Coronavirus: Youth charities offer advice on moving support online

Youth work charities have come together to offer advice around tackling the coronavirus pandemic for those working with young people, including using digital to stay connected.

UK Youth and the National Youth Agency (NYA) have released three online guides looking at issues such as working from home and supporting young people online.

A central theme is how youth workers need to move activities for young people, including youth centre drop in sessions, online where possible by using social media tools such as WhatsApp, Google Hangouts and Facebook.

With the youth sector largely moving from community to home working the guides also offer advice to workers on staying in contact with colleagues digitally, as well as with specialist support services young people may need.

This includes using work management and communication tools such as Microsoft Teams and Slack. Video conferencing service Zoom is also recommended.

Youth workers in the voluntary and public sectors and are also urged to recommend the range of digital support for young people offered by the charity The Mix.

Staying connected with friends is vital, according to the guide on supporting but young people. But it warns “if the 24-hour news is making you anxious, think about only reading a few headlines a day and limiting how much you see”.

“We advise all non-essential group meetings are closed or delivered digitally (Facebook, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp group call, for example),” states the guide on youth work and activity closures.

“Acute youth work support is essential and should continue. More socially based youth work support (drop-in youth club etc) should cease.”

The guide for youth workers adds: “Use digital technology to facilitate connectivity to each other. Include video calls and phone calls too to try to alleviate loneliness.

“Slack, Zoom and Skype have free services, Microsoft Teams, or social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat.”