Coronavirus (COVID-19) - experiences of vulnerable children, young people, and parents: research

3. Findings across all groups

3.1 School and childcare closures

Children and young people's views on education closures

Most children and young people were negatively affected by school and childcare closures. They said that they did not enjoy home schooling and online learning and found it very hard to adapt. The ongoing closing and opening of schools heightened anxiety among children and young people.

"School work should just be for school, because it belongs there. It is confusing to be at home for school. It is not right. It's like mixing two different types of Lego – they don't go together. They shouldn't be mixed, and they don't make sense."

(Young person with Additional Support Needs)

Many children and young people struggled with their workload and deadlines, and to maintain concentration. Most children and young people described missing face to face support from their teachers and being able to ask questions directly. As a consequence, they understood less of their subjects and worried about their academic development. Children and young people would also have liked teachers to check on them and their well-being – and not just whether they had completed their assignments. Some participants reported that teachers frequently became angry over uncompleted assignments. Overall, education closures increased stress amongst most children and young people. At the same time, a few participants preferred home-schooling over in-person teaching and were able to work better from home.

Lack of structure

Education closures resulted in a lack of routine and structure, which was a big challenge for many. Children and young people adopted an irregular daily rhythm and lacked motivation to get up, do their school work, and engage in activities. Some older children and young people stayed up during the night and slept more during the day out of boredom and a feeling of having nothing to do. Most children and young people recognised that a good structure to their day was important, but struggled in maintaining one. While there was some discussion that home learning processes were more organised during the second lockdown, it is not clear that this was sufficient in providing participants with a meaningful structure and routine.

Parents' views on education closures

Many parents found that home schooling put a high workload on children, and that support from schools in completing this work was missing. Furthermore, many parents felt inadequately trained to support their children with home schooling, which increased parents' stress levels. Parents who were in education reported having to cut back their own learning in order to supervise their children or could not support their children sufficiently due to having a job. Parents with multiple children with different needs and at different stages of education found this particularly challenging. Many parents were worried about their children's academic development during the pandemic and its consequences.

Participants stated that more support from schools would have helped – for example, by teachers reaching out more frequently and addressing individual pupils, clear instructions for assignments and providing well-structured homework. Many parents also described that nurseries had not been reaching out and checking up on the children regularly. Some parents also struggled with a lack of information from schools on current Covid-19 mitigation measures and home learning and would have liked more regular updates from schools.

Some children and young people also directly missed out on school material during the period when schools had re-opened. One parent said that pupils self-isolating and waiting for Covid-19 test results had not been provided with home schooling materials. One parent described that in-person rotation, namely different groups of pupils attending school in-person alternately, was not always organised along subjects, resulting in pupils missing out on specific subjects.

Transition experiences during the pandemic

Participants experiencing a major life transition during the pandemic found that the pandemic made an already difficult situation even more challenging. Those transitioning from primary to secondary or changing schools struggled in adapting to their new environment. They stated that they missed out on activities, and made fewer friends. Where they were available, additional support and guidance, such as online tours, weekly check-in calls, receiving teachers' contact details, being allocated a mentor, or being able to visit a new school in-person once helped. Many young people finishing school during lockdown felt as though they missed out on important milestones, marking major life transitions, in their lives. Some parents also expressed concern about the impact of missing out on events marking transitions on their children's development.

Young people who started university or college during the pandemic described falling behind with work, lacking motivation and enjoyment of their courses. They were not able to make new friends, struggled with meeting deadlines, and would have liked to receive more support from universities – though they did not specify what kind of support besides more flexibility regarding deadlines. Some young people delayed starting college due to the pandemic.

Higher education and career aspirations

Many young people became more uncertain about their future during lockdown. Some worried about finding a job or starting college in the future or had changed their professional aspirations due to the pandemic. There were participants who raised the need for more support through career advisors, emphasising that schools' career advisors were frequently too busy.

Some young people had been unable to keep up with their college courses during the pandemic and had dropped out as a result. They said that this was due to a lack of appropriate equipment (e.g. correct materials in practical courses, technological equipment, software) or suitable study environments (e.g. due to family tensions at home). One participant struggled in completing his college course work due to being homeless. He said his lecturers had been "sympathetic but not supportive" regarding his difficulties in completing course work due to his homelessness.

