Routine protective measures in schools, early learning and childcare (ELC) settings and daycare of children's services: child rights and wellbeing impact assessment

3. Will there be different impacts on different groups of children and young people?

Yes.

Given that the body of evidence on the role of children in transmission continues to point to household transmission as the primary driver, the continuing low risk of harm to children from COVID-19 infection, and that severe health outcomes for all age groups are far less likely to arise while vaccination rates are high, the clinical advice and data support the move to routine measures in schools and ELC settings in a proportionate and responsible manner in line with the timetable set out in the revised strategic framework for COVID-19.

Some children at the highest clinical risk may have a health condition that could be considered a disability. Disabled people and people with learning disabilities of all ages, were at greatest risk of severe illness or death from COVID and have also experienced interruption to health, social care and community services, with associated impacts on their wellbeing.

The Advisory Sub-Group on Education and Children's issues published a summary of the latest evidence on the current state of the epidemic, the role of schools in transmission of COVID-19; the health and wider harms to children and young people from COVID-19; and workplace-associated risks to staff from COVID-19.

Informed by recent evidence, the Group concluded that Children and young people as a group, have a relatively low risk of direct COVID-19 harm but are at particularly high risk of wider and long-term social, educational, developmental, and wellbeing harms. Those wider risks are particularly relevant for more disadvantaged children, and those with additional needs. These disproportionately affect the most vulnerable, and include concerns about learning, and speech and language development, as well as wider health concerns such as mental health and obesity.

The Advisory Sub-Group carefully considered the potential impact of the return to routine protective measures on children and young people previously on the Highest Risk List. Specifically regarding testing, the Advisory Sub-Group considered whether there should be a differentiated approach to asymptomatic testing for special schools. The Group agreed that there should not be a blanket approach to testing for those settings, as it would single out the sector.

The Group noted that many pupils with additional learning support needs are also attending mainstream schools and ELC settings and therefore advised, consistent with existing clinical advice, that there should continue to be tailored advice and tailored personal child plans, for individual pupils who have additional needs.

We are promoting and developing support for children and young people who are or have been on the Highest Risk List (HRL) and those who are living in households where someone is or has been on the HRL. We understand that some of these children and young people may be worried or anxious about the future and what adapting to live with COVID means. We have written to those on the HRL to highlight existing support for mental health and wellbeing for children and young people, including information on how to access it.

At present, the Chief Medical Officer's advice is that children and young people on the highest risk list can follow the same advice as for the rest of the population. This includes attending education settings, unless their clinician has advised them otherwise individually.

For ELC-aged children (i.e. those aged 0-5), evidence shows that entitlement and access to increased funded hours of high quality early learning and childcare helps to provide children with skills and confidence to carry into school education, and is a cornerstone for closing the poverty-related attainment gap. Evidence from both UK and international evaluations and studies of ELC programmes support the fact that all children, and especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, can benefit in terms of social, emotional and educational outcomes from attending high quality ELC.

Research conducted during the course of the pandemic shows that, overall, COVID-19 and the associated restrictions have had a negative impact on many young children and their families. Results of Child Health Reviews undertaken by health visitors over the course of the pandemic appear to show a rise in the number and percentage of babies and young children for whom there is a concern about their development, and that this is particularly noticeable in respect of speech and language. In addition, parents have recorded poorer mental wellbeing, which has had a direct impact on their children.

Moving towards a limited set of routine protective measures in childcare settings, and allowing providers to offer a more 'normal' experience for young children – including by welcoming parents and carers into settings, lifting restrictions on contacts within settings and encouraging day trips – is likely to have many benefits for children's development and family wellbeing.

For children and young people with additional support needs, consistent in-person learning at school will enable increased access to support for their learning, including individualised approaches to teaching, therapeutic support and care within a school setting. Many children and young people with additional support needs benefit from a regular routine, relationships with friends and school staff, and the continuation of these will impact positively in terms of wellbeing and learning.

For children and young people who are sitting national qualifications in 2022, or those working towards non-formal qualifications such as youth awards, continued consistent schooling will support their learning towards the achievement of these qualifications. This will impact positively on children and young people's right to education and education which develops their mind, body and talents.

The negative impacts of wearing a face covering for school-aged learners who have additional support needs arising from hearing impairment, neurodiversity and children and young people with English as an Additional Language, were carefully considered. Communication for many of these learners (including hearing impaired young people) relies in part on being able to see someone's face clearly. This is also important for children and young people who are acquiring English and who rely on visual cues to enable them to be included in learning.

Wearing face coverings in communal areas of the school estate (for pupils in secondary schools and all staff in all schools) is aligned with the approach in wider society.

Children and young people who attend Gaelic medium schools will continue to resume the immersion element of the learning within the language on a more regular and uninterrupted basis, which will have a positive impact on their learning and their right to speak their own language.

For children and young people who experience disadvantage and poverty, fewer interruptions to support for learning and teaching, increases parity with their peers. Other protective factors, including for their wellbeing more generally, will also be maintained. Therefore this is likely to impact positively for children and young people in these circumstances.

There is neither positive nor negative impact for children and young people in receipt of free school meals as this provision has been maintained during the pandemic, and during school holidays.

Therefore, all children in Scotland who attend ELC and education settings are likely to benefit by the policy move to routine protective measures. Those groups to whom there will be benefit in particular include children who have experienced a disproportionate impact from the pandemic, including children:

• with additional support needs who may require access to resources and experiences in childcare that are not available at home;
• at an increased risk of harm through domestic violence, neglect and poor mental health and wellbeing, where childcare provides safety, consistency and access to wider support/interventions;
• in poverty, where childcare provides access to experiences and necessities that are not (readily) available at home.