicminoritycommunitiesspecifically,inordertodevelopabroaderunderstandingofissuesaffectingthesefamilies,andinitiatemoreeffectiveculturallysensitiveresponses.

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Boloh – The first national telephone helpline supporting Black, Asian, and ethnic minority children and young people

Barnardo’shasbeencommissionedtoprovideBoloh,aUK-widetelephonehelplineandwebchatfacilityforBlack,Asian,andethnicminoritychildren,andtheirfamilies,whohavebeenaffectedbyCOVID-19.

Alongsidehelplinesupport,wherecallersrequirefurther,specific,ormoreintensivesupport,Barnardo’sprovidetherapeuticintervention.

TheBolohhelplinesupportsthecomplexityofissuesthatchildrenandfamiliesfromBlack,Asian,andethnicminoritycommunitiesface,andwithmanyBlack,Asian,andethnicminoritychildrenlikelytohavesufferedhardship,trauma,andinsomecasesabuse,duringlockdown,itisneedednowmorethanever.

TheneedforthishelplineisevidencedbyourSee, Hear, Respondwork,whereover35%ofreferralstodatehavebeenforchildrenfromBlack,Asian,minorityethnicandrefugeecommunities.

Commitment to investing in better outcomes for all children

AsaresultofthedisproportionateimpactofCOVID-19onBlack,Asian,andethnicminoritycommunities,itislikelythatchildrenandyoungpeoplefromthesecommunitieswillexperienceadditionalpressuresgoingforward–includingintermsofincreased caring responsibilities, bereavement,and reduced access to support. Thiscomesontopofpre-existinginequalitiesthatdrivepooreroutcomesforthesechildreninawholerangeofareas.

Inlightofthis,Barnardo’shassetupaRaceEqualityFund,whichwillbeadministeredbytheBarnardo’sFoundation.TheFundwillinvestininnovativeprojectsdevelopedincollaborationwithcommunityorganisationswishingtocontributetotacklingsystemicracismaswellasmitigatingitseffects.Additionally,theFundwillsupportworkbyBarnardo’scorporateuniversity,toimprovetheculturalcompetenceofBarnardo’sstaff.

Wearealsolookingatformingpartnershipswithotherlike-mindedorganisationsandworkingwithgrassrootsorganisationstosetupaCentreofExpertise,toshareexistingknowledge,andworktowardsour aim of a more equal society.

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5. Amplifying the voices of children and young people:Barnardo’s Big Conversation

Throughoutthepandemic,children and young people have told us they didn’t feel heard–yetthedecisionsbeingmadeaffecttheirfuturesmostofall.Wehavetriedtoplayaroleincorrectingthis–bygivingyoungpeopletheopportunitytoundertakeresearch,co-producereports,andmaketheirviewshearddirectlytodecisionmakers.

The Big Conversation included: • A nationally representative online survey conducted by

YouGov on behalf of Barnardo’s,35exploringtheviewsof4,000childrenandyoungpeopleaged8to24acrossGreatBritain,exploringhowCOVID-19hasaffectedtheirlives.Childrenandyoungpeoplesaidtheyhadexperiencedanincreaseinmentalhealthandwellbeingissuesincludingstress,lonelinessandworryasaresultofCOVID-19andassociatedlockdownmeasures.

• In-depth interviews with 113 young people supported by Barnardo’s across the UK.36DesignedwithinputfromBarnardo’sYouthColleagues,foryoungpeopleaged13-25,weexploredexperiencesoftheCOVID-19lockdownrestrictionsandyoungpeople’svisionsforthefuture.Thisworkprovidedin-depthinsightintotheviewsandexperiencesofyoungpeoplewhotendtohavelessopportunitytohavetheirvoicesheard,andwhooftenfacecomplexandoverlappinginequalitiesintheirdailylives,includingchildrenincare,careleavers,childrenwithdisabilities,LGBTyoungpeople,youngcarers,youngparents,childrenforwhomEnglishisnotafirstlanguage,andchildrenwithrefugeeorasylumseekingstatus.

