COVID-19: The response

The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy (July 2020)

• The Government’s roadmap for how and when the UK will adjust its response to the COVID-19 crisis.

• COVID-19: winter plan and tier system

  • In November, the Prime Minister outlined the government's COVID-19 winter plan and announced a new three-tier system to tackle the pandemic

The UK response to Covid-19: use of scientific advice

• This House of Commons Science and Technology Committee report analyses the way the government has received, and applied, scientific evidence and advice during the first period of the coronavirus pandemic up to autumn 2020.

• It considers the nature and function of official scientific advisory structures, the transparency of scientific advice, and the use of data in informing the UK's Covid-19 response.

Coronavirus: no going back to normal

• Life after coronavirus will not feel like life before.

• This Institute for Government viewpoint states that it is best that governments acknowledge that and start planning now in order to capture the best that can come out of a very tough period while not raising expectations that life will suddenly snap back to an almost forgotten normal.

Determining the optimal strategy for reopening schools, the impact of test and trace interventions, and the risk of occurrence of a second COVID-19 epidemic wave in the UK: a modelling study (August 2020)

• In this Lancet study, they aimed to use an individual-based model to predict the impact of two possible strategies for reopening schools to all students in the UK from September, 2020, in combination with different assumptions about relaxation of physical distancing measures and the scale-up of testing.

Resuming health services during the COVID-19 pandemic: what can the NHS learn from other countries?

• This briefing looks at the approaches other countries around the world have taken in dealing with the pandemic. It considers what might be learnt from the approaches used internationally, and how long it might take to fully recover.

NHS test and trace: how it works 

• An overview of the NHS test and trace service, including what happens if you test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) or have had close contact with someone who has tested positive.
  

Efficacy of contact tracing for the containment of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19)

• Contact tracing is a central public health response to infectious disease outbreaks, especially in the early stages of an outbreak when specific treatments are limited. 

• Importation of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) from China and elsewhere into the UK highlights the need to understand the impact of contact tracing as a control measure. 

• This research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health suggests that the current contact tracing strategy within the UK (as at July 2020) is likely to identify a sufficient proportion of infected individuals such that subsequent spread could be prevented, although the ultimate success will depend on the rapid detection of cases and isolation of contacts.

• The paper goes on to say that given the burden of tracing a large number of contacts to find new cases, there is the potential the system could be overwhelmed if imports of infection occur at a rapid rate.

Coronavirus: Covid-19 vaccine roll-out. Frequently Asked Questions

• This House of Commons Library briefing addresses commonly asked questions about the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Coronavirus: Covid-19 vaccine roll-out.

• Frequently Asked Questions is a House of Commons Research Briefing paper (March 2021)
• It summarises with answers - the commonly asked questions about the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Increasing uptake of vaccinations for vulnerable groups of patients (RCGP Inequalities Hub - March 2021)

• A series of evidence reviews to support vaccine update across a range of vulnerable groups including BAME, migrants, remote communities, disabled, prisoners and carers.

UK vaccination policy

• This House of Commons Library briefing provides an overview of UK vaccination policy.

• It includes an introduction to the science of vaccination and covers UK vaccination programmes, as well as considering the response of the government to the UK's loss of the World Health Organization's measles elimination status.

The Covid-19 vaccine communication handbook: a practical guide for improving vaccine communication and fighting misinformation

• A team of scientific experts, led by the University of Bristol, have created an online guide to help fight the spread of misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccines.

• Topics in the handbook include public behaviour and attitudes, policy, facts, and misinformation.

• The guide aims to arm people with practical tips and provide up-to-date information and evidence to help them to talk reliably about the vaccines, reduce fear and constructively challenge associated myths.

• It includes: key facts and messages about vaccines and uptake; how to engage with someone expressing vaccine uncertainty; and evidence-informed communication approaches to address myths and reduce misinformation.

Investigation into preparations for potential Covid-19 vaccines

• This National Audit Office report examines the government’s progress in securing potential vaccines and determining how they will be deployed to the public.

• It looks at the government’s approach to identifying potential vaccines and its progress to date, how the government is organising itself to work at pace, and challenges the government needs to manage as it deploys the vaccine.

• The report covers the period from April to 8 December 2020

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation issues advice on the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

• The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has issued its advice on the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation: advice on priority groups for Covid-19 vaccination (November 2020)

• This advice is provided to facilitate the development of policy on Covid-19 vaccination in the UK.

Alcohol consumption and harm during the COVID-19 pandemic

• A report collating data on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm in England during the
  COVID-19 pandemic and comparing it to data from previous years

Primary care networks and place-based working: addressing health inequalities in a Covid-19
world

• This Health Creation Alliance report provides fresh insights from those working to address health inequalities outside the NHS about how primary care, enabled by PCNs, might access the breadth of potential solutions that are possible when they work in partnership with their communities and local partners.

