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 coronavirus (COVID-19) action at both local and national levels. 

This document is part of a series that shares regular insights emerging from the research. It focuses on the third sector and the collaborative response to supporting families.

The third sector has played a crucial role in responding to the COVID-19 crisis, particularly in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Within hours of the government announcement, many third sector organisations had already adapted their activities to meet the urgent needs of families, for example shifting from teaching people to cycle to food shopping and collecting prescriptions. Funders have been supportive of the fast, agile response from the third sector, allowing organisations to re-purpose their existing grants and relaxing eligibility criteria for new funding applications.

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

Image credit: Tgordievskaya on iStockphoto

To cite this briefing: Children’s Neighbourhoods Scotland, Early insights into the COVID-19 response – 8 May 2020, Policy Scotland, 8 May 2020, https://policyscotland.gla.ac.uk/cns-early-insights-into-the-covid-19-response-8-may-2020