ARU Final Report

Full Report – May 2021 23 I still feel anxious about Covid but I spend most of my time at home with my family. My elder brother is at university…... I did get anxious when he was at uni because of Covid, especially when he returned to Uni in September last year. I did worry about him for about four days. 4.4 Contact with family and friends Fifteen young people reported that they had regular contact with family and friends before the pandemic while one young person said they did not. For the most part this contact was with family or other young people they lived with as well as contact with peers at school or college: I would see my family and have an overnight stay. I would have phone calls. I would be able to have contact with my sister. I would see my friends at college. Living with my parents in the family home. I would speak with other family members and friends over the telephone. I would meet with friends outside of college around once a month – not that often. We would go out for a meal or meet upwith themand do an activity sometimes. Yes I speak to my Mum a lot and my brother to wind him up. I went into town with friends, LGBT club. Yes, went to see my family and went out with friends. Yes I would go places around XXX with my friends, meet up regularly, I also went to their houses and went to see my family down south. I used to see my Mum once a week. I also used to go out shopping with my friends quite a lot. Since the pandemic started, some young people had continued contact with family by being in the same bubble; however, some experienced a significant reduction in contact especially with friends. The type of contact also shifted from face- to-face to phone, text, or online platforms: …but not all of them, because they are not all coming to school. Occasional contact, seeing them, mostly by text. I saw my family at Christmas. I have phone calls a lot. I haven’t seen my friends since college hopefully I can see them soon but not now obviously. I can get them on Facebook. Yes with my family not with my friends. I text and visit my Mum and brother. I speak to my Mum and Dad, my Dad is in my bubble so we have a fish and chip night every week. I play games with my friends online. At Christmas I stayed with my Mum and my brother, they are in my bubble. I also stayed with my dad when my floor was being fixed. I still see my Mum and Nana as I’m in their bubble. My friends, not really, I just see them over the phone and messages. I am ok for Wi-Fi as I live in supported housing and it’s paid for. Young people were asked if there was anything hindering their contact with friends and family during the pandemic. Some spoke about the imposed Covid-19 restrictions: Friends, because of restrictions with Covid I couldn’t meet them anymore. Also due to my mental health I struggled to get out and message online, felt that others were busy. [Young person’s] parents have continued to visit twice aweek during the pandemic – that has not changed. The main change is that her siblings have not been able to accompany them. She is very sad about this and can’t wait for that to change again. She is the eldest of 5 and misses