State of health and care: The NHS Long Term Plan after Covid-19

• This report from Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) State of health and care: The NHS Long Term Plan after Covid-19 suggests that COVID-19 has disrupted the NHS Long Term Plan.

• This shows the scale of the damage done by the pandemic across several major health conditions (cancer, mental health cardiovascular diseases and multimorbidity) and outlines a package of six ambitious changes to ‘build back better’.

Learning from the community response to Covid-19: how the NHS can support communities to keep people well

• This Health Creation Alliance report considers what all community-facing NHS organisations can learn from the community response to Covid-19.

• The report outlines practical guidance and recommendations to help build a future where people are at the heart of keeping communities well.

Putting people first: supporting NHS staff in the aftermath of Covid-19 (May 2021)

• Caring for patients and service users during the Covid-19 pandemic has taken an enormous toll on NHS and social care staff.

• This NHS Confederation report, part of the NHS Reset campaign, considers the five key factors needed for the NHS to provide the most effective environment to retain – and sustain – staff over the weeks and months ahead.

Working for babies: lockdown lessons from local systems

• This Parent Infant Foundation report summarises the impacts on babies of Covid-19 and the spring 2020 national lockdown.

• The report also explores how local systems responded to the challenges presented by Covid-19.

• It seeks to understand the factors that have shaped the response by services that support babies and their families.

• Most importantly, the report seeks to ensure that lessons are learnt for the future of service provision for this age group.

A new deal for prevention

• This series of articles from Reform discusses the benefits of a preventive approach to public health and the obstacles that stand in the way of its realisation.

• It brings together experts from the scientific research community and the health and social care sector to consider the future of prevention in the UK.

Cancer services recovery plan

• One of the most significant impacts of the coronavirus pandemic was a sharp reduction in the number of people coming forward and being referred urgently with suspected cancer and referred from screening programmes.

• This NHS England plan has several aims, including restoring demand at least to pre-pandemic levels and reducing the number of people waiting more than 62 days from urgent referral.

Working together for a healthier post-Covid future (November 2020)

• This analysis, commissioned by the Healthier Futures Academy in the Black Country and West Birmingham, illustrates the effects that a Covid-driven recession could have on population health.

• It frames a discussion about how the NHS, with other local organisations, can more effectively address the causes as well as the effects of ill health.

Elective care in England: assessing the impact of Covid-19 and where next (November 2020)

• This Health Foundation analysis shows there were 4.7 million fewer people referred for routine hospital care – such as hip, knee and cataract surgery – between January and August 2020 than during the same period in 2019

• This represents a potential hidden backlog of unmet care needs.

A critical juncture for public services: lessons from Covid-19 (November 2020)

• This Public Services Committee report discusses lessons to be learnt from the pandemic and recommends a number of principles to transform public service delivery.

• It finds that decisions were made much more quickly and concludes that many public service providers and councils developed 'remarkable innovations' to meet the Covid-19 challenge.

• However, the Committee raises concerns about public service provision during the pandemic for black, Asian and minority ethnic people and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people, homeless people, and people with complex needs.

GP premises survey: post Covid-19 (October 2020)

• With the emergency response to the Covid-19 pandemic disrupting many patients’ access to GP services, this Patients Association surveyinvestigated what patients felt about their GP’s premises, and whether they would be confident to return to them.

• It found ongoing high levels of confidence about visiting GP premises, and a strong expectation among patients that they would feel welcome, confident, and safe on future visits.

• The survey responses also shed further light on patients’ access to GP services during the pandemic, with many being offered phone consultations, and relatively few getting online video calls. For a substantial minority of patients, online contact was not sufficient to resolve their issue, and they needed to make an in-person visit.

Covid-19 insights: impact on workforce skills

• This Skills for Health report confirms that the pandemic has had wider than expected consequences on the NHS and health and care workforce that will continue to significantly influence service delivery for some time to come.

• The findings show that following three months of extreme change in the sector, organisations suffered severe skills loss.

• The report highlights the critical issues that contributed to this, with the aim of supporting the sector to rebuild and reset for a sustainable future, both now and in the long term.

Beyond COVID: New thinking on the future of adult social care

• COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on social care.

• By June 2020 there had been more than 30,500 excess deaths among care home residents, and social care staff have been more than twice as likely to die from COVID-19 as other adults.

• Deep-rooted inequalities in society have also been amplified by the crisis, as have the sector’s fragile finances and the low pay and conditions experienced by many care workers.

How fit were public services for coronavirus? 

• This Institute for Government report – produced in partnership with the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) – assesses the preparedness and resilience of nine key public services in the years running up to March 2020 to assess how fit they were to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

• It then offers recommendations on practical and relatively cheap steps the government could take now to ensure that public services are in a better position to respond to future shocks.

