Understanding Society launched a new Covid-19 survey in April 2020 in addition to their annual survey, collecting new data over 9 waves till September 2021. Together these data are providing valuable analysis on how different groups in society have been affected by the pandemic and how they have responded, particularly given that their circumstances, vulnerabilities, assets and challenges were vastly different. Some inequalities have narrowed, others widened, and some are unclear given the ongoing effects of the pandemic - which have also become entangled with the effects of Brexit.
Revealing detailed analysis on the pandemic, the Insights 2022 Report is being launched alongside a programme of policy events, focusing on three topics:
- The mental health ‘legacy’ of Covid19
- Did furlough help and protect?
- Children in the pandemic
They are hosting an event on each, with a great line up of speakers:
Monday 24 January: The Mental Health Legacy of COVID-19
There have been reports of improvements in mental health for some groups and deterioration in others. This event will discuss how the picture has been changing over time, what government policy got right and wrong, and how to address the long-term effects.
- 9.30-9.35: Welcome and introductions – Raj Patel, Associate Director of Policy, Understanding Society
- 9.35-9.55: Mental health before and during the Covid-19 pandemic – Professor Tamsin Ford, University of Cambridge
- 9.55-10.15: Older people, seeing family, and mental health during the pandemic – Dr Yang Hu, Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Data Science, Lancaster University
- 10.15-10.30: Policy reflections – Lucy Thorpe, Head of Policy at the Mental Health Foundation
- 10.30-10.55: Q&A
- 10.55-11.00: Summary and close
Wednesday 26 January: Did Furlough Help And Protect?
Furlough has been one of the biggest innovations in UK policy – how should its legacy be assessed? What have the financial and health effects been? How has the scheme affected different groups? This event will discuss what they are learning about the experience of furlough.
- 9.30-9.35: Welcome and introductions – Raj Patel, Associate Director of Policy, Understanding Society
- 9.35-9.55: Furlough and household financial distress – Christoph Görtz, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Birmingham
- 9.55-10.15: Economic security, furlough and mental distress – Isabel Taylor, Research Director (Analyst), NatCen Social Research
- 10.15-10.30: Policy reflections – Kate Shoesmith, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Recruitment and Employment Federation
- 10.30-10.55: Q&A
- 10.55-11.00: Summary and close
Friday 28 January: Children in the Pandemic
The pandemic has disrupted children’s schooling. Has it also made educational inequality harder to address? Can schools become better places for targeted learning and mental health, nutrition and social justice? What support is needed, and how might the future of education be different?
- 9.30-9.35: Welcome and introductions – Raj Patel, Associate Director of Policy, Understanding Society
- 9.35-9.55: The emotional and behavioural effects of school closures on children – Professor Birgitta Rabe, Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex
- 9.55-10.15: Learning inequalities during the Covid-19 pandemic: what happened and how can we address it? – Dr Nicola Pensiero, Lecturer in quantitative education and social science, School of Education, University of Southampton
- 10.15-10.30: Policy reflections – Social Mobility Commission (TBC)
- 10.30-10.55: Q&A
- 10.55-11.00: Summary and close