Comparison between the first and second lockdown and phased return

Overall, children and young people said home schooling had improved from the first to the second lockdown. They were clearer on what was expected of them and found home learning provision more organised. Some parents also noted that schools provided more live lectures and better home-schooling protocols throughout the second lockdown, which they found helpful. Children and young people who could visit school in-person on allocated days appreciated this opportunity, and most took up the offer. Those without allocated days in an education hub would have liked to have gone in. One young person had not been offered an education hub spot during the first lockdown, and her well-being decreased drastically. With the help of a local politician, her family managed to secure a spot for the second lockdown, which improved her well-being. Many participants interviewed during school closures were looking forward to an easing of restrictions and going back to school. Overall, children were keener to go back to school than young people. Furthermore, children and young people experiencing major life transitions were less looking forward to going back to school.

3.2 Digital access and skills

Technological equipment and internet access

At the start of the pandemic, many children, young people, and parents lacked suitable technological equipment, skills, or a stable and fast internet connection. Families with insufficient devices had to share devices and rely on mobile phones. All of these aspects negatively impacted children and young people's home schooling and online activities and parents' further learning – especially during the first lockdown.

For most families, these issues were resolved during or after the first lockdown – they received equipment or internet sticks through schools or third sector organisations. However, some families reported continuing problems with their internet connection. Some young people said they had been expected to use technological devices independently because of their young age but struggled in doing so. They said more support in acquiring these skills would help but did not specify what kind of support.

A related issue was the digital skills of teachers and schools' online systems. Some young people said that usage of technology in schools prior to the pandemic was comparably low, and that it took teachers time to get used to new circumstances and for schools to adopt functioning online systems. One participant noted that it would have helped if technology had been used more frequently before the pandemic.

Social media and staying connected through technology

The majority of children, young people, and parents' social relationships moved online and relied mostly on social media – with both negative and positive consequences. Most participants appreciated being able to stay connected with friends and family, and to take part in activities, but missed face to face interactions, found online communication insufficient, and said that some friendships had suffered.

Because of home schooling, online activities, gaming and social media, screen usage increased significantly among children and young people. Many children and young people reported spending increased hours on their phones, even at night. Many children, young people, and parents were aware and critical of this increased screen time. In this regard, many parents worried about their children's screen usage, and some described heightened agitation relating to online gaming. At the same time, it was participants' only way of staying in touch with the outside world. One parent suggested that schools could provide some printed tasks in addition to online teaching.

"Every day my child starts her day around 9:30 to 10:00am and finishes by 5pm. Most of that time, she is doing some school task or the other using her iPad or my laptop. We do not have a printer at home so she either works on screen shots on the iPad or writes in her notebooks. But she needs to constantly refer to the iPad for the tasks and instructions etc. I feel this demands a huge amount of interaction with online devices, as well as the pressure to have internet access for all of the tasks. Perhaps some of the tasks can be handed as a set of printed tasks from school?"

(Parent who is asylum seeking and from minority ethnic background)

Tensions arose when parents tried to restrict the internet and social media consumption of their children – who perceived this as unfair, given the lack of alternatives for interaction. Some parents were also concerned about allowing their children to socialise online for security reasons.

Some children, young people, and parents found online activities and communication stressful and felt pressure to be constantly available online. Through using social media, they gained the impression that other people were having a more productive, enjoyable, and wholesome life, leaving them demotivated. Some young people also reported getting more critical of their body image because of spending much time on social media. Some young people were critical of social media for these reasons and consciously tried to reduce their usage.

Some young people engaged in potentially risky digital activities out of isolation and loneliness. One participant said he started speaking to people online because he felt isolated – however, this resulted in him receiving unwanted sexually explicit images: "lots of pictures of penises, which is crap and off putting."

Nonetheless, some children and young people were happy about the move to online communication. They could talk with friends far away and were no longer restricted time-wise.

Children were less able than young people and parents to stay in touch via social media. Having fewer contact with friends and being unable to interact was difficult for them. Some reported feeling isolated precisely because they were unable to communicate with friends or extended family. However, some children and young people also declined to engage in online groups, activities and communication and spoke over months with no one outside their immediate family.

3.3 Family life during the pandemic

Most participants spent more time together as a family during the pandemic. Many children, young people, and parents appreciated this, could re-connect and enjoyed communal activities. Children especially enjoyed spending more time with their family, and some parents highlighted its positive impact on their development. Some children and young people valued that they were able to pick up new hobbies or learn a new skill.

At the same time, spending a lot of time together increased tensions and stress in families. Many families spent much time inside and found it difficult that schools and community spaces remained closed. Being confined to the house was particularly challenging for families with more than one child, children and young people of different ages, children and young people with complex needs, single parents and families in which one partner works far away. Some parents noted that they lacked quality time as a couple. Because of lockdown, children and young people were at home most time and observed and witnessed more family tensions, fights, or mothers crying. In one family, parents were unable to separate due to the pandemic. All of this increased stress within families. Most families looked forward to outdoor activities once the pandemic eases. Children and young people with larger families in particular experienced increased pressure on parent and sibling relationships.