Resilient health and care: learning the lessons of COVID-19 in the English NHS

• This analysis of the state of the health and care system in England in the run-up to the COVID-19 pandemic finds that underinvestment in social and community care left four in five hospitals with ‘dangerously low’ levels of spare beds as the crisis hit.

• The report calls for a long-term approach for the health and care service in England, to build resilience for any future crisis and to ensure the system isn’t always ‘running hot’ during normal times.

Preparing for a challenging winter 2020/21 (July 2020)

• This report by the Academy of Medical Sciences states that the UK must prepare now for a potential new wave of coronavirus infections this winter that could be more serious than the first.

• It stresses that ‘intense preparation’ is urgently needed throughout the rest of July and August to reduce the risk of the health service being overwhelmed and to save lives this winter.

• The accompanying People's perspective report calls for these actions to be developed through engagement with patients, carers and the public to ensure services, guidelines and communications work for people, rather than focusing plans on individual medical conditions.

Rebuilding the NHS: resetting outpatient services for the 21st century in the context of COVID-19 (July 2020)

• In this document the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), together with the Royal College of General Practitioners, set out principles and recommendations for the reset of outpatient services.

• The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that the NHS can adapt quickly and presents an opportunity to reset outpatient services.

Beneficial innovations from COVID-19 (July 2020)

• This report is a response to a request from NHS England and NHS Improvement for examples of beneficial innovations across the NHS that have been implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and should be retained as the NHS starts to resume business as usual.

• British Geriatrics Society members contributed examples of innovations that have been implemented in their areas.
  

Surviving the Pandemic: New challenges for Adult Social Care and the Social Care Market 

• For the past decade there has been a continuing appeal from the adult social care sector that it is underfunded and that it is on the brink of collapse.

• This Institute of Public Care discussion paper looks at how councils have avoided the predicted collapse over the period of austerity and explores new problems that have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• How can the care provider sector survive after the pandemic?

How to improve the health and wellbeing of the UK population: devolution and reform of health and social care

• This report by ResPublica, which was largely completed before the COVID-19 outbreak, aims to provide comprehensive and actionable recommendations for the reform of health and social care.

• It looks at the role of individual circumstances in determining health outcomes, the operational measures that can improve patient outcomes, and population health and the need to streamline responsibilities so it is clear who is accountable for performance.

Academy of Medical Sciences. Preparing for a challenging winter 2020-21.

• The UK must prepare now for a potential second wave of COVID-19 this winter or risk seeing double the number of hospital deaths that occurred during the first wave, the Academy of Medical Sciences has warned.

• The report suggests that the combination of COVID-19, a backlog of patients needing NHS assessment and treatment, and the possibility of a flu epidemic posed “a serious risk” to health in the UK.

The road to renewal: five priorities for health and care

• This Kings Fund long read sets out five priorities to help guide the approach to renewal across health and care based upon the experiences of COVID-19.

What next for the NHS? NHS Providers (June 2020)

• A report by NHS Providers, based on the first full survey of NHS trust leaders since COVID-19 started, highlights the scale of the challenge ahead as the NHS recovers from the first peak of the virus. 

Capturing beneficial change from the Covid-19 pandemic: response from the British Geriatrics Society (July 2020)

• This report is a response to a request from NHS England and NHS Improvement for examples of beneficial innovations across the NHS that have been implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and should be retained as the NHS starts to resume business as usual.

• BGS members contributed examples of innovations that have been implemented in their areas.

Healthier lifestyles motivated by COVID-19

• A public health survey of 5,000 adults reveals that seven in ten adults are more motivated to lead healthier lives this year as a result of the pandemic.

• To support the public in making these changes, Public Health England has launched its latest Better Health new year campaign to encourage the nation to work towards a healthier lifestyle.

Covid-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of Covid-19

• This NICE guideline covers identifying, assessing and managing the long-term effects of Covid-19, often described as ‘long Covid’.

• It makes recommendations about care in all health care settings for adults, children and young people who have new or ongoing symptoms four weeks or more after the start of acute Covid-19.

• It also includes advice on organising services for long Covid.

Learning from lockdown: Priorities for the future (September 2020)

• Latest research and insight from Ageing Better and its partners on the impact of COVID-19 on people approaching later life.

• COVID-19 has had far-reaching impacts on every age group in the UK.

• But older adults have been most affected by the virus, with the vast majority of deaths among people aged 50 and over. And with nearly a third of key workers over 50.

• This report gives clear guidance for central government, local government and other private, public and voluntary sector organisations on how to significantly improve the prospects of those currently in their 50s and 60s, who make up around a quarter of the population in England – over 14 million people.

• We need a combined focus on improving health resilience and maximising the potential of 50-70 year olds to support economic recovery and growth.

• This group, as we will see, are at risk of financial insecurity and experiencing longer periods in poor health.

• Actions taken for this group now will benefit society as a whole.

