In collaboration with Policy Scotland and the Network for Social and Educational Equity, Children’s Neighbourhoods Scotland is undertaking a programme of research and intelligence gathering in high poverty settings across Scotland that seeks to understand how local responses are working in the current rapidly changing context, and provide insights that can support the next phase of COVID-19 action at both local and national levels. 

This document is the first of a series that will share regular insights emerging from the research. 

This briefing collates some common messages emerging at the local level. One recurring theme in discussions across different areas has been the challenge of consistently identifying vulnerable children, young people and their families across different services and organisations. 

In areas where there are high levels of poverty and disadvantage the local level responses from the voluntary and community sector to COVID-19 vary in coherence and speed of response. Where there is already a high level of community connectedness, existing infrastructure and collaborative structures it has been easier to mobilise support for vulnerable children, young people and their families.

Written content is published under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.

To cite this briefing: Children’s Neighbourhoods Scotland, Early insights into the COVID-19 response – 24 April 2020, Policy Scotland, 27 April 2020, https://policyscotland.gla.ac.uk/cns-early-insights-into-the-covid-19-response-24-april-2020