ARU Final Report

26 Young people with disabilities’ experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic with drugs which effected many aspects of their lives including their accommodation. Consequently the accommodation provided for young people with disabilities needs to be assessed as not only suitable to their needs but also takes into account their possible vulnerabilities. Many young people with disabilities in our study, particularly those living independently were: Pretty much always worrying about money. Nobody in our study spoke about reduced employment or unemployment per se, as reported in the wider literature around Covid disparities and those with disabilities (Emerson et al., 2021; Shakespeare, Ndagire and Seketi, 2021). However, it is apparent from our data that young people with disabilities need support when managing their finances and budgeting. Although some were happy when this aspect of their lives was managed by others, such as the local council, other young people wanted to have independence around their finances. Consequently, support, such as providing basic education is needed for theseyoung people to be able to plan and manage their money effectively, especially in situationswhere they receive amonthly income such as benefits. Regular support should also be provided to check in with the young people about their finances, particularly during times of additional strain, for example during a pandemic, and address any issues they might have without impeding their desire for independence. Although certain groups of children and young people were allowed to continue attending school, including those with a social worker or an EHCP due to SEND (Children’s Commissioner, 2020), uptake was low. The average proportion of these eligible children and young people attending an education setting between the start of lockdown in March 2020 and schools partially re-opening in June 2020 was just 8 per cent (Department for Education, 2020). Although this average rose to 28 per cent in July 2020, 72 per cent of children and young people with EHCPs were still staying home (Department for Education, 2020). Given these numbers, it is possible that many children and young people with disabilities could find the return to school particularly difficult (Children’s Commissioner, 2020; Toseeb et al., 2020). Our data shows challenges for some young people attending virtual lessons or carrying out schoolwork at home: It’s been terrible unable to have good contact with lectures. I have had Zoom calls with other students but Art is very hands on and I have been doing more hands off and doing more background writing. My Art and Design course finishes in May but I don’t know what I will be doing after this. Furthermore, it is possible that the disruption of routine and the relationships with people at school has detrimentally impacted children and young people with SEND (Toseeb et al., 2020; Toste et al., 2021). Toste et al. (2021) note that school closures have had an impact on all students, but that this impact could be potentially worse for those with disabilities. They raise concern about the short- and long-term impact of the pandemic on disabled students. We therefore suggest provision of additional support to young people with disabilities on their return to face-to-face learning. For many, there are still anxieties about the virus so the possibility of blended or entirely online learning should be considered for these young people in the coming months. Support will need to be responsive to individual need. Conversely, for those young people attending education during the pandemic, many enjoyed the continuation of their routines. They described liking smaller bubbles and engaging in learning. They also described how other aspects of their daily routine such a physiotherapy was able to continue through attending school. Our findings show that having someone to talk to, including family members, social services, and