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

4. Findings specific to each group

4.1 Children and young people with additional support needs and their parents

Education closures

Children and young people with additional support needs (ASN) experienced many of the same problems as others in the areas of home schooling, mental health, and health services and support, often to a greater degree. Home schooling had been a particular challenge for participants with ASN. Most young people and parents noted that online learning had been put out with little or no ASN provision, and all were looking for more tailored learning support from schools. There was a consensus that a one size fits all approach had been implemented without additional support or checking in. Online learning and homework were not structured to the abilities of children and young people with ASN, and teachers provided insufficient guidance. This led to children's feelings of being overwhelmed and frustrated about being unable to complete required tasks.

"I feel I have been caught between a rock and a hard place when I have been feeling upset – you can either try to keep doing the school work even if you're struggling…. or stop and then get punished next day when there is twice as much work. You just can't win either way. I could have really used a bit more flexibility and understanding from the school."

(Young person with Additional Support Needs)

Some young people noted that there should have been more access to schools and support from schools for children with ASN – such as drop-in sessions or 1-to-1 sessions with teachers. Some parents emphasised the need for homework structured at the level of pupils with ASN. Parents of children with ASN were concerned about their children's learning being at serious risk and that they were falling further behind due to the lack of ASN provision.

For some participants with ASN, home schooling was a positive experience. This was because they could avoid a sensory overload in the school environment and direct interaction with others. Parents whose children benefitted from home learning hoped that a more flexible approach towards learning could be continued after the pandemic.

More generally, many parents were worried about their children's wellbeing as schools reopen. Lockdown had become the new routine of their children, and they said it will take time and work to settle back in once things ease up. The reopening of schools and then closing again was difficult for some children with ASN to adjust to.

Technology

Some participants with complex needs required technological equipment suitable for their needs (e.g. an iPad rather than a laptop) – which some received only after a few months. One participant with complex needs had not been able to access online learning, as he needed support to use his laptop, and his parents both worked full-time. Participants without access to social media or without the capacity to use them independently were at risk for further isolation and could not stay in touch with their teachers and peers – for example, non-verbal young people. They would have required additional help in using social media.

Mental and physical health and support

Among parents of children with ASN, there was an overall agreement that there were already problems with ASN provision before the pandemic, but that these had become more severe throughout the pandemic. The mental health of children and young people improved after the first lockdown once children and young people returned to school, but many parents noted that they worsened even more during the second lockdown. Support services, such as diagnosis assessments, differed significantly between participants and local areas. Participants in this group had to fight harder and wait longer for required support. They also noted a significant decrease in the quality and frequency of services for individuals with ASN.

Several participants described extremely long waiting times for diagnosis assessments and added that some diagnosis could not be carried out online, which posed a challenge. They called for faster diagnosis assessments and shorter waiting times for health services and support. One participant with audio, visual and respiratory illnesses described hospital appointments as being shorter and less thorough, resulting in poorer treatment. Parents noted that it was difficult to get children with ASN to engage with online services but that there were no alternative options.

Some children and young people, including those with very complex needs, were forced to move from care service back to live with their parents during the pandemic, which caused family challenges and disruption. Participants living outside the family home experienced a significant increase in isolation. In general, for non-verbal individuals support decreased dramatically initially at the start of the pandemic, although it was recognised that it increased as restrictions eased. Lack of access to care resulted in anxiety, isolation and worsened mental health. Parents would have liked more support, for example, through support workers helping at home.

Views on Covid-19 mitigation measures

There was an agreement that people with ASN should be high on the priority list for vaccinations. Some participants noted that carers' access to vaccinations remained unknown for a long time, which had a negative effect. Some children with ASN were also worried because there was no news on children's vaccinations.

Some children and young people with ASN were extremely afraid of risks through Covid-19. They were afraid to go outside, concerned about many people being outside and anxious about how to interact with other people. Their parents said that extreme fears had been projected upon them because people with ASN take things literally. At the same time, some children and young people liked being able to go outside because outdoor spaces were quieter.

There was a general consensus that there is a need for information on Covid-19 suited for people with ASN – such as autistic-friendly information.

