Barnardo’s – Written Evidence (LOL0075)

1. Barnardo’s is the UK’s largest children’s charity supporting 358,800 children, young people, parents and carers across more than 800 services and partnerships throughout the UK. Services we run include counselling for children who have been abused, fostering and adoption services, vocational training and disability inclusion groups. Barnardo’s purpose is to transform the lives of the most vulnerable children.     

2. At Barnardo’s we believe that online wellbeing is vital to the health, happiness, and safety of all children and young people.  Technology and the internet help children to learn, express themselves, and keep in touch with friends and family. For the most vulnerable children, they can provide an invaluable source of support, allowing them to engage in the world in ways that would otherwise be unavailable to them. During COVID-19, the internet has been a lifeline for children and young people - providing access to education, to specialist support and to friends and family. However, lockdowns have also exacerbated inequalities and left children and young people without access to tech particularly disadvantaged.

3. It is also important to recognise that, just like the offline world, the online world can present risks to children and young people. Technology and the internet can expose them to harmful content, facilitate those who wish to harm them, or impact negatively on their mental health and wellbeing. This is why Barnardo's continues to call for legislation with the strictest possible penalties for online companies that fail to prevent online harms to children and for the adoption of safety-by-design approaches by the industry.

4. We will focus our response on those areas where we feel we have the most relevant experience and expertise, and will not answer all the questions posed by the Select Committee (a full list of the questions are available in Appendix 1).

Mental Health

5. Long-term trends towards increased reliance on digital technology have been escalated at speed due to COVID-19. Though over the last decade we have witnessed increased social media and technology use by children and young people, alongside an overall decline in children’s mental health and wellbeing, there is no conclusive evidence of a causal link between the two[1].

6. Research by Barnardo’s last year showed the ways in which social media and technology can impact both positively and negatively on children and young people’s mental health[2]. There is some evidence to suggest that heavy social media use is associated with poorer mental health[3]. 29.4% of children with a mental health condition were on social media for more than four hours on a typical school day (compared with 12% of daily users without a mental health condition)[4]. An online poll conducted for Barnardo’s last year also showed that the number of young teenagers who play outside, read books or get enough sleep has dropped sharply in comparison to teenagers from previous decades[5].

7. Social media and ‘living online’ have had a positive influence on young people’s lives, such as: increasing social connections; reducing social isolation and loneliness; accessing information and peer support networks; developing knowledge and learning through wider access to information; and enabling young people to develop an identity and express themselves freely and creatively. Last year, in a survey of Barnardo’s frontline workers, 84% said they were working with children aged 11 to 15 years old who were able to access advice and help for mental health and wellbeing online[6]. Barnardo’s See, Hear, Respond partnership has supported over 40,000 children and young people since it was launched in June and the top reason for referral has been child mental health and wellbeing. Online therapeutic support has been part of our offer to children, young people and families.

“Using social media when recovering from an eating disorder

helped me to feel not so alone. I learned from other people’s

experience and connected with people I couldn’t connect with in real life.”[7]

8. On the other hand, we also know that social media and technology can contribute towards poorer mental health outcomes for children and young people.  A Barnardo’s survey of frontline workers last year revealed that 79% were working with 11-15 year olds who had experienced cyberbullying and that this had impacted their mental health and wellbeing. We believe the Government should commission more research on the impact of social media and digital on children’s and young people’s mental health and well-being to help establish a solid evidence base. This research should specifically include the experience of vulnerable children and young people. 

“If you are in a bad mood or feeling low you can be

more attracted to a depression post on social media.”[8]

9. With COVID-19, we know that the nation’s children have been exposed to trauma, adversity and loss, which can lead to poor mental health outcomes. 81% of Barnardo’s frontline staff[9] reported supporting someone with increased mental health issues due to COVID-19, including anxiety, sleep dysregulation, stress, and depression. Barnardo’s also commissioned a survey of over 4,000 8-24 year olds which found that one in three had suffered additional mental health and wellbeing challenges during lockdown, including stress, loneliness and worry[10]. The Oxford Co-SPACE study also found that parents/carers of children aged 4-10 were reporting increases in their child’s emotional difficulties, such as feeling unhappy, worry or being clingy[11].

10. The role of technology and digital is important because we know the pandemic has exacerbated the impact of the digital divide, leaving children and young people without access to technology more vulnerable. For many children and young people, the internet and access to devices have been a lifeline - helping them to connect with friends and family, accessing education, continuing hobbies, or accessing formal support. These are key factors in promoting good mental health and wellbeing. Yet Teach First found that only 2% of teachers working in the most disadvantaged communities believe all their pupils have adequate access to devices for home learning[12]. This is likely to contribute to the fact that half of pupils at schools in the most deprived areas lost four months of learning or more during COVID-19, compared with just 15% in the least deprived areas[13].

11. COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation of mental health services - including those supporting children and young people with their mental health in order to continue to meet need during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. This has meant that many children and young people have been able to access the support they need remotely - as is the case with Emma above. Digital must continue to be an option for children and young people who prefer to engage in this way because of, for example, the flexibility or feeling of anonymity it provides.

