Recovery, Renewal, Resilience

Data from the EU shows that 18 year olds who are in care are more likely to be not in employment, education or training, and experience higher levels of social exclusion or homelessness. COVID-19 has exacerbated their financial insecurity, poor mental health, and limited support networks as they transition to independent living. In addition to assessing the capacity of social work provision (TMB Issue 6), consider:

• Formally designate people who are leaving care as belonging to a vulnerable group
• Extend social protection programmes to make support services, such as financial support for food and accommodation, immediately available to those who leave care
• Ensure social services maintain regular personalised contact with those who leave care to advise them of what support is available during COVID-19
• Increase the capacity and flexibility of online communication with those who leave care, including availability of support forums
• Increase the capacity of mental health services, including outreach services and crisis support teams, by drawing on trained volunteers and enhance training in psychological first aid and safeguarding
• Partner with private care agencies, non-governmental organisations, corporate partners and care professionals to establish support and training/employment programmes
  • Establish a mentor programme to strengthen the support network of care leavers during their transition from care to independent living (e.g. ProgramaMentor, Galicia, Spain)
  • Provide employment advice to those who leave care, such as guidance on CV writing via an online workshop
  • Host virtual career or industry insights days to support those who leave care in making decisions on their next steps regarding education and employment
  • Establish targeted education and employment support for those who leave care, such as practical skills training on computing, email writing, giving presentations, and interviews; plus volunteering opportunities, work experience and apprenticeships for when lockdowns and restrictions end

COVID-19 has created new uncertainties that challenge the provision of critical support services to vulnerable families and children. Food programmes need to ensure that vulnerable children receive nutritious food, both inside and outside of school. They also need to facilitate access to other support services, and be delivered in ways that maintain the dignity and respect of recipients, their families and communities. Consider the need to:

• Integrate access to sufficient, nutritious food as part of an overarching plan to combat COVID-19, promote healthy societies, and mitigate long-term health issues
• Establish an assurance programme with service level agreements to increase confidence in emergency food provision, create feedback systems, and enable rapid amendment to services
• Provide guidance to parents so they know what services they are entitled to access
• Ensure parents are aware of "wrap-around" services e.g. anti-poverty schemes
• Analyse the impacts of food programmes on children's diets
• Consult parents and community groups about how to build dignity and choice into emergency and ongoing food provision, and develop opportunities for active involvement planning and delivery
• Develop community-based nutrition awareness and home-based cooking training programmes to support parents in providing balanced meals on a low budget
• Strengthen working partnerships with local government agencies, civic groups, voluntary sector, and social arms of corporations to improve implementation of food programmes
• Remove financial barriers to receiving food support and minimize stigma about 'handouts' e.g. by using a 'pay-as-you-feel' system