"The First Minister and Government should also communicate with people who have a learning disability." (Young person with Additional Support Needs)

Not being allowed to play with younger friends was difficult for children over 12 years. Children without spatial awareness struggled especially with physical distancing. One parent noted that there was no possibility to inform testing centres in advance that a test person has ASN. This led the parent to trying to book multiple tests because more time was required for the test. They said being able to indicate beforehand that a Covid-19 test will go differently than for a neuro-typical person would be helpful.

4.2 Children, young people, and parents with domestic abuse experiences

Support and health services

Children and young people with domestic abuse experiences had similar experiences as others with regards to home schooling and mental health. Participants with domestic abuse experiences were generally able to access services and many participants agreed that support was easy and discreet to access. Some participants accessing support for the first time found that access routes to support were unclear, especially women with limited language skills. Signposting and clearer access to mental health services would have helped.

Some women did not have access to the internet, and this stopped them from accessing mental health support online. With services moving online, one participant emphasised the need for basic digital skills training for women with limited digital skills who left abusive relationships. She also highlighted the need for access to the internet, mobile devices or PCs for those women and wished for more services to be made available online.

The change from face to face to phone, video calls and text messages was difficult for many participants with domestic abuse experiences. They lacked privacy at home and could not talk openly on the phone with their support workers. Some participants had to be flexible to ensure they were home alone during support sessions, while others had to halt their support entirely.

Digital access was also an issue for many in this group. Some women had no, or only unreliable access to the internet, and this made remote support difficult, or in some cases, impossible. One participant emphasised the need for basic digital skills training for women with limited digital skills who left abusive relationships. She also highlighted the need for access to the internet, mobile devices or PCs for those women and wished for more services to be made available online.

Some participants with domestic abuse experiences found it difficult whenever services took a longer time until they got back to their support requests. They also struggled in always having to reach out because of a lack of face to face contacts in their daily life.

"When it's online, no one can really see if you are struggling. If I had been in university, I would have seen an advisor more or friends would have noticed."

(Young person with domestic abuse experiences)

Children and young people received information about support services through their parents, school, and family friends. Mothers received information via their GP, police, friends, internet, social worker, and relatives.

School closures

School closures brought along specific challenges for children and young people in this group. Some participants said they missed meeting their support workers in school or coffee places, and one participant had to stop her support sessions because these had been taking place at school. One young person had planned in guidance with her school to move out of her family home where she lives with the perpetrator (father). When schools suddenly closed, moving out was no longer an option, and she still lives with her perpetrator. She would have needed more time in advance of education closures to figure this situation out.

Feelings in relation to the perpetrator

Feelings of safety in relation to the perpetrator differed between participants in this group during the pandemic.

For many children and young people, feelings of safety stayed the same. However, for some children and young people feelings of safety improved. One participant, for example, was furloughed from her weekend job during the pandemic. This meant that she stopped seeing her perpetrator who had visited her at the workplace and she felt safer. Some also stopped seeing their perpetrator – which often was their father – because supervised contacts were cancelled during the pandemic, making them feel safer. Most said that they did not mind missing out on supervised contacts.

Other children and young people said their feelings of safety had worsened during the pandemic – especially those living together with the perpetrator. For example, one young person's father (perpetrator) had lost his job, and she no longer knew when he would be at home. Many children and young people found it difficult that they were unable to leave the house and go anywhere in case of family tensions, feeling trapped and isolated. Always having to reach out to other people and being unable to meet with friends also made some young people feel more unsafe.

Many mothers with domestic abuse experiences said their feelings of safety in relation to the perpetrator did not change throughout lockdown. For some women, their feelings of safety improved. This was because supervised contacts with the perpetrator were cancelled during the pandemic. One woman stated that she decided to supervise contacts between her child and ex-partner (perpetrator). At first, this caused her anxiety, but more recently, it improved her relationship with her ex-partner. Two participants were able to leave a relationship and move to a different part of the country just before lockdown. This also increased the feelings of safety of their children because perpetrators no longer knew their address. Some participants appreciated that they would no longer run into their perpetrator in the neighbourhood or were able to not let the perpetrator into their house due to lockdown restrictions. One participant worried that this would change again with the ease of restrictions.

