On Sunday 9 March 2025, the UK will hold a Day of Reflection for the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Day of Reflection marks five years since the outbreak of the pandemic, which impacted all of us in many different ways.
For our teams at NCB, it’s an opportunity to reflect on our work during and following this period of immense uncertainty, loss and change to provide evidence-informed research and insights for practitioners, policymakers and families.
Here is a selection of that work from across the NCB family…
REPORTS:
Insights into the impact of COVID-19 on children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in Northern Ireland
A report based on interviews and focus groups conducted with disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs as well as families and practitioners aimed at understanding and tracking experiences through the pandemic.
Pupil attainment, wellbeing and teacher practices during the pandemic: Findings from an evidence and gap map
We contributed to a Department of Education-funded review of the evidence related to the impact of the pandemic and the associated interruption in schooling on teacher and pupil outcomes in the UK and Ireland.
POLICY INFLUENCING:
We led the sector on calls to prioritise children during pandemic and created a set of principles and cross-government actions on a child-centred recovery and we were at the heart of some major campaigning moments, including the Build Back Childhood campaign.
A VISION FOR RECOVERY:
We have a page dedicated to NCB resources that outline a vision for recovery in different areas affecting the lives of children and young people.
DELIVERING COVID RECOVERY SUPPORT:
NCB is the Department for Education (DfE)'s delivery partner for the Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs programme, which launched in November 2022 and is part of the DfE's early years education recovery support package, which was introduced to to support education recovery since the pandemic.
Visit the Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs website
REPORT:
Bullying and the Pandemic: a picture of how bullying has changed during COVID-19
A review of a survey - conducted in February 2021 - of pupils, school staff, parents and carers about bullying and relationships with friends during the lockdown.
GUIDANCE:
Keeping in touch when someone is seriously ill
Guidance for family members and friends who were separated from someone seriously ill in hospital, on ways of feeling close.
REPORTS:
COVID-19: the response of voluntary sector bereavement services
Report on the response of voluntary sector bereavement support services to the pandemic.
Bereavement is everyone's business
We co-led the independent UK Commission on Bereavement in response to the issues raised by the pandemic.
AWARDS:
We were on the advisory group for and closely involved with the national COVID-19 bereavement study, which was shortlisted for the 2023 ESRC impact prize.
Support needs and barriers to accessing support: Baseline results of a mixed-methods national survey of people bereaved during the COVID-19 pandemic.
REPORTS:
Lessons Learnt From Lockdown: The highs and lows of the pandemic's impact on disabled children and young people
Over 600 disabled children and young people and children and young people with special educational needs, 128 parents and 110 professionals contributed their views and experiences to this report, exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their lives.
Policy and practice recommendations for services for disabled children during emergencies: Learning from COVID-19
Director of the Council for Disabled Children Amanda Allard contributed to this report, which sought consensus on recommendations for the delivery of services to disabled children in England during future emergencies.
ENABLING PEER SUPPORT:
We used our online Designated Clinical Officers email forum for peer support and ideas sharing as their roles and responsibilities shifted and some were redeployed during the pandemic.
REPORTS:
LEAP’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
A summary of LEAP's actions taken to support families in Lambeth during the the first year of the pandemic.
COVID-19: Insights from the Lambeth Early Action Partnership (LEAP)
A mixed-methods study exploring how the pandemic changed the needs and experiences of LEAP families, the reach of LEAP and other services, and how services adapted their provision in light of the pandemic.
STRATEGIC BRIEFINGS:
Learning from COVID-19 – strengthening partnerships in adult social care policy and practice: Strategic Briefing (2022)
Exploring opportunities arising from emerging legislation and guidance on Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) to accelerate collaborative working at the level of system and ‘place’
COVID-19: Inequalities and the implications for children’s social care: Leaders' Briefing (2021)
An overview of the contours of the pandemic and its impacts in key areas which explores the implications for children’s social care.
EVALUATION REPORT:
Impact of COVID-19 on care and contact: Experiences in the first COVID-19 lockdown on foster carers and young people in their care – Evaluation Report (2020)
Summarising the findings of surveys exploring the impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown on young people in and leaving care, carers and birth parents.
GUIDANCE:
Social work and child protection beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: Key challenges and good practice
A report exploring how the pandemic affected child protection and the implications for future effective practice.
RESOURCES:
Parent-infant contact in the pandemic
Resources shared by practice leaders across the Research in Practice network, including shared risk assessment and guidance documents and two podcast interviews.
PRACTICE TOOLS:
Team as a secure base model in online and hybrid spaces
Reflecting on changes to practitioners' ways of working post the pandemic, considering how the team as secure base model can be implemented in online and hybrid settings.
Digital by default? Thinking about technologies, practice, and professional development in social work
A tool designed to help consideration of the relationship between technology, digitalisation and social work.