The voices of 15 Hearings-experienced young people are at the heart of new research looking at virtual Hearings during the Coronavirus pandemic.
In addition, three young people – Andrew, Ciara and Zodie, all Our Hearings, Our Voice Board Members also worked on the project along with researchers from Corporate Parent, SCRA.
The findings have now been published in a new book that explores children and young people’s experiences of different forms of care during the pandemic.
The research is based on the views of 15 Hearings-experienced young people and 23 caregivers. It also features illustrations by two young people from Our Hearings, Our Voice.
The study showed the positive and negative impact virtual Hearings had on children and young people.
Young people said the positives were:
- They felt better protected
- More choices around when and where to participate
- They used the chat bar and emojis to share their reactions and thoughts
- It made them feel more confident to ask for things
Young people said the negatives were:
- It could affect children and young people’s ability to effectively participate in Hearings
- That virtual Hearings felt less personable than in person Hearings
- Young people worried about the privacy of the virtual space.
More detailed information about the research is available on SCRA’s website.
If you are participating in a virtual Hearing, please remember there’s lots of information on this website.