COVID-19: What do we know about “long covid”? (BMJ Feature July 2020)

• “Long covid” is a term being used to describe illness in people who have either recovered from COVID-19 but are still report lasting effects of the infection or have had the usual symptoms for far longer than would be expected.

• Many people, including doctors who have been infected, have shared their anecdotal experiences on social media, in the traditional media, and through patients’ groups.

• The article suggests that aside from anecdotal evidence, there is as yet little research on this issue. However, it is being actively discussed within the research community.

  • Writing in JAMA, a team of researchers from Italy reported that nearly nine in 10 patients (87%) discharged from a Rome hospital after recovering from covid-19 were still experiencing at least one symptom 60 days after onset. 

  • Although none of the patients had fever or any signs or symptoms of acute illness, many still reported fatigue (53%), dyspnoea (43%), joint pain (27%), and chest pain (22%).

  • Two fifths of patients reported a worsened quality of life.

Mental health for all? The final report of the Commission for Equality in Mental Health (November 2020)

• Inequalities in health, including mental health, have been highlighted in national reports for at least 40 years.
• The Commission for Equality in Mental Health was set up to explore what causes mental health inequalities, what perpetuates them, and what might help to break the cycle.
• Mental health for all?, the final report of the Commission, says that inequalities which have for too long been accepted or ignored can and should be reduced, through concerted action nationally and locally.

Next steps for funding mental healthcare in England: prevention (September 2020)

• The RCPsych has identified four areas that must be fully and sustainably resourced if access to the quality of mental health services in England that has been promised by the government is to be realised.
• These are:
  • infrastructure;
  • prevention;
  • people; and
  • technology.
• This paper focuses on prevention and considers the next steps for funding mental health care in England, with a specific focus on public health and prevention, promoting resilience in social care, and budgeting for workforce growth, education and training.

NHS Reset: Mental health services and COVID-19: preparing for the rising tide

• Mental health services have faced unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19. They quickly and effectively moved to different ways of working to protect service users and staff.

• As we move to the next phase of the pandemic, NHS Confederation expect demand for mental health support to increase and to remain high for some time.

• This will have serious implications on resourcing and staff wellbeing. This NHS Confederation report from the NHS Reset campaign considers what mental health services need to prepare for the expected surge in demand.

• It also highlights how the health and care system can 'reset' the way care and support are planned and delivered in aftermath of COVID-19.

COVID-19 and the nation’s mental health Forecasting needs and risks in the UK: May 2020 

• This briefing seeks to use evidence from existing research about the likely impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the UK population.

• It draws on published evidence to make projections about the potential impacts and which groups within the population face the highest risks to their mental health as a result of the crisis.

Mental health care in the time of COVID-19 (July 2020)

• This Kings Fund opinion piece, reflects on the experiences of staff and people with mental health problems during the first months of COVID-19, and urges mental health services to learn from those experiences to plan for the future.

Coronavirus: long Covid

• This House of Commons Library briefing provide an overview of long Covid, the impacts of this condition and the development of clinical guidance and services for those affected.

• It also provides links to further reading and Parliamentary material.

Covid-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of Covid-19

• This NICE guideline covers identifying, assessing and managing the long-term effects of Covid-19, often described as ‘long Covid’.

• It makes recommendations about care in all health care settings for adults, children and young people who have new or ongoing symptoms four weeks or more after the start of acute Covid-19.

• It also includes advice on organising services for long Covid.

Health Secretary warns of long-term effects of COVID-19 as new film released

• A new study today from King’s College London, using data from the COVID Symptom Study App and ZOE, shows one in 20 people with COVID-19 are likely to have symptoms for 8 weeks or more.

• The study suggests long COVID affects around 10% of 18 to 49-year olds who become unwell with COVID-19.

• Public Health England have found that around 10% of COVID-19 cases who were not admitted to hospital have reported symptoms lasting more than four weeks and a number of hospitalised cases reported continuing symptoms for eight or more weeks after discharge.

A connected recovery: findings of the APPG on Loneliness Inquiry

• This All-Party Parliamentary Group on Loneliness (APPG on Loneliness) inquiry makes the case for a ‘connected recovery’ from the Covid-19 pandemic.

• It explored problems and identified solutions within four crucial policy areas, including: translating national policy into local action through local authorities; community infrastructure (including housing, transport, and public spaces); how to adequately fund the voluntary and community sector upon which social prescribing depends; and designing and implementing ways to test the implications of government policies on loneliness. 

Shaping the Covid decade: addressing the long-term societal impacts of Covid-19

• This British Academy report argues that the societal impacts of the pandemic have exposed several gaps in public policy-making that the government now has the opportunity to address.

• It suggests seven strategic goals for policy-makers to pursue: build multi-level governance; improve knowledge, data and information linkage and sharing; prioritise digital infrastructure; reimagine urban spaces; create an agile education and training system; strengthen community-led social infrastructure; and promote a shared social purpose.
  

