The voices of Hearings-experienced young people are at the heart of new research looking at the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Andrew, Ciara and Zodie, all OHOV Board Members worked on the project with researchers from the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA).
The findings have now been published in “Care and Coronavirus: Perspectives on Childhood, Youth and Family”; an edited book that explores children and young people’s experiences of different forms of care during the pandemic.
The research is based on the views of 15 Hearings-experienced young people and 23 caregivers. It also features illustrations by Ciara and Zodie from OHOV.
The study showed the positive and negative impact virtual Hearings had on children and young people.
Young people said the positives were:
- They felt better protected
- More choices around when and where to participate
- They used the chat bar and emojis to share their reactions and thoughts
- It made them feel more confident to ask for things
Young people said the negatives were:
- It could affect children and young people’s ability to effectively participate in Hearings
- That virtual Hearings felt less personable than in person Hearings
- Young people worried about the privacy of the virtual space.
Gordon Main, Project Lead at OHOV said: “It is clear that for some young people, virtual Hearings provide an opportunity for them to be able to choose the things they needed to feel comfortable, including where they attended the Hearing from, who they attended with and when they could take breaks or seek comfort.
“Looking to the future, our Board Members would like to see every child and young person asked what they need to participate in their Hearings. In the words of Andrew, Ciara and Zodie who worked with the research team on this study – young people need to be given choices.”