Returning to School During COVID-19

Now that children and young people have returned to school following lockdown, many have enjoyed seeing their friends and teachers, and returning to classroom learning again, but others may still feel unsure about all of the changes, particularly with schools being set up very differently in order to allow for social distancing.

Some may feel understandably worried, concerned, and/or confused about the changes to the normal structure and routine of school, concerns about COVID-19, the impact on them being able to see extended family and friends, and the sudden changes that may be implemented such as local lockdown measures and changing guidance.

For children with an acquired brain injury (ABI), this may be even more challenging, as they may often have additional difficulties in understanding, processing, or managing changes to routines at school and at home, as well as in managing the transition back to school-based-education after a long period of time at home. For some children with an ABI, they may have difficulty in interpreting, expressing, and talking about their thoughts and feelings relating to this, meaning their anxieties or concerns may instead present themselves in a change in behaviour.

Below are links to resources that may be helpful to you in supporting a child/young person during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is important to note that the links and information below are general resources and all schools and education settings will have their own plans regarding supporting children at this time. It is therefore important to also liaise directly with your child’s own school and local education authority regarding their own specific plans and the local support available in your area.

• Education and childcare: Guidance for teachers, school leaders, carers, parents and students https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/education-and-childcare

• Government webpage – What parents and carers need to know about early years providers, schools and colleges during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to- know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus- covid-19-outbreak

• Government guidance on supporting children and young people with SEND as schools and colleges prepare for wider opening https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-send-risk- assessment-guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-send-risk-assessment-guidance

• Government guidance on supporting children and young people’s mental health https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting- children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing/guidance-for-parents-and- carers-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing- during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak

• The Child Brain Injury Trust: COVID-19 You and Your Family https://childbraininjurytrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Factsheet-COVID- 19-and-your-family-1.pdf

• Mentally Healthy Schools – Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families. Here are a number of toolkits and resources to support children and young people’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic:

• • Top Ten Tips for Coping with Change

• • Toolkits focussed on mental health and wellbeing, building resilience, managing transitions

• • https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/getting-started/coronavirus-and- mental-health/

• Mental Health Foundation – How to look after your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak including resources for supporting children and young people https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus

• Place 2 Be Coronavirus: updates, advice and support https://www.place2be.org.uk/about-us/coronavirus-updates-advice-and-support/

• Young Minds – Tips, advice and guidance on where young people can get support for their mental health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/looking-after-yourself/coronavirus-and-mental- health/

British Psychological Society (BPS) Resources – these resources have been developed to aid professionals and parents/carers in supporting young people in education during the COVID-19 pandemic and returning to school:

• British Psychological Society (BPS) – A resilience and coping framework for supporting transitions back to school https://www.bps.org.uk/sites/www.bps.org.uk/files/Policy/Policy%20- %20Files/Resilience%20and%20coping%20- %20supporting%20transitions%20back%20to%20school.pdf

• British Psychological Society (BPS) – The Psychology of Play: The Division of Educational Psychology has produced this video to provide advice for parents and carers on the psychology behind playtime and how it helps children and young people manage their emotions. https://www.bps.org.uk/coronavirus-resources/public/psychology-play

Information written and provided for the Eden Dora Trust by Dr Emily Talbot, Consultant Clinical Psychologist in Paediatric Neuropsychology