Life changed for us all in 2020 when the Covid pandemic struck and Orkney was plunged into lockdown. The babies who were born during that period started school this week.
For young people, lockdown meant they were unable to attend school, had lessons on line, and with parents trying their best to support their learning. It wasn’t possible to meet up with friends at clubs and sports activities.
More than 2,000 of those young voices have contributed insights about their experiences during the pandemic and the lessons they think should be learned. Their experiences have been captured by Scotland’s Covid Inquiry as part of the inquiry’s ‘Let’s Be Heard’ public participation project.
The independent Scottish Covid Inquiry is examining how the response to the pandemic was handled in Scotland between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2022. It will establish the facts, identify lessons to be learned and make recommendations to Scottish Ministers, so Scotland is better prepared in future.
Click on this link to access, Voices of Children and Young People: Experiences Shared with Let’s Be Heard – A Case Study
The key feature in the responses from children and young people was the effect lockdown measures and its aftermath had on mental health and wellbeing. Some found working from home challenging, and this depended on the parental and digital support that was available.
It was an anxious and deeply worrying time for those who had parents working in the frontline, delivering health and care services, because those workers were so exposed, especially at the start of the pandemic, to infection. Then there were those coping with bereavement of family members and unable to join together in their shared grief at funerals.
The Covid Inquiry is determined that what should come out of this is an improved response to another pandemic. Children and young people felt that if the decision was taken to close schools then there should be better and more engaging online lessons. That there should be specific support for those with additional support needs, and those in P7 preparing to move to secondary school. A key transition in a young person’s educational journey.
There needs to be wider access to hub schools for children and young people from challenging domestic situations including young carers, those living with relatives who were shielding, and those living with parents who were key workers.
Mental Health support should be better signposted for where to get help from, and there requires to be shorter waiting times.
You can download an illustrated version of the Executive Summary of the Children and Young People’s Voices Here:
The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Scotland on 1 March 2020. On 20 March 2020, schools were told to close, along with pubs, cafes and cinemas. On 23 March 2020, a ‘Stay at Home’ order was announced across the whole of the UK.
Graph of Deaths Involving Covid in Scotland
Before a vaccine was found and a programme of widescale vaccination commenced the deadly effects of the virus was killing or leaving sufferers from it with lifelong health conditions. In the UK as a whole there have been 232,112 Covid deaths up to 26 January 2025.
Under resourced and overworked workers in the Health and Care Sector, struggled through the pandemic, a service to their communities which should never be forgotten or diminished.
Both Scotland and rUK was not adequately prepared for a pandemic despite warnings that they needed to be. It is essential that we learn from the mistakes made and that those who profiteered from selling dodgy medical supplies are held to account. The Scottish Covid Inquiry is giving a voice to those that were deeply impacted by the pandemic an important step in the recovery process.
Fiona Grahame
