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

New and forthcoming studies

New children and young people COVID-19 research 

Scottish Research

The Children's Parliament will run its final COVID-19 survey for 8-14 year olds in September. The survey looks at changes in wellbeing across a number of domains including learning and activities; access to information, expressing opinions and experiencing rights; health; and family and friends. 

The Children's Parliament is also conducting  some qualitative research in September with younger children (age 3-7) and their parents about their experiences of the pandemic and feelings about being back at nursery/school. 

Young Scot/Children's Parliament/YouthLink will run a further two waves of the Lockdown Lowdown survey. Timescales are still to be confirmed but it is likely that wave 2 will go live at the end of September with reporting in December, and wave 3 will go live in the new year. 

Community in Action project to look at lessons learned The ALLIANCE has outlined plans to look at the learning from case studies it has published on third sector responses to COVID-19. The Community in Action initiative will look at actions taken during the crisis, organisations' vision for the future and the challenges that will be faced in realising these visions.

Forthcoming UK research

CONTRAST Study (University of Birmingham) - short and long term impacts of COVID-19 on older children's health-related behaviours, learning and wellbeing study. This study aims to explore the short-term impacts of the COVID-19 (lockdown) restrictions on learning, eating behaviours, sleep, physical and other activities, and wellbeing in children aged 11-15 years. It will explore differences in the impacts according to gender, ethnicity and family affluence.  The study will also follow up children once they are back at school in order to explore the longer-term effects of the COVID-19 restrictions.  It involves an open online survey for children. 

#Covid under 19 – Life Under Coronavirus Survey

A coaliation of international NGOs led by Terres des Hommes, the UN Secretary General on Violence against children and  the Centre for Children's Rights at Queen's University Belfast has run an international survey  of children aged 8-17 years old about how their rights have been impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic (survey closed 2 Aug). This includes asking about children's right to health care, education, play, to be safe and to have their views taken seriously. The survey was available in 27 languages, including easy read English.  The 'Life Under Coronavirus' survey adopts a child rights-based approach in order to understand how children are experiencing this moment in time.  Findings have not yet been published. 

New research with children and families with vulnerabilities

Young Scot/Children's Parliament/YouthLink will carry out a series of focus groups with young carers, BME young people, disabled young people, young people with experience of custody and/or the criminal justice system and care experienced young people to explore their experiences and needs in more detail. These focus groups will be carried out and reported alongside wave 2 of the lockdown Lowdown survey. Timescales are TBC but focus groups are likely to be in October with reporting in December. 

CSO-funded projects - The Scottish-led rapid COVID-19 studies funded by the CSO are due to complete in October/November. These include projects relating to the wellbeing and mental health of vulnerable children and young people and low income single parent families (see June Briefing for full list of relevant projects).

University of Southampton and University of York's SHARE Study - It involves a series of surveys for parents with children with a serious health condition who may feel particularly vulnerable during the COVID-19 outbreak.  These include surveys for children and young people with cancer, kidney conditions, heart conditions, allergies, hydrocephalus, cystic fibrosis and life-limiting conditions.   The surveys aim to assess the needs of children and young people with a serious condition and their parents, during the COVID-19 outbreak.