Health charities and the NHS: a vital partnership in peril?

• This London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) report was commissioned by range of partners.

• The report focuses on the work of the charities, in particular their vital performance through the pandemic in hugely challenging circumstances.

• It highlights the enormous benefits that they could bring to the public’s health and care and calls for a stronger partnership between charities and the NHS so that their contribution can have an even bigger impact in the future.

Analysis of the health, economic and social effects of Covid-19 and the approach to tiering (November 2020)

• This paper provides an overview of the evidence and analysis in relation to coronavirus and the
  health, economic and social effects of the government’s tiered approach.

Childhood during coronavirus: protecting children from the effects of poverty (September 2020)

• This report presents findings from an analysis of applications submitted to Action for Children's Emergency Fund.
• It reflects on the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic for children and families and in doing so, the report also considers the recovery measures needed to ensure that children are supported to thrive – both now, and in the months and years ahead.

Ageing in place for minority ethnic communities: the importance of social infrastructure (September 2020)

• This report explores the importance of social infrastructure, such as shops, community centres and green spaces, for older members of minority ethnic communities.

• It finds that it is important for older people with a shared cultural identity to have places where they can meet to maintain their sense of identity and relationships with others who share some form of commonality.

• The research also highlights the importance of local voluntary organisations working with minority ethnic groups.

• Specialist funding and support is vital for these organisations to continue their work within communities.

• Given the impact of Covid-19 on minority ethnic groups, these organisations need to be engaged in the rebuilding of communities

Beyond Us and Them: Perception of COVID-19 and Social Cohesion (July 2020) 

• This report presents first findings from our research project, “Beyond Us and Them” by the University of Kent with Belong – the Cohesion and Integration Network. The research is funded by the Nuffield Foundation.

• It explores how social cohesion within and between different groups and parts of the UK is being affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

Review of two metre social distancing guidance (Updated 26 June 2020)

• A review panel, led by the Permanent Secretary to No10 and including the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, the Chief Medical Officer, and the Chief Economic Adviser to HM Treasury, has considered the efficacy of the government’s social distancing guidelines in the context of the current prevalence of the virus.

• They have considered the scientific evidence, the economic impact of social distancing, behavioural responses and international comparators.

Life after lockdown: tackling loneliness among those left behind

• The COVID-19 crisis has made loneliness worse, with some people more affected than others.

• This British Red Cross report shows that although social distancing and lockdown measures will continue to be eased, loneliness will remain and for those most left behind, it may continue to grow. 

Loneliness, social isolation and COVID-19: practical advice (Local Government Association (LGA))

• The LGA and Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) have jointly produced this practical advice for Directors of Public Health and others leading the response to the loneliness and social isolation issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tackling loneliness (House of Commons Library) (June 2020)

• The Government's Loneliness Strategy was published in October 2018. It set out a wide variety of cross-departmental measures that the Government would take to provide 'national leadership' to tackle loneliness in England.

• As well as explaining the Strategy and the steps taken so far by the Government, this briefing also looks at research into the causes and impact of loneliness and possible interventions.

• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on loneliness is also considered, alongside the measures introduced by the Government in response.

Children in lockdown: the consequences of the coronavirus for children living in poverty (The Childhood Trust) (June 2020) 

• This report documents the impact of the Coronavirus crisis on disadvantaged and vulnerable children.

COVID-19 and changing attitudes: concerns for the future and trust

The impact of COVID-19 on Caring (July 2020)

A comprehensive recovery package is needed to tackle rising tide of childhood vulnerability
caused by the Covid crisis

• While for some children there were certain aspects of the pandemic that brought benefits such as spending more time with their families ,this Chlidrens Commissioner report sets out how for many of the most vulnerable children the disruption of the past six months has been damaging and compounded existing inequalities.
• It calls for a comprehensive recovery package for children and provides a roadmap for what should be done to help children to recover from their experiences of the past six months
  and the ongoing crisis

IPPR | The 'new normal': The future of education after Covid–19 (October 2020)

This Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) study has identified three areas where the pandemic has the potential to open up new conversations about the future of schooling in England:

Conversation 1: preparing children for life, not just exams

• We must take the opportunity provided by the pandemic to reassess the role of accountability and assessment in education

• The government should urgently review the publication of school performance tables, moving to a multi-year model to avoid the high-stakes win/lose dynamic of the current system

• The government should undertake a review of assessment and accountability mechanisms across our education system

Conversation 2: where and how learning takes place

• The pandemic has completely changed where and how learning takes place, with digital technology being at the centre of teaching and learning for the first time. we have to ensure that every young person has access to digital technology; understand and spread best practice in using technology to improve learning; and provide teachers with support in utilising technology in schools.

