As the extent of the crisis escalated in March 2020, local authorities, children’s home providers and social care practitioners hastily drew up action plans to keep the roughly 10,000 vulnerable children living in residential care safe. Maintaining participation in education as schools closed, ensuring young people observed restrictions in movement during the national lockdown, supporting the mental wellbeing of isolated children and workers, keeping staffing at safe levels and obtaining PPE (personal protective equipment) when there was a global shortage were some of the key challenges for children’s home managers and providers.
Thankfully, the measures implemented ensured few children’s homes were closed as a result of virus outbreaks or due to staff having to self-isolate. However, the resurgence in infection rates during the autumn, particularly in the North West, North East and West Midlands – areas that account for 60 per cent of residential child care settings (see graphics) – is set to be equally as challenging for the sector due to most children having returned to school and the patchwork nature of local lockdown restrictions.
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