Cordis Bright has produced three thematic practice briefs about supporting different groups of young people during COVID-19. They are based on data gathered by practitioners who worked with children and families as part of the Barnardo’s led See, Hear, Respond (SHR) programme, which Cordis Bright has evaluated. SHR was a national programme, funded by the Department for Education and delivered by a network of VCS organisations led by Barnardo’s, that provided support to children and families who have been adversely impacted by COVID-19.

The thematic practice briefs are based on open-text case data completed by practitioners at the end of support, which were analysed by Cordis Bright using a combination of in-depth thematic analysis and Big Qualitative Data Analysis software. Each brief presents:

• Good practice principles for supporting children and young people.
• Types of need experienced by children and young people.
• Examples of support provided by SHR.
• Outcomes achieved by SHR for children and young people.

The three thematic briefs focus on working with:

• Children and young people with Special Education Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) to reintegrate into education. (Read the brief here.)
• Young carers with isolation and loneliness. (Read the brief here.)
• Children and young people from Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic or Refugee (BAMER) backgrounds with mental health and wellbeing. (Read the brief here.)

You can find out more about the evaluation of See, Hear, Respond here. You can also read a review of evidence about how the children’s sector workforce has experienced and responded to the challenges of COVID-19 here, also commissioned by Barnardo’s to accompany the evaluation of See, Hear, Respond.