• The pandemic has also fundamentally shifted who is involved in education; with children having been at home and parents, on the whole, taking a much greater role in shaping what, when and how their children learned

• The government should create a national transformation fund and support unit, with a focus on spreading best practice, supporting procurement and implementation, and training teachers to adapt to new ways of working

• The government should work with schools and parents, drawing on Parentkind’s ‘Blueprint for Parent-Friendly Schools’

CONVERSATION 3: TACKLING INEQUALITIES BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

• The pandemic has highlighted that schools will have to reach ‘beyond the classroom’ to narrow educational inequalities

• The government should endorse ‘parity of esteem’ between academic and wellbeing outcomes in schools. This should involve supporting schools to adopt a ‘whole-school’ approach to wellbeing

Securing a place for young people in the nation’s economic recovery (September 2020)

• Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, there were already 760,000 young people not in education or employment in the UK.
• The Institute for Fiscal Studies has recently shown that young people are 2.5 times more likely to be working in the sectors most affected by the pandemic and there are fears that its economic impact will lead to an additional 640,000 unemployed 18 to 24-year-olds this year.
• This Institute Employment Studies paper presents the final recommendations from the Youth Employment Group, for measures to support young people through the Covid-19 crisis, improve their employment prospects and prevent mass youth unemployment. The key points include:
  • Nobody aged 18-24 should spend more than six months unemployed before accessing a meaningful education or employment opportunity
  • The government should implement an ‘Opportunity Guarantee’ of a high-quality education, training or apprenticeship place by Autumn 2020 for all young people aged 16-24 who want one
  • The DWP should work with the DfE, the YEG, the National Careers Service (NCS) and Local Authorities / Mayoral Combined Authorities to continue to develop the ‘Youth Hubs’ initiative and expand its remit to provide a service to support youth transitions from education to employment
  • Reduce hiring costs for employers who take on young people
  • Launch a campaign to create quality pre-employment and employment opportunities for young people, underpinned by the ‘Good Youth Employment Charter
  • The government should design more accurate and robust measures for measuring the activity and progress of young people

Centre for Cities | Where in the UK is it hardest to find a job? (July 2020)

The Centre for Cities completed analysis of competition for jobs. Some of their key findings include:

• Places where jobs are scarcer tend to have weaker economies. The 10 cities with the largest competition for jobs are on average 13% less productive and have 36% fewer people with high-level qualifications

• While approximately four in 10 workers in Cambridge, London and Reading could work from home during the lockdown, fewer than two in 10 in Middlesbrough, Barnsley or Doncaster were able to do so.

• Opportunities in low-paid occupations — where entry requirements tend to be lower — have been hit particularly hard. That means having the right skills makes a bigger difference than ever in getting hired.

• Third, geographic inequalities appear to be widening significantly, which means levelling up has a crucial role to play in the post Covid-19 economic recovery. Analysis suggests that, to create equal opportunities for everyone in the UK, jobs must be created everywhere in the country. That should be a central focus of the Autumn Spending Review.

• Within the Liverpool City Region, Birkenhead stood out as being particularly hard to find a job, ranking 6^{th (out of 63)} highest for number of CVs per job posting (1.7), and ranking 10^th for biggest increase in competition for jobs.

Centre for Cities

Making work secure: unlocking poverty and building a stronger economy (Joseph Rowntree Foundation) (July 2020) 

• This briefing in the JRF economic discussion series - Shaping a recovery that reduces poverty - explains why all workers should have stable, secure hours and pay. COVID-19 has highlighted the insecurity pulling many low-paid workers into poverty.

• Some will argue we cannot tackle this until the economy has recovered. Instead, this briefing argues that delivering security can, and should, play a role in building a more productive economy beyond COVID-19 where work is a reliable route out of poverty. 

• First JRF series briefing

Capitalising on the offer of help – volunteering in the COVID-19 crisis (April 2020) (Kings Fund Blog)

• In the moment, the willingness of so many to step forward and volunteer has to be seen as a silver lining, but winning the race and turning this into a lasting legacy will require organisations to see volunteers as more than a resource.

• Importantly they will need to consider the balance between people and services in need of volunteers and the needs of volunteers themselves, and to ensure that we invest in capacity, capability and flexibility to incorporate those needs in our communities as we seek to find our way forward post-COVID-19.

Science advice in a crisis

• This Institute for Government paper draws on interviews with key players including current and former officials, scientific advisers, and SAGE members.

• It concludes ministers must improve the way they use and communicate science advice or risk repeating mistakes made during the coronavirus crisis.

• While ministers have faced extraordinarily difficult choices, the government’s response to the pandemic has too often been undermined by misunderstanding the role of science advice and using it inconsistently.

Towards resilience: redesigning our systems for a better future (September 2020)

• From both a public health and an economic perspective, Britain performed poorly during the Covid-19 crisis in comparison with similar countries.