“My CAMHS worker calls me around 3pm on a Monday for 20 minutes

each week too and we chat about how things have been with me and my family”[15]

12. However, we also know that remote support has not worked for all children and young people - particularly when young people are in crisis or do not have an existing relationship with the professional. Some children and young people told us they found using telephone or video conferencing services anxiety-inducing and preferred to access mental health support face-to-face with someone they trust[16]. We cannot adopt a ‘one size fits all’ approach - we need to be providing a blended offer to children and young people which includes both face-to-face and digital, providing choice to children about how they access support.

13. Some children and young people may also be less able to access remote support. At Barnardo’s we are concerned about the impact of digital exclusion and we partnered with Vodafone to supply 1,500 devices to children and young people.  Examples of how these devices have supported children and young people include: keeping young people connected with their project worker, accessing school work, finding out about college or university courses, applying for jobs or volunteering, interacting with friends or family and reconnecting with support networks after fleeing domestic abuse.

14. It is important to acknowledge too that some groups of children and young people may find it more difficult to access remote support, whether this is education or mental health support for example, such as those with a learning disability or younger children.

15. At Barnardo’s, we want to see the pandemic act as a catalyst for transformational change in mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people - harnessing the power of digital, but ensuring it is part of a blended approach co-produced with children and young people themselves. We want to see long term, sustainable funding for the redesign of local support for children, young people and families’ mental health and wellbeing, which prioritises innovative partnership working, intervenes early, provides choice around digital and face-to-face support, and co-produces solutions with children and young people.

Social Interaction

16. Reduced social contact has consistently been one of the biggest concerns of our frontline workers when asked about the impact of COVID-19 on the children and young people they work with. In our latest survey, 83% of frontline workers told us that children, young people and families they work with are concerned about ‘reduced social contact’ as a result of COVID-19[17].

17. Young people who undertook peer research in partnership with Barnardo’s during lockdown this year also found that reduced social contact was a key issue, leading to boredom, isolation and loneliness.

“The most prevalent trend [of research carried out by young people in Bristol] was that of struggling to cope with the reduction in social contact. 63% of the answers stated this and shows that no amount of phone calls or video chats can replace truly connecting and being with another person. The most powerful quote in this section was simply ‘I miss my friends’.”[18]

18. In many circumstances social media and access to digital can be beneficial in reducing isolation and loneliness among children and young people. Children can, for example, use social media to create new connections and to keep in touch with friends that do not live in the same area. Through creating and maintaining real world connections online, children and young people can expand their ‘social capital’ and therefore reduce loneliness[19]. Technology has also enabled children, young people and families to stay connected during the pandemic and get involved in peer support or community groups. Young people have told us that peer support and advocacy groups they accessed remotely during lockdown were a significant source of support. These not only connected them into their peers and support workers, but also gave them opportunities to engage in meaningful activities, giving them a sense of purpose and of making a positive contribution to their local community[20]. These are good examples of therapeutic interventions that support children and young people with their mental health and wellbeing, and which can operate in person and/or online.

19. However, it is important to highlight that young people also tell us that they want to see more investment in their communities so they have more holistic support that helps them to be active members of their community. This could include more access to youth services, better access to parks and facilities, hobbies and extracurricular activities, or training and volunteering opportunities.

“There needs to be more activities for young people to get involved, with more funding to make this happen – not just in therapeutic services but [with] more emphasis on community based projects”[21]

20. Barnardo’s frontline workers have told us that they are concerned about reduced social contact in the Early Years and that face-to-face support is important in protecting babies and toddlers, picking up on safeguarding concerns for example. Barnardo’s workers are also concerned that more reliance on online support could lead to increased isolation and loneliness of expectant and new parents. Learning from how these services have adapted during COVID-19, Barnardo’s supports a blended model of support for families whereby they are offered choice around engaging digitally or face to face.

21. Of our frontline workers who support families with children under 5, or expectant parents, 77% said that services families would usually access have been unavailable due to COVID-19. The most common services frontline workers said weren’t available were parent and baby, toddler or child groups; play provision; and health services. Some frontline workers also highlighted that families were having difficulty accessing services due to changes in service delivery, including online provision. Over half of workers who identified services as being unavailable or difficult to access said that it led to increased isolation. Nearly a quarter said this was having a negative impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the families they worked with. Our frontline workers were most concerned about the impact this would have on low income families, who we know will have less access to digital technology, for example because of insufficient devices for the household and inability to pay for efficient broadband and sufficient data.

“Those who are expectant or recently had children have missed out on face to face groups. Meeting family and friends and introducing their new addition to everyone. We know this has had a huge effect on new parents, the early days are very difficult and not being able to escape, meet new people, social[ise], [or] get peer support leaves new parents very vulnerable.”[22]

- Barnardo’s frontline worker

Digital Ownership

22. Prior to Covid-19, children and young people already faced risks online ranging from cyberbullying to grooming, which impacts on mental health and wellbeing. Online harms can impact different groups of children and young people in different ways. Vulnerable groups of children and young people may be more likely to experience harm online[23]. The prevalence of cyberbullying, for example, is higher for some groups such as LGBT+, BME and disabled individuals[24].

