At Home with Children: Liveable Space for the COVID-19 challenge
Lead Research Organisation:
Newcastle University
Department Name: Sch of Architect, Planning & Landscape
Abstract
This study focuses on the uneven psychological and social impact of the pandemic on children, young people and their families through the hidden-in-plain-sight factor of physical domestic space. Many studies challenge the idea of home as a 'haven', arguing that domestic space is also a place of family conflict and negotiation. This challenge has been exacerbated by COVID-19. As a pattern of epidemic ebb and flow becomes a potential long-term reality, increased density of occupation over time and disrupted home-life norms will see the 'liveability' of dwellings for children and their families stretched beyond original capacities, affecting mental health, productivity and well-being.
Informed by a nationwide survey and experiential accounts of child and adult family members, this research explores inter-relationships between social experience, psychological well-being and everyday domestic space. With a focus on the liveability of dwellings set against complex home/school/work conditions, the study also captures spatial forms of resilience that have emerged in response to COVID-19, to better support families' social and psychological well-being. These inventive responses will be synthesised through a co-design process, leading to an evidence-based 'Home-Hack Toolkit' for widespread dissemination directly to families. The broader findings will inform urgent policy-making that better supports those at risk of the pandemic's psychological and social impacts, by identifying the domestic settings and socio-spatial scenarios that present the greatest challenges to families. For longer-term structural impact, the data will also permit testing of UK domestic space standards, creating a crucial resource to inform liveable dwellings for a contemporary 'pandemic-ready' context.
Informed by a nationwide survey and experiential accounts of child and adult family members, this research explores inter-relationships between social experience, psychological well-being and everyday domestic space. With a focus on the liveability of dwellings set against complex home/school/work conditions, the study also captures spatial forms of resilience that have emerged in response to COVID-19, to better support families' social and psychological well-being. These inventive responses will be synthesised through a co-design process, leading to an evidence-based 'Home-Hack Toolkit' for widespread dissemination directly to families. The broader findings will inform urgent policy-making that better supports those at risk of the pandemic's psychological and social impacts, by identifying the domestic settings and socio-spatial scenarios that present the greatest challenges to families. For longer-term structural impact, the data will also permit testing of UK domestic space standards, creating a crucial resource to inform liveable dwellings for a contemporary 'pandemic-ready' context.
Organisations
| Description | This research identified how homes supported, or hindered, the practical, social and psychological needs of families of children during lockdown. Findings record the adaptations that families made to their homes to better support their wellbeing, identifying ways to re-imagine, refurbish and design 'liveable' homes for the contemporary needs of families with children. The project shares possible spatial tactics and home adaptations through a 'Home Hack Toolkit', so that others can directly benefit from these ideas. The findings and recommendations also target housing policy, housing providers and designers as well as professionals in family support roles, identifying the settings and scenarios that present the greatest challenges to families, and providing a crucial resource to inform the design and construction domestic space standards that are geared towards the wellbeing of contemporary families with children. |
| Exploitation Route | The design principles can inform policy-makers, practitioners and organisations involved in family housing design, provision and construction. The home hack toolkit can be used by front-line workers who work with families with children to support well-being. Householders can use the home hack toolkit directly to inform changes to their homes for improved well-being. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Construction |
| URL | https://athomewithchildren.ac.uk |
| Description | The findings informed the research output - the Home Hack Toolkit - which has been piloted for use by Housing Occupational Therapists in Gateshead Council as part of their assessment process with housing tenants. This has altered how these practitioners have approached their conversations with and signposting of householders, thinking of the potential for householder-led alterations to their homes while they await re-housing on what are often long waiting lists. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2023 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy |
| Impact Types | Societal |
| Title | At Home with ChIldren: survey data set and summary statistics |
| Description | Anonymised data set, codes and survey questions plus outline descriptive statistics and results of tests for signfiicant difference carried out on non-parametric data gathered via an online survey of householders; sample size N=1246 households. The householders represented families including children who shared a home in England or Scotland during one of the UK's national COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, 2020-2021. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | N/A |
| URL | https://data.ncl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/At_Home_with_ChIldren_survey_data_set_and_summary_statistics... |
| Title | At Home with ChIldren: survey data set and summary statistics |
| Description | Anonymised data set, codes and survey questions plus outline descriptive statistics and results of tests for signfiicant difference carried out on non-parametric data gathered via an online survey of householders; sample size N=1246 households. The householders represented families including children who shared a home in England or Scotland during one of the UK's national COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, 2020-2021. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | N/A |
| URL | https://data.ncl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/At_Home_with_ChIldren_survey_data_set_and_summary_statistics... |
| Title | At Home with Children: anonymised transcripts |
| Description | Anonymised interview transcripts and summarised results of qualitative semi-structured interviews with 45 families including children - in England or Scotland - who shared a home during at least one of the COVID-19 pandemic UK national lockdowns in 2020. Interviews were in three parts: Part 1 explored how families used and adapted their homes during lockdown, which spaces were most important to them and which didn't work for them. Part 2 focused on family well-being and its perceived relationship to home space. Part 3 was dedicated to talking to children about how they used their home during lockdown, including their favourite place to be and anywhere they didn't like to be. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | N/A |