• When put to the test, many of Britain's core systems were revealed to be incapable of withstanding extra stress and demand.

• Written in partnership with Local Trust, this paper intends to start a conversation about the country can move towards resilience for a more prepared and better future.

• It identifies five pillars that need to form the centrepiece of any approach: economic resilience; public sector resilience; community resilience; environmental resilience; and workforce resilience.

Re-opening High Streets Safely and Welcome Back Fund: Project Summary and Evaluation Report

• This document provides an outcome report for the Re-opening High Streets Safely / Welcome Back Fund initiative. This initiative operated under the emergency COVID arrangements that were put in place by the Council to respond to the pandemic, allowing decisive actions to be taken in a timely manner in ever changing circumstances.

• The purpose of this report is to provide a summary outlining the range of activities and interventions that were undertaken using resources from former Ministry of Housing Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), now Department for Levelling Up Housing & Communities (DLUHC), through its Re-opening High Streets Safely Fund (RHSSF) and Welcome Back Fund (WBF).

Covid-19 and the Northern Powerhouse Tackling inequalities for UK health and productivity.

• The Northern Health Science Alliance commissioned this report to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and productivity in the Northern Powerhouse

• Also to explore the opportunities for ‘levelling up’ regional health and productivity, across the life course.

• The report shows the unequal health and economic impacts of COVID-19 on the Northern Powerhouse.

• As it develops its post-COVID-19 ‘levelling up’ industrial strategy, central government should pay particular attention to the importance of supporting the physical and mental health and development of the Northern Powerhouse as a route to increased prosperity. 

Health on the high street: embedding healthy living into urban regeneration after the pandemic

• This Social Mobility Foundation report argues that town centres where shops and offices fall vacant should be used to establish new 'health hubs' combining GP surgeries, health and social care services and gyms.

• The report profiles examples where local authorities and health care bodies are already developing such hubs, which it suggests could be a model for other areas in the future.

12 million people in Britain will struggle to pay bills (Financial Conduct Authority survey)

• Some 12 million people in Britain are likely to struggle with bills and loan repayments as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak economic havoc, a Financial Conduct Authority survey tracking consumer financial resilience showed.

• The survey, conducted in July, found 12 million people in Britain had low financial resilience and also found that one-sixth of those people had become financially vulnerable since February, after lockdowns to control the virus slashed incomes and led to thousands of job cuts.

• The survey, in which 7,000 people took part, showed that almost a third of adults have suffered a drop in income, while income for households has fallen by a quarter on average.

• Black and Minority Ethnic respondents fared even worse, with 37% reporting a hit to their incomes

How will Brexit affect the UK’s response to coronavirus?

• This Nuffield Trust briefing considers how leaving the single market might affect UK health and social care services in the short term as they try to deal with coronavirus while maintaining normal services.

• It also looks at what difference a deal might make, and the options for the UK and the EU.

Blueprint for a 100% Digitally Included UK For a post-COVID-19 economy (September 2020)

This recent report from the Good Things Foundation (GTF) outlines their latest research and ideas about how to improve digital inclusion in the UK. Some of their recommendations include:

Calling on Government for:

• A Digital Strategy for everyone. Government digital services should continue to lead the way: services designed with and for people with low or limited skills, and assisted digital support in communities.

• A coalition led by financial services to bring digital inclusion and financial inclusion together. Everyone should be able to access and use the online financial services and products they need. As well as access to cash for vulnerable consumers, we need to continue to invest in online and local support to build digital financial literacy.

• Leadership from the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland, and Health and Social Care Northern Ireland and the wider health sector to prevent digital exclusion from widening health inequalities, improve digital health literacy, and design inclusive digital health services. Digital health hubs in communities are a tested and scalable solution.

• Commitment to address digital inclusion from government bodies, local authorities, housing associations, and third sector providers - wherever digital channels are used - starting with designing digital services to be accessible for people with low or limited digital skills or access, and providing assisted digital support

• Improved metrics to track progress and monitor the links between digital inclusion and key areas of national social and economic wellbeing - such as health, education, poverty, and financial inclusion. We need a clear baseline - a Minimum Digital Living Standard

How the COVID-19 Pandemic has accelerated the shift to online spending

ONS published a blog looking at the profound effect the pandemic has had on the retail sector.

• Many stores were forced to close at the height of lockdown and during that time consumers switched their spending to online.
• As described, since many shops have now reopened, the shift back to in store purchasing has begun but a far higher proportion remains online than before the crisis..

Fundamental changes to high street use classes 

• NewStart consider how changes to town centre use classes will allow far greater flexibility to change uses within town centres without the need to obtain planning permission. 

• The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2020 will come into force on 1 September 2020.

The financial risk and resilience of English local authorities in the coronavirus crisis

• The government has provided an additional £3.2 billion of general-purpose funding to English councils to help support them through the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

• This will increase their budgets by just over 5 per cent on average.