Another theme was the absence of childcare or other activities to give parents "respite" from caring responsibilities. Parents highlighted the negative effect on the whole family of not having breaks from each other. They said that being allowed to have more support in childcare, for example, through extended family, would have helped. This was less the case for families who could rely on extended family for support during the second lockdown. Participants eligible for a support group or a bubble – once this had been allowed – found it easier to adapt and noted that it had been beneficial for their mental health.

3.4 Financial impacts

Many families experienced increased financial difficulties, which heightened anxiety and stress. Some parents had lost their job or could not take up a new job due to childcare commitments, putting pressure on their spending budget. Some children and young people were worried about their family running out of money for essential items, such as electricity. Some families relied on food vouchers or parcels due to a lack of money.

"My mum couldn't work because of the lockdown and we had to rely on food parcels. Some of the things in there were of no use to me, but my mum said we had no other food, and we had to use everything from the bag - like oat milk and soya milk. I wished we had more money to be able to choose our own food."

(Young person with domestic abuse experiences)

One family in need of new children's shoes had to use their food vouchers to buy new shoes at a supermarket, leaving them with no vouchers for groceries and had to ask a third sector organisation for additional vouchers. They said it would be good to receive more vouchers and that they would have been able to buy cheaper shoes at charity shops or discount clothes shops – but did not have the money for that. At the same time, some families said they saved money throughout the pandemic because they spent less on activities and going out.

3.5 Space and housing

Many families used outdoor spaces more frequently and said they enjoyed this. However, many children, young people, and parents also avoided going outside in general because they were afraid of catching Covid-19. There was a general agreement that the second lockdown had been more difficult because the cold weather and darkness prevented spending much time outside – and because of the duration of restrictions.

The housing situation influenced how well families could cope with lockdown. Those with bigger flats, a garden, or a ground-floor flat found it easier to manage. Some families reported being unable to move to a new home because of lockdown. Families with pets, such as dogs, also described this as beneficial for their well-being and maintaining a routine. Participants who had to live together with extended family, such as in-laws, described this as difficult and experienced increased tensions. This was especially the case when one household member had to go to work, whereas another household member had to shield. One young person reported being homeless and unable to move into a new flat due to increased waiting lists during the pandemic.

3.6 Mental and physical health of children and young people

Overall impact of the pandemic

Overall, the pandemic had a negative impact on the mental health and physical health of children and young people. Among most, feelings of loneliness and isolation increased. Many parents thought that the pandemic had a particular negative impact on the mental health of children and young people.

Most children and young people, as discussed above, lacked structure and missed seeing their friends, romantic partners, and extended family – all of which had a negative impact on their mental health. The lack of interaction with others impacted participants' socialisation, confidence, self-esteem, and mood. Some children and young people became restless or destructive, and parents of younger children reported an increase in tantrums. Other children and young people became more introverted, lacked motivation, and began or magnified self-harming or an eating disorder. The closing down of clubs and activities worsened these problems. Some parents said their children had expressed disturbing thoughts, such as not wanting to be alive. Some parents of younger children also found that their children regressed in terms of developmental steps such as toilet training. Being allowed to meet outside with other children, young people, and family members would have helped. Furthermore, children and young people felt that more options to do things outside the house would have helped them adopt a better routine and get more physically active. Some parents also said that having play group meetings outside would have helped.

The lack of routine discussed above led to irregular meals and a lack of sleep, which impacted the physical health of children and young people. Many parents were concerned about the lack of exercise and increased food intake of their children during lockdown, resulting in weight gain. Comfort eating was a problem for many children and young people. However, some also exercised more by going for walks, and one other mother was happy that she could provide her children with healthy food at home.

Support and health services

Overall, the availability of health and support services for children and young people decreased or suddenly stopped at the start of the pandemic, although many services resumed in some form over the course of the pandemic.

A number of participants reported that it was very difficult to request or access new services for children and young people for the first time. Parents were confused about, and felt that there was a lack of guidance about available services and access to support. A simplified access route to support services would have been beneficial. Some participants described not knowing how or where to access information and support on mental health – in extreme cases, some young people mentioned having self-harmed or feeling suicidal but having struggled to access appropriate support. Some participants had been unable to access services altogether despite reaching out. Consequently, they turned to friends and family for support.

Some families said they have not had input or contact with services and support agencies and felt isolated and left alone to cope with challenges. There were parents who noted that they were the ones who always had to make the first initial contact with health services, which they found difficult. This related to different medical services, such as primary care and check-ups, as well as mental health services.

