Gino Kenny warns of COVID legacy for children and mental health

Thanks and thanks for all our witnesses today and it does sombre kind of listening to them facts in relation to the impact of COVID-19 on children and even though you know children probably were spared the kind of the worst ravages of the illness of this pandemic in relation to mortality and sickness and they weren't spared in relation to the disruption in relation to their lives because it has a huge impact on relation to children and I can only imagine what kind of fear there was in relation to when the pandemic kind of the onset of the pandemic because I know most adults would have been very kind of you know when they heard what was coming there must have been a kind of a fear factor and obviously that has seeped down to a lot of children and has disrupted their lives in some ways so there is obviously a legacy in relation to the pandemic and what it has done to children and obviously it is important to address them issues as quickly as possible so just what legacy issues in practical terms can both agencies do in relation to the disruption that the pandemic has caused particularly for children? I suppose the short answer is we don't really know but we are starting to see them you know the basis of our intervention within Childline and the ISPCC is helping children to build resilience so that they can cope with these adverse childhood events and we know from there is lots of research to show that you know everybody will encounter adverse childhood events and this is certainly a significant events and this is certainly a significant event as we see the data is there you can see from my colleagues and Bernardos and within Childline that the anxiety levels and tensions were through the roof I mean that was the first the first indication we got was literally I think it was the 27th of March I think that was when the real lockdown happened and from then on we saw a 30% increase in our calls to Childline and a lot of that at that stage was about fear about the fear of getting the virus but the fear of my loved ones my grandmother getting it so that that was you know how that were there were the initial calls that we got from Childline as we went on I think people began to realise this isn't just a few months or this isn't just time off school which is great isn't it this is actually going on for a lot longer and and you know the announcements yesterday it looks like it's going to go on for a little bit longer as well in terms of some restrictions um and and I suppose from our perspective if we we our hope is that it highlights the need to at least match um mental health services and the investment that we do have on the physical health services side and that's significantly undervalued if you look at um the who recommendations um they're recommending 12 to 14 percent should be invested we currently at at uh five percent so I think we're way off in terms of um our supports for young children if you look at the the waiting lists on cams are unacceptable I think if anything we really need to act very very quickly and start looking after the children and young people because these adverse childhood events will impact society later in life thanks um Susan yes I suppose what I would say first of all is is I think as adults um both as parents and yourselves as you know elected representatives and all the professions I think we need to do all we can to to to to let children know that we are there for them and that we we can support them and in their anxiety and also enable them to think positively about their future I think the the reopening of schools was crucial and key I think we now need to ensure that children can thrive in schools that they they go to school they stay in school and they can develop to their potential and that's what that's why I was so so pleased that that actually happened because I think when they closed it had a massive impact on their well-being as well as the other activities um I also think that as John has said I think we do need a variety of services I think we need both the generic universal services which is which say that a degree of anxiety is normal a degree of worry is normal degree of stress is normal however when that stress really begins to interfere with your everyday life and your capacity that services are available and that needs to be across a continuum from the services such as such as child lines which is the service that we provide in in communities and homes and also then as John's alluded to the more specialist calm services when children really do need need need particular types of attention because of the level of anxiety or because they've got disorders potential disorders such as obsessive compulsive or there is suicide ideation so I don't know whether Laura whether you want to add anything or not absolutely just to echo everything that you've just said there Suzanne and I think to answer your your specific question Gino in terms of um what can we do to counter the the impacts the legacy uh that that is there post-covid for the children and families that Bernardo's are working with I suppose one of the key ways I think we can support children into the future is by creating that sense of belonging and connectedness for them and we do that primarily in our work on the ground in Bernardo's by supporting parents to have a better understanding of their child's needs better insight into their emotional world and what's going on for them building up their skills to be able to support their children in their overall development improving parents child relationships and communication so I think a key way you know in terms of my work on the grounds to support children post-covid is by supporting their parents to be better able to be that front line of support to them and I suppose the other key piece of work that we're doing at the moment is working with children on a one-to-one in relation to building their resilience as John has mentioned developing their capacity to cope with stress understand what stress does to their body