Executive Summary
Families identified a range of areas where they would benefit from support, in relation to health and wellbeing, such as information on cooking healthy meals, understanding nutrition, and encouraging children to eat healthily. Parents want to receive ongoing support throughout their child’s life, in relation to how to meet their physical and emotional needs as they develop through adolescence into young adults.
The effects of COVID-19 lockdowns are still reflected in the high levels of school absenteeism. Young people’s anxiety and stress often results in a wide range of difficulties that can have detrimental impacts on overall wellbeing, with eating disorders and behavioural regulation as significant issues. Parents also need to understand how they can support their child in a wide range of difficult situations, including bereavement. Some individuals will just need advice and information; others will need the opportunity to talk to a professional about their child, exploring whether they need specialist input, a ‘triage’ type approach; a minority will then need direct support. All these services need to be available if parents are to access the support they need.
The interviewees identified a range of recommendations set out below, some of which relate specifically to BCHC. There are others which BCHC may be able to contribute to, working with other statutory bodies, the wider partnerships and community organisations. Some may already be being addressed with these practices already in place in some areas, however, there was no consistency of provisions across the city. It is also acknowledged that some of the recommendations have resource implications which could be challenging to implement in a time of significant economic pressures.
Authors:
Alison Thompson & Debbie Kerslake
Community Researchers:
Fazla Fayaz, Tamanna Rasool, Azra Rasool, Jennifer Walcott, Sarwat Azam,
Adetolu Adeyinka Omotade, Jaspreet Kaur, Farzana Quddus
Published:
June 2024
Download:
BVSC_ReachOut_ChildrenAndFamilies_Report.pdf (408.1 KB)
Tags
community research, community health, healthy eating, family support, covid impact