Barnardos: 'Children have lost their sparkle'

Nearly 30% of Barnardos' staff surveyed said they believe that 'many or all' of the young people they work with are at an increased risk of disengaging with the school system. Picture: Patrick Bolger

Nearly 30% of Barnardos' staff say most or all children they work with have not been able to engage "whatsoever" with remote learning, with many teenagers finding it “very difficult to get out of bed or engage in any online learning”. 

That's according to a new report from the children's charity, which surveyed more than 100 of its staff members who provide support to children.

Nearly 30% of staff surveyed said they believe “many or all” of the young people they work with are at an increased risk of disengaging with the school system.

Barnardos chief executive Suzanne Connolly said remote learning had "further alienated” many children, adding that school is not only where children learn in person, "it is somewhere they can escape to”.

“Recovery plans need to recognise that while supports need to be in place to make up for lost learning and supporting children’s social and developmental wellbeing, they must also reach out to vulnerable children and young people who may already have fallen outside the school network where many of these programmes would traditionally be rolled out through."

Barnardos experienced a 21% increase in referrals to intensive family support services in 2020 with one respondent saying it has felt like they "are ‘holding’ families together”.

More than 30% of staff surveyed reported that many or all families they work with have experienced difficulties in providing for basic needs including heating, food and items such as nappies during the pandemic.

Barnardos chief executive Suzanne Connolly said remote learning has 'further alienated' many children. Picture: Patrick Bolger

“The economic impact of this pandemic has been huge for families, especially those who were just getting by,” Ms Connolly said. 

The survey also highlighted staff's concerns about the effect the pandemic is and will have on children's mental health.

Nearly a quarter of Barndaros' staff reported that due to the impact of Covid-19 and restrictions, "most or all" children they were working with were experiencing "new or increased" occurrence of mental health issues.

Over a third (35%) said “most or all” children who are engaged with services are experiencing "higher levels of anxiety" with one project worker noting children are feeling “very disconnected and anxious".

Nearly one in three respondents felt that all, or many, of the children they worked with were showing signs of withdrawing from their everyday lives.

"The children and young people I work with have gone quiet, they've lost their sparkle," one respondent said.