23. Information obtained from Barnardo’s Child Sexual Abuse services, highlighted that two-thirds of the children and young people supported by this this service were groomed online before they were sexually abused[25]. Our frontline workers have also reported cases of young siblings being groomed to commit sexual acts upon each other by adults online. Our frontline workers have told us that grooming can take place within ten minutes of an online interaction and that the implications for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing are significant.

24. Lockdown has highlighted the longstanding shortcomings in the online environment. The internet and digital technologies play an important role in all of our lives and are crucial components in the everyday lives of many children around the world. It allows children to communicate, to access education and resources and to play. In the absence of robust online harms legislation when lockdown measures were imposed, parents and carers have been left to take care of their children’s online safety themselves.

25. This is why Barnardo's continues to call for legislation with the strictest possible penalties for digital and social media companies that fail to protect children from online harms, as well as for the industry to implement the ICO’s Age Appropriate Design Code well in advance of the statutory deadline of September 2021. We welcome the recent European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties Justice and Home Affairs decision to permit a temporary derogation from the European Electronic Communications Code for automated tools for the detection of online child abuse.
    

Appendix 1. Consultation Questions

Physical health

●        How will any long-term increase in reliance on digital technology change the way in which health services are accessed? How will this affect the health outcomes of different groups, particularly those who may struggle to access digital services? What health conditions and examinations are amenable to using digital technology and which are less so? What will be the impact on the ability of health professionals to diagnose some health conditions?

●        How will any long-term trend towards increased reliance on digital technology in our everyday lives affect our physical health?

●        Will it affect the health of different groups – older people, children, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, home-workers – in different ways?

●        What steps can be taken to mitigate any negative consequences for physical activity and fitness? And what opportunities does digital technology offer to increase levels of physical activity and improve physical health?

●        What can be done by Government, employers and other organisations to mitigate any negative impact that an increased reliance on digital technology will have on physical health?

Mental health

●        How will any long-term trend towards increased reliance on digital technology affect mental health?

●        Will any increasing reliance on digital technology affect the mental health of different groups – older people, children, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, home-workers – in different ways?

●        What steps can be taken to mitigate some of the negative consequences of any increasing reliance on digital technology on mental health?

●        What role could digital technology play in increasing awareness, and early treatment of, mental health issues?

●        Does an increase in reliance on digital technology provide an opportunity to offer innovative treatments for mental health conditions? Is it also an opportunity to reach those who would usually be unwilling or unable to seek medical advice and support?

●        What can be done by Government, employers and other organisations to mitigate any negative impact that an increased reliance on digital technology will have on mental health?

Social interaction

●        How will any long-term trend towards increased reliance on digital technology affect relationships and social interactions? How will it affect the social interactions between individuals and how will it affect social cohesion in communities and wider society? What are likely to be the effects on existing relationships, on nascent relationships, and on those seeking to form relationships?

●        What steps need to be taken to ensure that this does not lead to a long-term increase in loneliness, isolation and mental health issues?

●        Will any increasing reliance on digital technology affect the social interactions of different groups – older people, children, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, home-workers – in different ways? What are the particular social implications for those who cannot, or choose not to, use the internet?

●        What role could digital technology play in increasing opportunities for social interactions? Does an increase in reliance on digital technology provide an opportunity to develop more innovative ways of developing relationships and interacting? Is it also an opportunity to reach out to those who have been left lonely and isolated by more traditional methods of social interaction?

●        What can be done by Government, employers and other organisations to mitigate any negative impact that an increased reliance on digital technology will have on social interaction?

Work

●        How will any long-term trend towards increased reliance on digital technology affect job opportunities and working conditions? What sectors are likely to see the biggest changes? What impact might these changes have on job satisfaction?

●        Will different parts of the UK be affected differently? Does an increased reliance on digital technology offer opportunities to improve economic wellbeing in different parts of the UK?

●        Do workers have the digital skills that will be needed as jobs change? What additional training is required to ensure that the workforce is equipped with digital skills?

●        In order to maximise the opportunities offered by an increasing reliance on digital technology, is there a case for greater investment and faster roll-out of broadband?

●        How will any long-term increase in working from home affect both social and economic wellbeing? How will it affect individuals and how will it affect communities and wider society? What do we know about how working from home can affect our physical and mental health, and what do employers and Government need to do to protect workers?

●        Will a reliance on digital interactions and home-working impact on informal interactions and exchanges of information and, in turn, impact on innovation and creativity?

●        Who will be disadvantaged by any long-term trend towards home working? How will it affect people without adequate broadband or people who lack an appropriate workspace at home?

●        To what extent could home-working enable access to job opportunities for people currently excluded from the workplace (or from certain jobs)?

●        If more people continue to work from home in the long-term, what will the impact of reduced commuter numbers be on the environment and on the provision of public transport? How would businesses based in town and city centres be affected? And what consequential impacts might this have on our wellbeing?

Ownership of digital technology

●        To what extent is the impact that digital technology has on our wellbeing affected by who owns, and therefore controls access to, that technology?

●        Should digital technology companies have a duty to consider their users’ wellbeing? If so, what would that duty consist of and how would it be regulated?

11 December 2020