helping them to calm themselves and re-engage with those really critical opportunities uh like education and hobbies and and social networks so I suppose just to add on from a very practical perspective on the ground our our direct work with parents and children uh is helping them to develop those skills to kind of mitigate the the impact of what they've been through thanks Laura and obviously John has alluded to services in relation to intervention particularly around cams and we all know the very very very long uh waiting times for intervention um and obviously early intervention is is crucial in relation to uh children's kind of well-being um just my final question is in relation to and I know we spoke about it just a few minutes ago um and obviously the first kind of port of call for children is their parents or whatever circumstances that family model is um what advice would you have uh in relation to uh you know children obviously it doesn't look at does we anxiety is I suppose it's a fact of life and it's how you deal with and uh in the last I think particularly in the last 18 months that has manifested in all sorts of ways all sorts of children um it is probably some children may have kind of inverted that uh they may have that they've never had done before but in relation to parents and siblings and they're kind of their family group because obviously the pandemic done a number of things but it I think it brought people closer not only in communities but also families uh which is very very important and that kind of went a number of ways as well uh just in relation to you know speaking to your children um how what in some ways what's the best way to engage uh particularly around certain kind of anxieties that children would have having uh kind of during the pandemic and post the pandemic john do you like yeah I think first of all it has to be acknowledged that the vast majority of children young people were absolutely amazing during this covid period I mean they they showed incredible resilience and got back to school got back to school sports however the numbers we've both presented here today showed that there's a worrying amount that have been left behind um our philosophy of resilience building does involve the parents I mean naturally the nature of child line it's a confidential service so we get the children contacting us and they're at the center of our service and very often the issue is about how to communicate with the parent they're not my you know my parents not listening to me I don't know how to talk to my siblings so you know the services we provide help children do that but we've also as I know bernardo's have done as well we've also introduced a parent hub in recognition that the parent is a significant part of this as well and you know we're moving more of our services toward early intervention and prevention and you know the one bit of advice we would give to to to parents is continue to talk talking is very very good talking is is makes you stronger and I think people are probably better than it than certainly when I was a young fella you know and I think that's a very good thing but I think it's it's not a sign of weakness parents should talk from a very very early age and make that brave move and and start it very very early also talk to teachers talk to coaches because teachers and coaches very often are the are the ones that recognize signs and would come to you on the sideline um and just say listen I just noticed something about johnny has been a bit quieter and talking talking talking is is very important and listening thanks thanks john suzanne yeah I mean Laura may want to come in this too I just quick thing to say is what children have told us as well as they really want their parents to look after their own wealth mental well-being and and be kind to themselves and manage their lives because if parents are okay then children are able to feel they can be supported they don't have to worry about their parents so that would be something I'd like to just put into the mix there Laura you might want to add yeah I was going to make that exact point I suppose in terms of how parents can best respond to their children's mental health needs and their children's anxiety is absolutely minding their own first and I suppose that notion of putting on your own oxygen oxygen mask before you put on anyone else's and I suppose that sense of parents learning ways to manage their own stressors and anxieties to to remain calm and I suppose focus themselves is the front the first kind of step really in terms of responding adequately to their children's needs and beyond that it's absolutely what john and suzanne have mentioned talking open communication within the home and that started from the very early years of a child's life that sense of you can you can come and talk to me about anything and I suppose not just the talking and kind of open communication but shared joy and fun as well between parents and children really really important that there's that sense of safety and nurture and and fun and joy at home and and the third piece I suppose as john has mentioned is that that talking about your child's experience extending out into the other spheres that they're part of you know their school life their friendships their community involvement and making sure that there's a sense of how they're doing in all of those areas and I suppose those would be the three layers really as I would see it in terms of how a parent can best support their child's mental health thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks Gina do you know have you I think that's it Francis and thanks again for um both organizations coming in and I think it's uh it's very insightful and kind of um informative in relation to uh the kind of the impact on and children and as I said it's uh it's been a very very very difficult time for everybody uh but hopefully you know we're kind of coming to the conclusion somewhat in relation to this the the terrible ravages of this pandemic so thanks again for all your work thanks thank you thank you