How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect wellbeing of staff working in child and family teams?

Abstract

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, child and family health teams were required to adapt and prioritise services, which were increasing in demand. This investigation aimed to understand how the changes in service delivery and workload, as a consequence of the pandemic, impacted the wellbeing of staff in these teams. Using two datasets, a quantitative secondary analysis of anonymised routine patient data and a qualitative primary interpretive analysis of data, collected via focus groups and an interview with staff, were conducted. The quantitative data confirmed that universal contacts have increased dramatically since the pandemic and all tiers have increased in duration. Three themes were identified in the qualitative analysis as having the greatest impact on staff wellbeing: redeployment, increased workload and remote working. Staff need supportive opportunities to share their experiences to identify specific dimensions of stresses felt individually during times of pressure on services.