I remember my first thoughts when I heard about the Scotland and UK lockdown measures to manage the Covid-19 pandemic. It wasn’t for myself or my wellbeing, or my job, but for my niece and nephews. 

If I was anxious about this, and their parents were anxious – through being furloughed and working more hours as key workers – how would that translate to them? In particular, the impact of suddenly being removed from school and their peer groups. For my youngest nephew, I wondered how far this could set back his delayed speech and language skills (it is no coincidence they started to blossom when his older and chattier brother started school!). 

 With my professional head on I began to think of the pandemic as a large scale dose of childhood adversity across the nation. It was still no great leveller on society as I knew that children from less affluent families or disadvantaged backgrounds would be impacted disproportionately. There’s the digital exclusion gap: if you don’t have a computer or tablet to access the internet, how do most pupils access these lessons? If eligible families can’t call to request food deliveries, how do they get the support they need? How do we all find out about local services when we need to default to online by necessity? 

 But I saw some amazing work being done across communities. We’re lucky enough to have free school meals in Scotland, which are continuing over the summer holidays. There were food box deliveries, provision of online learning, and instances of some teachers driving to their pupils’ gardens to facilitate learning through windows. Really inspiring stuff. 

 The necessity to combine resources and work across the whole system came into focus. Communities linking together, neighbours caring for neighbours, organisations working together to help their local communities based on the needs in their areas. The UK Government furlough scheme, Scottish Government food box distribution, continuation of the health visiting service, and work of community organisations is an example of a public health approach.

 And it’s what a public health approach to childhood adversity aims to do. In a new report out last month, Public Health Scotland makes a strong case for continuing the momentum to prevent childhood adversity. Ending childhood adversity - A public health approach focuses on bringing partners together to act on the evidence to prevent the problems that lead to childhood adversity, intervening early and mitigating its harmful consequences. 

 So while childhood adversity cannot be ended without acting on the social determinants of health children must not wait for the change that is needed now - particularly as we continue to live through Covid-19. As we slowly find our way back to normality, the new links we build and relationships we forge can and should be sustained to make a difference in our communities, which can help to end childhood adversity going forward.

 Through action across sectors, within organisations and by individuals to uphold children’s rights, address poverty and create supportive conditions we can prevent poor outcomes for children and counter the impacts of childhood adversity - despite the most adverse of times I have ever known.

 You can read more about what has been achieved across Scotland to end childhood adversity in the report here.