The amount and quality of received services and support for physical and mental health varied significantly between local authorities, nurseries, schools and other organisations delivering services. While some parents said that their children had not been supported, others were more positive. Parents appreciated whenever schools provided mental wellbeing support for children, for example, through meditation or yoga sessions.

Remote access services and support

Most services and support moved from face to face to video, phone, or text formats. This change was difficult for most children and young people, and many found this less efficient, difficult to access and unsuitable for their needs. They struggled in expressing their needs and difficulties over the phone and would have preferred continued face to face support. However, most participants preferred phone and video calls over text messages.

Services such as physiotherapy or speech therapy were conducted via Telehealth. Some families found this difficult, saying that they could not get their children engaged with Telehealth. Many parents were looking for more understanding from health professionals that children and young people react differently to online communication than adults, and might require alternative services and support forms. However, some young people preferred support via the phone and text because it was constantly available and not location bound.

Most support and health services for parents also moved to phone or video format. Many parents found this change difficult and felt less able to open up and talk about health issues and said that video support would have been preferable. There was also a feeling from both parents and young people that telephone appointments were shorter and more rushed than pre-pandemic appointments, some parents said that over the course of the pandemic, with lockdown easing and face to face meeting resuming, this became easier.

Both parents and young people noted that medical services had been difficult to get in touch with via online or phone channels, and to access prescriptions – for themselves, and for their children in the case of parents. In general, health appointments via the phone were perceived as challenging. Some participants had the impression that health services seemed to remain closed.

There was an agreement that participants were looking for more online as well as face to face appointments with a wide range of support functions beyond primary care – for example, with schools, mental health support workers, and specialist health professionals.

Mental health support

Many young people and parents talked about difficulties in receiving sufficient mental health support for themselves or their children during the pandemic. They talked about long waiting times for services, such as having to wait several months for CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), and called for quicker access to these. For some participants, online services from CAMHS worked well, but many found it unhelpful. Two young people also talked about feeling "fobbed off" by the service.

Many parents said that the availability of support and health services also depended on the age group of children and young people – and that there were age support gaps for certain services.

"I tried CAMHS and was told at my daughter's age she couldn't have mental health problems and they would need a suicide attempt to help. 10 months later, I am still on the waiting list for the doctors to get her support, and they all are telling me she is too young at age 6 to get further help. She has been saying she wants to be dead, which is really upsetting and a year later I feel that nobody is taking that seriously. There was a help line that was opened during lockdown for CAMHS but I was told she was too young to be seen about mental health issues. There is an age gap for support."

(Parent with physical/mental illness)

One participant mentioned sleep support for young people over 18 years. Mental health support seemed easier to access for children than for young people. Some young people said that they thought there should be more mental health support targeted specifically at them, as well as more signposting and clearer access routes. This included mental health support advertisements directed at young people themselves rather than their parents.

Sexual health services

For some young people, access to sexual health services was unclear during the pandemic. Participants thought sexual health services were no longer available and did not want to talk about this topic on the phone. One participant had been advised to visit a sexual health clinic outside their local area, which they had initially been told not to leave. At the same time, some young people said they knew how to gain access to sexual health services.

3.7 Mental and physical health of parents

Overall impact of the pandemic

The pandemic had a negative impact on the mental and physical health of most parents – though the extent of this negative impact varied. Many parents felt lonely, isolated and found it challenging to raise their children without external support – especially during the first lockdown. Not being able to see friends and extended family was difficult, and they worried about their children. One participant had a family member with cancer, and found it difficult not being able to see them. One mother with anxiety struggled because her support family member could no longer visit her in-person at the start of the pandemic, increasing anxiety and isolation.

Support and health services for parents

There was a general agreement among parents that their access to physical and mental health services had decreased. Many parents reported longer waiting times and fewer available services during the pandemic. Some health services, such as physiotherapy or check-ups, were paused at the start of and during the pandemic, which decreased participants' health. However, many parents also said that support had slowly increased again over the course of the pandemic. This applied to both physical and mental health services.

Support received differed among parents, with some feeling as though their problems were not taken seriously by health professionals. Support for children received through schools or nurseries also impacted the well-being of parents and how they managed to cope. Parents found it helpful whenever schools regularly reached out and checked up on children's well-being and stayed in touch. Support in the form of well-being and activity packages for home was appreciated by children, young people, and parents – though many noted that these could not replace face to face support and activities. Many parents thought that throughout the pandemic, general awareness of mental health issues increased, which they appreciated. This made it easier to share mental health concerns and problems.

