Most young research advisors were not familiar with Hospital Episode Statistics or National Pupil Database and the fact they contribute to this data. Advisors view collecting and using data this data as desirable if it is used for the wider public good.  Some advisors expressed general concerns about large organisations holding too much personal data.

What we learnt about schools and hospital treatment during Covid-19:

• Lockdown led to a general sense of anxiety and losing control, but different groups had very different experiences.

• Mental health is viewed as a crucial issue, lockdown saw none of the regular safeguarding from schools, CYP are committing more self-harm, CYP and mental health problems are unseen by pupils and teachers and become hidden.

• There were worries about food insecurity (i.e. free school meals), experiences of bereavement, parents losing employment, delays with hospital treatments, awareness of parent's stress, overcrowding at home, feelings of isolation and increasing disparity between affluent and deprived families.

• The group did not like the term vulnerable children. They preferred to speak about children and young people with additional needs. 

Advisors believe that data needs to be contextualised in people’s real lives, but overall they are supportive of the use of ECHILD data.  There are lots of concerns about children’s education experiences and children getting lost and forgotten in the pandemic.

What we learnt about the impact of the pandemic on education:

• There is a worry that familial factors will not be reflected yet in linked data, e.g. if a parent dies, loses employment, alcoholism develops, or a lack of access to technology for learning.

• Work sent home for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) is not always appropriate, so they could easily fall even further behind.

• Children and Young People (CYP) have all had such different experiences of school.  It may be very hard to identify how lockdown has affected individual children and how to provide the required support.

What we learnt about vulnerability:

• Advisors prefer the term “children with additional needs”, one parent thought it implies they (parents) cannot look after children. Advisors disagree with DfE definition, and this is an opportunity to give it some thought and also recognise the benefit of diagnosis (e.g. children with autism without a diagnosis are not having their needs met at school).

Consideration is also needed about who is missing from the ECHILD database? Who is still vulnerable but has not been identified, or has become vulnerable during COVID-19?

The Children and Young People were not aware of Hospital Episode Statistics or National Pupil Database, let alone administrative data. They felt strongly about the need for better awareness about administrative data. The group was very positive about linked data being used to improve health and education services and to better support those similar to them. The group needed reassurance that there are procedures in place to safeguard the data. 

These engagement events have been extremely valuable and started many discussions.  One of the participants has a blog article following recent discussions on the label of vulnerability.  This can be found here: "vulnerable to overuse".