Some women said the pandemic had worsened their feelings of safety. This was often the case when women lived with the perpetrator. Some also said that perpetrators always knew their location due to lockdown regulations and would come to their house more often. Some mothers said that the pandemic had worsened the abusive behaviour of their perpetrators, for example, due to a lack of structure.

4.3 Children, young people, and parents who are asylum seeking and from minority ethnic backgrounds

The findings in this section relate to experiences of children, young people and parents who are asylum seeking and from minority ethnic backgrounds. Findings of focus groups with parents who are not asylum seeking but from minority ethnic backgrounds were the same as findings among all groups and have been integrated in section three.

School and childcare closures

Children and young people who are asylum seeking and/or from minority ethnic backgrounds faced the same challenges with regards to school and childcare closures and mental health as many others.

Home schooling was particularly challenging for most children and young people in this group with limited English language, or otherwise requiring additional support. Because of home schooling, they were unable to interact directly with teachers and receive immediate answers to their questions. It was challenging for them to understand what teachers were saying and to know what they had to do, making it difficult to understand their subject matters. They needed more help and would have appreciated support with remote learning from their teachers.

A major issue for some children and young people was the cut in support study in the afternoon during the pandemic. Support study had taken the form of personal support hours in the afternoon during which pupils can ask questions. There had been differences with regards to which schools offer support study prior to the pandemic. Those who had been offered support study described it as vital for understanding their subjects and exam preparation. Due to the cuts, many received insufficient support and most agreed that schools should provide supported study in the afternoon.

Some children and young people had difficulties understanding their teachers when they were wearing face masks. They would have preferred teachers wearing face shields.

"My modern studies teacher, he has a very thick Scottish accent, there is an accent barrier. When he didn't wear a face mask, I was able to read his lips and understand what he was going to say and what he meant. But now, with a facemask, I find it difficult to understand what he said."

(Young person who is asylum seeking and from minority ethnic backgrounds)

Furthermore, many participants could not improve their English skills further because of being at home with their family where they spoke their first language. Practising English was a key reason why children and young people wanted to go back to school and meet with their friends. They called for more support in this area – extra support for learning English beyond regular school classes would have helped.

Many parents perceived online learning as not effective and were looking forward to children going back to school. Most parents felt ill-prepared and were unable to support their children with online learning. Some parents did not speak English well enough to support their children. One participants' niece could not support her children in home schooling because she cannot write or read herself.

Digital access

Access to digital equipment or the internet was a key issue among participants in this group. Many families had remained without devices or a stable internet connection for several months before these problems were remedied. Not having digital access made home schooling difficult, and participants felt isolated. During or after the first lockdown, digital devices had often been provided by stakeholders as families did not have enough money to afford them. Overall, internet connections had been insufficient for online learning. Free, high-speed internet access would help.

Because of insufficient digital skills and the inability to open a bank account, some isolating families could not order food online and relied on food packages. It would have helped if asylum seekers could open a bank account. Some participants could not reach out for support or attend online health appointments. This was due to a lack of digital skills and language barriers, making it difficult to talk about health issues on the phone. Video calls instead of phone calls and face to face consultations with GPs would have helped.

Family life and getting out

Many families were afraid of catching Covid-19 and avoided going outside. None of the children in this group were getting outside every day and most were not going out to a park at least once a week due to parents' anxiety about overcrowding of parks. While spending time inside, parents tried to ensure their children did not make too much noise inside so their neighbours would not complain. Some families also lived far away from green spaces and parks, preventing them from visiting those regularly. Participants felt that cheaper public transport tickets for children and young people once lockdown eases would allow them to explore new areas.

Covid-19 and the asylum process

Overall, participants felt that the pandemic had delayed the asylum process, which led to increased stress, anxiety, and financial insecurity. This also affected the mental health of parents and their ability to support their children. Parents emphasised the need to speed up the process because not having the right to work was the biggest issue for them. The delayed asylum process also had an impact on their children – for example, they could not participate in school excursions. Being allowed to open a bank account at an earlier stage would help.