• But councils have warned a further £6 billion could be required.

• This Institute of Fiscal Studies report examines how financial risks and resilience vary across councils, and which types of councils and regions are most exposed.

• It is published alongside a spreadsheet dashboard that collates for each local authority in England a series of indicators of coronavirus-related risks

Building a country that works for all children post COVID-19

• The purpose of this short discussion paper is:

  • to put children, young people and their lived experiences of Covid-19 front and centre in national recovery planning;

  • to articulate what is needed to restore the public support services they rely on; and

  • to capture the positives and gains made during a very complex national, and indeed, global emergency.

• It is clear that the pandemic, ensuing lockdown and enduring social distancing measures have simultaneously exposed and heightened the impact of stark disparities between disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers, from ill health and poor-quality housing to children’s access to technology and therefore opportunities to learn at home.

Shopping may never be the same again: Office for National Statistics (June 2020) 

• The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed many elements of our everyday lives, including how we shop.

• The introduction of movement restrictions meant the closure of most physical shops, so many consumers have been doing their shopping from home instead. 

• In May 2020, over a third of retail spending was online – the highest ever share. 

• In this ONS blog they take a closer look at the online retail sales data to understand this trend.

Coronavirus and the economic value of human life or ... Is the lockdown worth it? Institute of Economic Affairs (June 2020) 

• This IEA briefing examines the ongoing argument about easing or ending the lockdown restrictions and considers numerous factors that will affect government decisions.

• It emphasises the importance of putting a monetary value on life as a tool to make cost-benefit analyses about the effectiveness of lockdown and makes clear that while people may feel squeamish about looking at human life in financial terms, such calculations are necessary to make the most of limited resources in the fairest and most effective way.

Better Transport | Covid-19 Recovery Renewing the transport system (July 2020)
The Campaign for Better Transport released a report looking at how the transport system can be renewed in the face of slashed fares revenue, public health concerns and economic downturn.

• The report argued that there is an opportunity to transform the transport system to facilitate economic growth, meet legal obligations around carbon emissions and air quality, and tackle social exclusion. The report recommends that Government should:

  • Require local transport authorities to produce plans to permanently reshape local transport networks based on active travel, shared and public transport.

  • Ensure local authorities and bus operators work together to replan bus provision, with better integrated, multi-modal networks. A new funding approach should be introduced to support bus services.

  • Not return to the previous franchises on the railway and place a greater focus on leisure as well as commuter travel and new industry structures with devolution of control to city regions.

  • Accelerate the shift to 100% zero emission road and rail travel through requiring all buses to be zero emission, supporting the growth of a hydrogen fuelled heavy fleet sector in the UK, incentivise the shift to electric vans for deliveries and fleet, and initiate a rolling programme of rail electrification.

  • Lock in the shift to active travel with permanent infrastructure changes and ensuring that it does not restrict public transport and bus services. E-scooters should be legalised for use on the road and cycle lanes.

  • Prioritise infrastructure to support sustainable transport, such as rail reopenings, bus priority and digital systems

  • Establish new sources of raising revenue to support the shift to sustainable transport should be put in place.

COVID-19: Impact on Travel & Hospitality (March 2020)

• This document, by McKinsey and Company, (although Amserican focused does offer wider panemic impact views/data) is meant to help with a narrower goal: provide facts and insights on the current situation and its implications on travel.

• In addition to the humanitarian challenge, there are implications for the wider economy, businesses, and employment.

• Specifically, this document describes some of those challenges in travel so businesses can navigate through an uncertain situation

COVID-19: A global insight on travel and tourism impacts UNWTO & Data Partners

• This report gathers a collation of data partners committed to support the sector in getting a better and more comprehensive understanding of the impacts of COVID 19 on travel and tourism at global level over the last three months

Better housing is crucial for our health and the COVID-19 recovery

• Housing can contribute positively to people’s mental and physical health – but all too frequently it does not.

• This long read from the Health Foundation sets out the links between housing and health and explores the inequalities in housing across different groups and types of tenures.

• It then considers the impact of COVID-19 on housing so far, future risks and possible ways forward.

Homes, health and COVID-19 (September 2020)

• Cold and unsafe homes will put those most vulnerable to Covid-19, including older adults and people with pre-existing health conditions, at an increased risk of the virus this winter - particularly in the event of a second lockdown

• The report,  Homes, health and COVID-19: How poor-quality homes have contributed to the pandemic , from the Centre for Ageing Better and the King’s Fund, highlights the additional health risks faced by an estimated 10 million people living in 4.3 million non-decent homes in England.

• The report follows on from the recent analysis of ageing and non-decent homes in  Home and dry: The need for decent homes in later life , published earlier this year by Centre for Ageing Better and Care & Repair England , which set out a compelling case for action to improve existing homes even before the current pandemic.