• Mental Health and COVID-19: In Our Own Words,37whichweworkedwithtenyoungpeopletoco-produce.Thesetenyouthresearchersreachednearly150otherchildrenandyoungpeople.Wehavesharedtheirfindingsabouthowchildrenandyoungpeoplewanttoaccessmentalhealthserviceswitharangeofdecisionmakers.

Using what we heard in our research with children and young people, we hosted a series of six virtual conversations with senior politicians,38 during which young people supported by Barnardo’s shared their experiences of COVID-19 and the lockdown, and their views about what needs to change in the future.

We also held a webinar with the Mental Health Minister Nadine Dorries MP where young people we support talked directly to over 300 participants from across the country about their experiences and what needed to change.

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6. Working to influence the systems around children and families

Inadditiontosupportingchildren,youngpeopleandfamiliesdirectlyduringthepandemic,we’veworkedwithourpartners,governments,andotherdecisionmakersacrosstheUKtoimplement policy measurestosupportvulnerablechildrenandfamilies.

Advocacy and campaigning for children’s rights in ScotlandInScotland,weworkedalongsidetheChildrenandYoungPeople’sCommissionertosuccessfullycampaignforanamendmenttolegislationtoclosealoopholewhichsaw16and17year-oldsbeingissuedwithFixedPenaltyNoticesforbreachesoflockdownrestrictions.

We’vealsosupportedthedevelopmentofguidanceforPoliceScotlandinrelationtoengagingwithchildrenandyoungpeopleduringCOVID-19restrictions.

Working collaboratively to address issues faced by vulnerable children in EnglandInEngland,togetherwithotherchildren’scharities,wesupportedacampaigntoextendfreeschoolmealsthroughthesummerholidays,andacampaigncallingforariseintherateofchildbenefit,asthemostefficientwayofreachingchildreninthemostvulnerablefamilieswiththewelfaresupporttheyneed.WealsoparticipatedinregulardiscussionshostedbytheDepartmentforEducation,workingcollaborativelyonsolutionstoissuesfacingvulnerablechildrenandyoungpeople,andpreparingforaneweraofchildren’sservicesbeyondthepandemic.

Influencing the Domestic Abuse Bill in EnglandWorkingwithpartnersinthesector,wesuccessfullyconvincedtheWestminsterGovernmenttoincludechildreninthenewlegaldefinitionofdomesticabuse.Withlockdownsresultinginsomechildrenbeingtrappedinunsafehomesasreportsofdomesticabuseskyrocketed,thisissueisnowevenmoreimportant.AstheBillcontinuesitspassagethroughtheUKParliamentwearecontinuingtomakethecaseforadutyonpublicauthoritiestoprovidecommunity-basedspecialistdomesticabuseservicesforallchildren,whethertheyliveinarefugeorafamilyhome.

Influencing mental health and wellbeing policy and practice AcrossallfournationsoftheUKwehavesharedwhatwehavelearnedabouttheimpactofCOVID-19onthementalhealthandwellbeingofchildren,andworkedwithpartnersandgovernmentstocallfortheimpactstobeprioritisedinschoolcurriculums,alongsidechild-centredguidance,andincreasedfundingformentalhealthsupportinschools.

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7. Lessons for the future: Children’s Services 2.0

Thereareanumberofcruciallessonsfromthepandemicthatshouldinformhowwerespondtotheneedsofvulnerablechildrenandyoungpeopleinthefuture.Inmanycases,thecrisishasexacerbatedexistingchallengesandinequalitiesthatriskdeprivingchildrenofapositivefuture.

At Barnardo’s we don’t just want to work towards ‘recovery’, we want to aim for ‘resurgence’ – for a better system that delivers better outcomes for the next generation.

To achieve this vision of ‘children’s services 2.0’ we believe change must be driven by four key principles.

