Bulletin

Insights into safeguarding issues, local lockdown, and service adaptation under Covid-19

Published

August 22, 2022

Data Hub

Posted by

Data Hub Team

This is the sixth bulletin of the COVID-19 Information and Data Hub which presents the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on people in the immigration system across the UK.

Broadly, there is a similar profile of top needs in the Data Hub Survey 6 to those identified in Survey 5, with isolation and loneliness, deteriorating mental health and homelessness being the top needs. Food poverty, the top need over the lockdown period, is now the 4th highest concern, while isolation and loneliness has remained high.
Increased information sharing has had a substantial impact on how many organisations operate. 79% (30) of these told us that increased information sharing had changed how they coordinate with other organisations, while 50% (19) or more said it had changed their service model, advocacy work, and the issues their organisation is focusing on.
65% (37) of 57 respondents said they had had to adapt their safeguarding procedures under COVID. Remote risk assessments and digital safeguarding are key emerging needs in this area, due to the increased or new safeguarding risks arising with remote service delivery.