Many parents were hesitant in asking for more support and health services during the pandemic. They thought other people were worse off and did not want to take resources away from the NHS during the pandemic. Consequently, many dealt with health issues and mental health problems on their own. One parent was also afraid of being deemed unfit as a mother when asking for more support.

3.8 Covid-19 mitigation measures

Understanding and adhering to mitigation measures

Overall, most children, young people, and parents understood Covid-19 mitigation measures and agreed that it was important to implement them. Many participants also said that there had been a good balance between freedom and restrictions. At the same time, many struggled with the long duration of restrictions and were upset about being unable to see their friends – some felt that rules were too restrictive in this regard.

Some parents noticed that their very young children did not understand the restrictions. They thought they had done something bad and were being punished for it by being forbidden to play with friends. Some parents also said their children had become germ-phobic during the pandemic and were washing their hands excessively.

Most participants adhered to mitigation measures, partly because many were afraid of going out and catching Covid-19. At the same time, it was difficult for most children, young people, and parents to stay inside all the time. All participants found it hard to adhere to mitigation measures whenever (they had the impression that) other people did not do so. They expressed annoyance and frustration about other people not sticking to measures and perceived this as unfair. A common example was the impression that others were having big parties, while participants could not even meet with their extended family.

"I don't know what I can say to make people take it more seriously. It's not fair when I have things I want and need to do, but other people are still doing what they want."

(Parent with physical/mental illness)

Families who had been shielding described this as very difficult. Parents worried about the negative consequences of their children staying inside all the time and others not adhering to physical distancing measures. Public transport restrictions had a negative impact on one family without access to a car.

Criticisms of mitigation measures

Overall, participants perceived the ongoing change in measures as confusing, with many finding it difficult to stay up to date. There was a general agreement that distinct rules for different age groups of children and young people made understanding and adherence difficult, particularly around socialising. Many young people perceived the different rules for children and young people of different ages as unfair and did not feel that the reasons for the difference were explained sufficiently. Tensions emerged when parents had to ensure their children stuck to measures. There was a lack of understanding among some children, young people, and parents why restaurants and pubs had been opened up before schools, baby and toddlers' groups and nurseries during the easing of the first lockdown.

Young people had different impressions of whether their peers adhered to mitigation measures. Many found it difficult to maintain physical distancing at school and adhere to measures when their peers disapproved of and disregarded measures. For example, it was difficult to ask others to stay away in school. Not wanting to admit that she cared about mitigation measures, one participant made up excuses for being unable to socialise.

"Saying no to social requests is hard. You have to make an excuse if you're saying you're not going. If you said it was because of Covid you'd get laughed at. Our age feel like they can't say no to social things because of it."

(Young person with domestic abuse experiences)

One young person struggled because he was not allowed to go home for lunch because of Covid-19 regulations, but could not afford to buy lunch at school. All participants appreciated sufficient hand sanitisers in schools.

Face coverings

Most children, young people, and parents had no problems with wearing a face covering where they were required. They were happy that they protected themselves and others. However, some children and young people found face coverings uncomfortable. They said it was hard to breathe while wearing one and gave them sore heads. Some young people were also unhappy with having to wear a mask all day in school upon returning to in-person teaching. They did not understand the need for this, would have preferred wearing masks only in communal areas or to be given breaks to take the mask off.

Many children, young people, and parents felt unsafe whenever others did not wear face coverings or did not adhere to physical distancing. In these cases, they called for a stricter enforcement of measures – for example, in shops and public transport.

Parents with exemptions for themselves or their children noted ongoing stigmatisation and discrimination of people without face coverings. They said that exemptions had been misused and taken advantage, and had lost their meaning. Therefore, some children, young people, and parents wore face coverings despite exemptions – both to avoid stigmatisation or because they did not want to wear a visible lanyard stating their disability.

"I am exempt, and it's awful. When I am out in public, I have people watching, I hear whispering. I wear the lanyard but I still have people telling me to put one on. I have started wearing one sometimes now as its saves the whispering. I see Facebook posts saying people are lying to get out of masks and making up problems, like shaming you for being exempt, and they feel there are people faking it. In my college, there are posters to raise awareness that some people can't wear them, but I still get questioned about it, from students and teachers even with the lanyard."

(Parent with physical/mental illness)

One participant said it had been difficult to get an exemption for face coverings.

Information on Covid-19

Children, young people, and parents received information on Covid-19 from different sources, including friends and family, social media, the BBC, TV news and government websites. Participants felt that there was a need for information to be adapted to the abilities of different vulnerable groups (e.g. simple language and autistic-friendly information) and in community languages. Some parents reported getting desensitised to information throughout the second lockdown.