Covid-19 mitigation measures

Among participants in this group, there was a need for information on Covid-19 in community languages. Some children and young people translated information for their families, as information was only provided in English.

4.4 Young people in gypsy/traveller families

The gypsy/traveller element of this research consisted of interviews with two young people which were focused on their individual circumstances. Findings suggest many similar experiences as other young people participants, for example around mental health, peer relationships, family tensions and social media. One finding related to this particular group was that neither interviewee attended school prior to the pandemic.

One participant described having no form of formal or informal support with learning during the first lockdown. This changed throughout the second lockdown, where she received support through a third sector organisation. She was happy that she had moved from no home learning at all during the first lockdown to supported learning. Both young people found their digital access to be sufficient. They also understood the necessity of Covid-19 mitigation measures but expressed frustration about the length of these.

"I didn't mind staying at home at first, but it has been too long now."

(Young person who is in a gypsy/traveller family)

Throughout the pandemic, the two young people became increasingly bored and were upset that the pandemic impacted their plans for the future. Both participants had no problems with accessing support, but one participant suggested that online games about mental health would be helpful.

4.5 Young and single parents

Well-being and support

Many parents in this group felt very isolated during the pandemic and would have needed more support and company. Some participants were frustrated because they were confined to their home and childcare commitments, saying they did not have a life outside of being a parent. Most participants had no relief from childcare responsibilities during lockdown. This was especially the case for parents without families in the UK. Having a nursery spot for the child during the pandemic would have helped and provided relief.

Some participants found it confusing why only some nurseries offered spots for children. One participant had received a nursery spot for her child during the first, but not the second lockdown, which was challenging for her. Several single parents were worried about catching Covid-19 and leaving their children without a parent or carer.

Physical and mental health services

Young and single parents had similar experiences with physical and mental health services as many other participants with regards to access and the reduced availability of services. Two participants experienced long waiting hours for health service when their children were ill and had to use out of hours appointments and felt like they had not received medical support soon enough. One participant who was pregnant during the pandemic found it challenging that she could not take anyone with her to health appointments.

Some participants were anxious about mental health problems of their children but could not get access to therapies or other support. Many participants emphasised the need for more advertising for helplines and mental health support for children and parents. They suggested this should take the form of social media advertisements, posters and leaflets.

"I haven't felt like I have had a lot of help. We are on social media a lot due to lockdown, but there should have been more advertising for helplines and mental health advertisements. No leaflets to let you know where to go. […] I don't know where to start, and some adverts telling you where to go would have been much better."

(Young and single parent)

Combining parenthood and further education

Many parents attending college courses struggled in combining their parenting responsibilities and education during the pandemic. They had difficulties completing course work and were unable to focus on their educational development and career because of childcare commitments. This meant that they missed out on courses, took longer to finish their courses, and struggled in meeting deadlines. They said that while colleges acknowledged their childcare commitments, they were still expected to complete assignments according to deadlines. One participant mentioned being unhappy about having to neglect her child while doing important assessments. Another participant worried about additional night-time and weekend lessons after the pandemic to catch up, which she would not be able to attend due to childcare commitments.

Most parents attending college felt that they had not received sufficient support from nurseries during lockdown. Many had not received a nursery spot for their children but agreed that they should have been offered one. One participant who had received a nursery spot for her child noted that it did not always fit with her college schedule. Another participant stated that it was impossible to have a job and secure sufficient income while being a single parent. One participant was unable to take driving lessons because of the pandemic and childcare commitments. She explained that her theory test taken before lockdown would go out of date soon, meaning she will lose money, effort, and face a backlog in accessing driving lessons after the pandemic.

4.6 Parents in the perinatal period

Children's well-being

Many parents in this group worried about and described the negative impact of their very young children not meeting and interacting with others. This made children isolated and negatively impacted their socialisation and speech development. Speech also deteriorated for those in need of additional help who could not access speech therapists. Most parents found it difficult that children could not bond with extended family such as grandparents. Some children got shy and anxious around other people. Furthermore, some children became more emotional, sensitive, and whiny. More freedom for children to meet up with other children or family members and playgroup meetings outside would have helped.

