Every Story Matters: Children and Young People – In Brief

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry is an independent public inquiry examining the response to, and impact of, the Covid-19 pandemic to learn lessons for the future. The Inquiry is divided into separate investigations, known as modules. Each module is focused on a different topic, with its own public hearings. Following the hearings, a module report is published, which contains findings based on all of the evidence and the Chair’s recommendations for the future.

ਹਰ ਕਹਾਣੀ ਦੇ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਪੁੱਛਗਿੱਛ ਦੇ ਕੰਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਫਿੱਟ ਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਨ

This summary relates to the Every Story Matters record for Module 8, which examines the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children and young people. 

The record brings together people’s experiences shared with us:

• 'ਤੇ ਆਨਲਾਈਨ everystorymatters.co.uk;
• ਯੂਕੇ ਭਰ ਦੇ ਕਸਬਿਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ਹਿਰਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਡਰਾਪ-ਇਨ ਸਮਾਗਮਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਿਅਕਤੀਗਤ ਤੌਰ 'ਤੇ; ਅਤੇ
• ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੇ ਖਾਸ ਸਮੂਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨਾ ਖੋਜ ਦੁਆਰਾ।

Stories are analysed and used in module-specific records. These records are entered into evidence for the relevant module.  

Every Story Matters is neither a survey nor a comparative exercise. It cannot be  representative of the entire experience of the UK, and nor was it designed to be. Its value lies in hearing a range of experiences, in capturing the themes that have been shared with us, quoting people’s stories in their own words and, crucially, in ensuring people’s experiences are part of the Inquiry’s public record.

Themes included in this document include references to death, near-death experiences, abuse, sexual exploitation, coercion, neglect and significant physical and psychological harm. These may be distressing to read. If so, readers are encouraged to seek help from colleagues, friends, family, support groups or healthcare professionals where necessary. A list of supportive services is provided on the ਯੂਕੇ ਕੋਵਿਡ-19 ਇਨਕੁਆਰੀ ਵੈੱਬਸਾਈਟ.

The experiences shared in this record were not provided by children or young people under 18. Instead they were shared by parents/carers or professionals caring for or working with children and young people, as well as young people aged between 18 and 25 about their experiences during the pandemic.

Home and family relationships

• We heard that some families experienced strengthened relationships as they spent more quality time together, including taking walks and playing games.
• However, we heard how some children missed out on extra quality time with their parents because of parents’ work pressures.
• Lockdowns and spending more time at home meant that some children and young people took on new responsibilities like cooking and caring for younger siblings to help their parents. 
• Young carers were deeply impacted by the loss of essential support services and respite that school provided.
• Professionals described how many young carers were catapulted into 24/7 caring duties and having to provide support for their younger siblings including managing their learning at home.  
• Children whose parents were separated faced long periods apart from a parent and sometimes siblings.
• Parents told us how contact with grandparents was limited, affecting children’s sense of connection to their extended family. 
• Children in care who had face-to-face contact with birth families before the pandemic had visits abruptly replaced by video calls.
• We heard of increased instances of some children and young people being subjected to domestic abuse in their homes during this period.

ਸਮਾਜਿਕ ਸੰਪਰਕ ਅਤੇ ਕਨੈਕਸ਼ਨ 

• Parents and young people recollected how lockdowns and restrictions reducing in-person interactions left many feeling lonely and isolated.
• We heard that more time spent online increased risks of bullying and harm, particularly for vulnerable children, whilst some children and young people experienced respite from in-person bullying during lockdowns. 
• Professionals expressed that more time online increased children’s risks of exploitation, grooming and exposure to explicit content.
• We heard how children moving to new foster families often found restrictions isolating, hindering their ability to build new connections and friendships.

ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਅਤੇ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ

• Parents told us how approaches to learning from home varied greatly among schools, with some making an immediate switch to online learning whilst others sent paper copies of work for children to complete at home.
• Many students faced challenges due to lack of technology or internet access. Schools and communities helped to support families but some still struggled.
• Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) faced additional challenges with remote learning – not having the familiarity of routine and the specialist support their teaching assistant offered. 
• When schools reopened, we heard how younger children and those with SEND struggled to adapt to restrictions including wearing masks and social distancing.
• Parents and professionals told us that transitions to school and university were difficult; lack of familiarisation activities prompted anxiety.
• A number of professionals described widespread impacts on children’s learning and development across all age groups, with some starting school not toilet trained or presenting with speech and language delays.

ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਮਦਦ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰਨਾ

• ਅਸੀਂ ਸੁਣਿਆ ਕਿ ਕਿਵੇਂ healthcare access for children and young people was disrupted. This led to prolonged waiting times and missed routine check-ups. 
• Parents described how they struggled to access healthcare, mental health support and services or a diagnosis for children with SEND. 
• Many services moved online and to remote consultations, with parents reporting that they did not offer the same quality of care and diagnosis as in person.
• ਕੁਝ children faced delays in the diagnosis of serious conditions like asthma, diabetes, and cancer, profoundly affecting children and their families.
• Parents and professionals said surging demand for mental health support and remote consultations limited access. 
• Contributors thought healthcare inequalities worsened during the pandemic for all children and young people, including the additional challenges some trans young people faced trying to access healthcare relevant or appropriate for their needs.
• Access to social care professionals also changed for young people, with restrictions limiting home visits and private conversations. 
• Social care professionals believed that the opportunity to disclose issues such as abuse and neglect was more difficult for children and young people.
• The disruption to both healthcare and social services left many children and young people with a sense of distrust with professional systems designed to protect them.

ਭਾਵਨਾਤਮਕ ਤੰਦਰੁਸਤੀ ਅਤੇ ਵਿਕਾਸ

• Professionals and parents shared that many children and young people experienced higher levels of anxiety with their anxiety presenting in various ways, including school refusal and extreme issues with food. 
• Parents and teachers highlighted how the disruption of routines was especially challenging for neurodivergent children’s emotional wellbeing.
• Some children were extremely worried about Covid-19, future pandemics, and death. Professionals and parents shared how some children were obsessive about handwashing, including washing so much their hands bled.
• Social care professionals recounted how children in the criminal justice system experienced anxiety due to court delays caused by the pandemic, especially those facing potential transfer to adult courts at 18, increasing their uncertainty.
• Some parents and professionals spoke of children and young people experiencing low mood during the pandemic. This was typically related to loneliness and isolation, fears of having missed out and a lack of hope for the future.
• There were also some reports of suicidal thoughts and ideation. Tragically we also heard how some children and young people took their own lives.

ਸੋਗ

• Parents and young people told us how pandemic bereavement was incredibly difficult, as visiting restrictions and funeral limitations disrupted experiences of grieving and usual death and funeral practices.
• This often led to increased feelings of anxiety and emotional distress, with some left holding difficult feelings around death that they hadn’t been able to process.
• Social care professionals shared how the death of a parent or close relative was especially challenging for children in care including those living in residential care, many of whom had not seen their loved ones due to pandemic restrictions. Dealing with grief in the context of living in care often led to emotional issues like attachment insecurity, abandonment, depression, anxiety, and behavioural problems. 
• ਸੋਗ support services were said to be inconsistent or inaccessible, leaving many children and young people without the support they needed to process death and navigate their grief.

ਸਿਹਤ ਅਤੇ ਤੰਦਰੁਸਤੀ

• Parents and professionals told us that the pandemic had substantial impacts on children and young people’s physical wellbeing. 
• They noted that lockdowns reduced children’s physical activity, widening health inequalities. Lack of access to outdoor spaces led to increased sedentary behaviour such as more time spent in front of screens. This was particularly true for asylum-seeking families in hotels who couldn’t access common areas.
• In contrast, some children and young people were able to remain physically active by accessing activity-based clubs online or taking walks with families.
• Some children enjoyed home-cooked meals during the pandemic, while others faced increased food poverty.
• The experience of infant feeding changed with some parents struggling due to lack of access to post-natal support and difficulty in buying baby formula. Other mothers benefited from additional time at home to breastfeed.
• ਅਸੀਂ ਸੁਣਿਆ ਕਿ ਕਿਵੇਂ children and young people’s sleep patterns were disrupted as routines shifted and screen time increased.
• Limited access to dental care led to dental issues such as decay, resulting in some children losing teeth.
• Health professionals reported that vaccination rates decreased, which was believed to have led to an increase of preventable diseases.

ਵਾਇਰਸ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਦੀਆਂ ਸਥਿਤੀਆਂ ਕੋਵਿਡ ਨਾਲ ਜੁੜੀਆਂ ਹੋਈਆਂ ਹਨ 

• We heard how the pandemic has led to an increase in post-viral conditions affecting children and young people, such as Kawasaki disease, PIMS, ਅਤੇ ਲੌਂਗ ਕੋਵਿਡ. 
• These conditions have deeply impacted their physical and emotional wellbeing, often in life-changing ways. 
• Parents shared their distress and frustration, explaining how misdiagnosis and a lack of understanding from healthcare professionals have made these challenges even harder for their children and families.

Lessons shared with the Inquiry

• Many contributors thought it was important that more should be done to prioritise children’s needs to limit long-lasting impacts on their health, wellbeing, and development in future pandemics.
• We heard that it was important to keep schools and other services open as much as possible and how education settings could be better prepared for future pandemics, by having the right technology, training, staff and support for pupils to transition to remote learning.
• Many professionals emphasised the importance of continuing to offer access to services and support in-person.
• Parents and professionals want better support for vulnerable children in future pandemics, again emphasising the importance of in-person contact. 
• We were told that more attention should be paid to children with SEND, children in care and in the criminal justice system in future pandemics.