Coronavirus (COVID-19): children, young people and families - evidence summary - December 2020

16. Impact on services

The UNICEF Report discussed above in Section 9 describes some of wider international evidence about effective interventions to support children's wellbeing during epidemics/disasters e.g. parenting programmes.

Engaging Young People during the COVID-19 Pandemic (Insights Brief #1) (England and Wales)
Source: Dartington Service Design Lab, Centre for Youth Impact, Research in Practice and University of Plymouth
Date: 2020

This Brief is based on a literature review on engaging young people in services and the experiences of more than 100 organisations that have been funded by the Youth Endowment Fund's (YEF) £6.4m COVID-19 Learning Project (data drawn from grant applications, workshops and interviews). It is written for organisations delivering services for vulnerable young people. The grant aimed to provide targeted support to young people at risk of being involved in violence; and to learn fast about the best ways to reach vulnerable young people with social distancing. Key messages are summarised below:

• Flexibility - The best way to use these approaches is to be flexible. Use different methods together, personalise your responses based on what young people tell you and start small by piloting new activities.
• Engagement approaches - There are lots of ways to engage young people during the pandemic. Which ones will work best depends on the needs of the young people supported by organisations and the situations they're facing. The briefing outlines how to best use online and remote approaches, detached and street-based youth work, outdoor activities and support for young people's basic needs.
• Partnership working - Partnering with families, schools, community organisations and statutory services can support successful engagement.
• Use existing relationships - Each of these partnerships may work better with some young people than others. However, applying one common principle can help: using relationships that organisations already have with partners and young people. It's easier to build on trust that's been established.