Most parents in the perinatal period were able to spend more time with their children throughout the pandemic and valued this opportunity. At the same time, many children were never separated from their parents and found it difficult to stay with other adults once restrictions eased.

"My children cling to me and are more cautious of things…they need a lot of reassurance from me."

(Parent in the perinatal period)

It was challenging and intense for some parents to spend so much time with their child. Some participants also noted that young children – particularly toddlers – demanded more one-to-one attention throughout lockdown. This was difficult for parents with both a young child and new-born at home, as older children found it difficult to adapt to having a younger sibling at home all of the time. One parent said that being outside and playing a lot in the park had been good for the child's development.

Parents in the perinatal period experienced the same problems as others in the area of health services for children and mental health. There were difficulties in conducting virtual health check-ups with younger children. Some parents had received sufficient support through health professionals. However, many participants also described postponed health appointments, long waiting lists for services and a lack of support, contact and guidance from health visitors. This led to over-due and missed developmental check-ups for children. Overall, parents would have found more health appointments and support from health visitors, midwives and mental health support workers beneficial. One participant received insufficient support for her post-natal depression.

Mental and physical health of parents

Many parents in the perinatal period felt tired, stressed, and depressed throughout the pandemic. One father was very stressed with working from home and could not cope with the noise of the children. The mother could not go anywhere with the children, which caused stress and finally led to the breakdown of the relationship. Being unable to see their extended families increased parents' sense of isolation and worsened their mental health. Because of a lack of external childcare, some parents had to take their young children with them to shops, resulting in additional anxiety and risks of infecting the child.

Most participants had been worried about being a new parent during their pregnancy and many were concerned about the impact of these worries on their then unborn children. With the closure of support groups, many parents did not get as much reassurance and interaction with other parents, leading to increased anxiety during pregnancy and after birth. More opportunities to meet with other families outside would have helped. Some parents described less social pressure to engage in social groups and activities with children and appreciated the lack of unannounced visitors at their homes. However, they also felt their children missed out on important activities. For some, it was positive that they could care less about their appearance.

Experiences of partners

Many fathers did not feel treated equally by health professionals – which was difficult for both fathers and mothers. Fathers felt excluded and left out prior and during the birth, but did not want to burden their partners with their negative feelings. One father, who was the main carer, felt ignored by their health visitor. Overall, fathers emphasised the need for support groups specifically for fathers and were surprised health visitors had not drawn their attention to these. Some parents were unhappy that fathers were classified as visitors in hospitals. Having designated spaces in hospitals for families to bond would have helped.

Views on Covid-19 mitigation measures

Covid-19 mitigation measures in hospitals were difficult for many participants. Not being allowed to bring another person to health appointments made several participants anxious and gave their partners the feeling of being left out. It was overwhelming for mothers to go alone to scans, and they would have liked support to process new information. One participant was on her own when she was told that her baby had no heartbeat, which led to increased anxiety in her subsequent pregnancy. A participant staying in hospital after giving birth was not allowed to be visited by her partner, which she found very stressful. Being allowed to smoke a cigarette outside during this stay would have helped her. One participant paid for a private scan so her partner could accompany her, and another participant organised a home birth so her partner could be with her. Those who could bring along partners to their birth were very happy about this.

Uncertainty about Covid-19 mitigation measures in hospitals increased anxiety among many parents. It would have helped to have more knowledge of this in advance. One couple had to wait twelve hours for their Covid test results until they could see their baby again, which they found traumatic. Many parents were hoping for looser restrictions for children in the future. Some parents also said that during the second lockdown, they did what they feel is best for their child while still following the rules.

Future plans

For some parents, the pandemic did not change their future career plans and prospects. Others were pessimistic about finding a job because of childcare commitments or found it difficult to combine higher education with childcare commitments. Some parents were keen on engaging in activities with their children once everything would ease, such as getting children swimming and to new places.