| URL | https://data.ncl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/At_Home_with_Children_anonymised_transcripts/20223534/1 |
| Title | At Home with Children: anonymised transcripts |
| Description | Anonymised interview transcripts and summarised results of qualitative semi-structured interviews with 45 families including children - in England or Scotland - who shared a home during at least one of the COVID-19 pandemic UK national lockdowns in 2020. Interviews were in three parts: Part 1 explored how families used and adapted their homes during lockdown, which spaces were most important to them and which didn't work for them. Part 2 focused on family well-being and its perceived relationship to home space. Part 3 was dedicated to talking to children about how they used their home during lockdown, including their favourite place to be and anywhere they didn't like to be. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | N/A |
| URL | https://data.ncl.ac.uk/articles/dataset/At_Home_with_Children_anonymised_transcripts/20223534 |
| Description | BPS Article |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Article on the findings of the research and implications for psychologists, for the British Psychological Society (BPS) Member's magazine. There are approx 60,600 members of the BPS. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/lockdown-leads-family-wellbeing-toolkit |
| Description | BPS News article |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The British Psychological Society media contact attended the At Home with Children Stakeholder Event and then wrote an article about this event and the interim findings that were presented. The purpose was to share the interim findings with their membership - psychologists - many of whom work with families. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.bps.org.uk/news/study-presents-evidence-impact-peoples-housing-their-health-and-wellbein... |
| Description | Home Hack Toolkit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The Home Hack Toolkit is a website - an online Resource targeting families with children - to engage householders with the research findings in a visually engaging and interactive way and to present helpful ideas for spatial 'home hacks' to support the needs and wellbeing of families with children. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://homehacktoolkit.co.uk |
| Description | Inside Housing |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Article for Inside Housing magazine reaching a wide range of Housing professionals |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/comment/families-in-homes-built-since-2010-had-a-worse-experience-of... |
| Description | Intergenerational Foundation Blog |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The Intergenerational Foundation requested that we write an article on our project for their Blog. This raised awareness of the project among their own members and followers which includes a wide range of housing professionals, policy makers and general public - ie householders. the blog led to further queries and requests from other organisations to meet and led to recruitment for the research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.if.org.uk/2021/05/28/at-home-with-children-be-part-of-the-research/ |
| Description | Presentation as part of the Pandemic Parenting event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The online event explored Pandemic Parenting from different perspectives and was open to the general public and academics at Newcastle University. Our presentation raised awareness of the project and shared our emerging findings. The presentation sparked discussion and questions afterwards and led to recruitment of further research participants. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Presentation to the RIBA Housing Group |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Architects and professionals working in Housing attended to hear about the project aims. This sparked discussion and questions about the potential scope of the project and is potential impacts. Through the discussion the participants (potential users of the research outputs) helped to shape the direction of the research and its outputs. Awareness of the project was raised and the presentation and discussion sparked later follow-up queries. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Project website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Project website with information about the project for project participants and wider public/policy-maker/practitioners/industry. Includes householder and practitioner-facing outputs for download. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022 |
| URL | https://athomewithchildren.ac.uk |
| Description | Project website: At Home with Children |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | The website raises awareness of the project, describing its aims, methods and sharing updates about events and outputs. It also invites participation in the research and gives detailed information about ethics and consent. So far the main purposes have been to inform (potential) participants about the details of the project and to direct interested professionals and third sector organisations towards. This has generated follow-up questions and contact. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://athomewithchildren.ac.uk |
| Description | RCOT SS- Housing conference talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Talk to raise awareness of the Home Hack toolkit - a major output of the research project - intended to stimulate signposting to the resource by Occupational Therapists. This sparked questions and discussion afterwards and the attendees reported seeing new opportunities to integrate ideas from the toolkit new ways of thinking about space into their client consultations/housing assessment processes. It also led to an invitation to run. webinar for the wider RCOT SS: Housing membership nationally. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.rcot.co.uk/events/rcot-specialist-section-housing-conference-2022 |
| Description | Stakeholder Event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | A free online event open to all to share interim project findings and get stakeholder (future output users') perspectives on our next steps. A presentation wads followed by breakout discussion groups which were intended to inform our project outputs and help to tailor these to our various potential audiences. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://athomewithchildren.ac.uk/newsevents/onlinestakeholdersevent.html |