1. InnovationInresponsetotheuniquechallengesposedbyCOVID-19,Barnardo’sandothershaveinnovatedatspeed,inparticularacceleratingthedevelopmentofdigital-firstsolutions.Overallhowever,children’sservices(statutoryandvoluntary)lagbehindindigitalinnovation.Similarly,thechildrenandfamiliesaccessingchildren’sservicesoftenlivein‘digitalpoverty’,andlackkeyinfrastructuresuchasdevicesandaccesstodata.Embracingdigital-firstproductsandservicesasanintegralpartofthehealthandsocialcaresystemcouldhelptoincreasereach,deliverswiftandeasyaccesstosupport,managedemandandrespondtochildren’schangingneeds.

Inthecurrentcontextofincreasedneedandlimitedresource,wecannotaffordnottodothisalone.

WearethereforecallingontheUKGovernmenttoestablishan Innovation Fund forcharitiestodevelopdigital-firstinnovation.ThiswouldbeadministeredandfundedbytheGovernment.Theproposedvaluewouldbe£50-£100m,overthefirst3years.TheintellectualpropertyfromproductsandservicesdevelopedusingthisFundwouldbeownedbytheGovernmentandsharedacrossthesectortoavoidduplicationofpreciousresourcesatthisuniquelychallengingtime.

2. Working in PartnershipAnotherpositivedevelopmentfromCOVID-19hasbeentheflourishingofpartnershipworkingandarecognitionthatthescaleofthechallengesfacedaretoogreatforanyoneagencyalonetoaddress.OurSee, Hear, Respondprogrammehasdemonstratedthepossibilityofmovingpastthetraditional,transactionalapproachtocommissioningtoanewapproachbasedonco-production(inthiscasebetweenBarnardo’sandtheDfE).Ithasalsodemonstratedhowthecharitysectorcanworkdifferentlytogetherbyformingpartnerships(inourcasewithmorethan80largeandsmallercharities).Thisapproachhasallowedustoidentifyandsupportthousandsofvulnerablechildrenatriskofbeing‘hidden’fromservices,includingfromBlack,Asianandethnicminoritycommunities.

Wearethereforecallingfora‘reset’intherelationshipbetweenGovernment,commissionersandcharities.Aswithinnovation,inthecontextofgrowingdemandanddepletedresource,wesimplycan’taffordnottodothingsdifferently.

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3. Long-term thinking and investment

Transformingoutcomesforvulnerablechildrencannotbeachievedthroughshort-terminterventions.Itiswidelybelievedthatearlyinterventionismosteffective,butyearsofshortterm(andreduced)fundinghasdrivenlocalauthoritiestofocusresourceonchildrenwhoarealreadyexperiencingharm.Localauthorityspendingonearlyinterventionservicesforchildrenandyoungpeoplefell46%intheeightyearsto2018/19.Tohaveanyhopeofmakingprogressin‘levellingup’,wehavetochangethis.Recognisingthetimeandcommitmentrequiredtotackleentrenchedinequalityanddisadvantage,Barnardo’shasa10yearstrategicpartnershipinLeicestershire,andsevenyearcommitmentswithPlymouthandEssex.

WecallontheGovernmenttomovetowardslonger-term investment in vital services for children and specifically to fund earlier intervention–withaclearcommitmentinthenextmulti-yearspendingreview.

4. Co-production with children and young people Toooftendecisionsthatprofoundlyaffectchildrenandyoungpeoplearemadewithouttheirvoiceorinvolvement.DuringtheCOVID-19crisiswehavecalledforunder-18stobepermittedtoaskquestionsatGovernmentpressbriefingsandtomaketheirviewsknowndirectlytoMinisters.Thedisruptiontoexamsanduncertaintyaboutuniversityplacesinthesummerhighlightedtheimpactofthepandemiconyoungpeoplewhooftenfeltpowerlessindecisionsdirectlyaffectingtheirfuture.Co-productionwithchildrenandyoungpeoplenotonlyaccordsrespectbut,webelieve,wouldalsoresultinbetterdecisionmaking.Itwouldalsohelpthosewhoaretooyoungtovotetofeellikeempoweredcitizens.Forvulnerablechildren,includingthosewhodonothavefamilieswhocanadvocateforthem,thereisanevenstrongerimperativetoprovideopportunitiesforco-production.TheGovernmenthasanopportunitytoputthisintopracticewiththeforthcomingreviewofthecaresystem.

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