Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry|5 Nov 2024

Testimony by Lorna Kettles, policy manager at Early Years Scotland.

Introduction

Lorna Kettles is currently the policy and engagement manager of Early Years Scotland ('EYS') and has held this role since November 2022. She holds a old a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Glasgow and has worked in policy within the voluntary sector for over 15 years.

Testimony

NB: Some crucial statement remarks were COMPLETELY OMITTED from the oral evidence (added at end of article).

Children’s rights

I wasn’t just the eldery in care homes who had their rights abused under the guise of ‘COVID’ and as per care homes testimony ‘‘guidance’’ is blamed not the mindless compliance itself.

• No singing

• No cuddly toys

• No rights of association

‘‘They WEREN’T ALLOWED to SING….it was so hard to keep children away from other children.’’

‘‘Children WEREN’T ALLOWED to take their comforters…their little bears or blankets to nursery.’’

Play impacts

Following the seance.

• No sand

• No playdough

• No parks

‘‘Children couldn’t play with things they would normally play with…sand..water..making playdough.’’

‘‘They’d come back to nursery and there would be a slide and they would be frightened to go down it or they didn’t know how to go down it.’’

Mask wearing adverse impacts

There has been an increase in children requiring additional support needs (‘ASN’) due to mask wearing. Particularly for speech and language issues.

• The Royal College of speech and language therapists are ‘‘concerned.’’

‘‘We were really really concerned about that (harms from masks) and we fought really hard to have that taken out of the guidance.’’

Adverse developmental impacts

• Motor skills

• Social development

• Sleep

• Play

• Personal skills

‘‘We could see the impacts and the concerns members were coming to us with.’’

In her statement Ms.Kettles says:

‘‘Restrictions had an IMMENSE impact on children under 5.’’

Social and emotional impacts

‘‘There was babies who had never seen another baby.’’

‘‘If a child is upset they want a cuddle..we weren’t allowed to…their parents could cuddle them.’’

Statement highlights

Not mentioned at the inquiry.

‘‘Members contacted EYS to say that children were talking about death or playing being in a hospital.’’

-Paragraph 149 of statement

‘‘Children in nursery settings are usually tired out at the end of the day. During the pandemic, there was not enough stimulation and children were only allowed outside, for example, for 1 hour a day.’’

-Paragraph 158 of statement

Lessons learned section

Usually this evidence is how the oral testimony concludes but was omitted.

‘‘It is, however, only now that EYS is seeing the real impact of the pandemic. Young children who were '‘lockdown babies’' are experiencing speech and language delays due to not having the same opportunities as they would usually have had to interact with others.’’

-Paragraph 241 of statement

‘‘The combination of the pandemic and the current cost of living crisis is hitting the most vulnerable in society hardest.’’

-Paragraph 242 of statement

‘‘There could have been more emphasis on sensible approaches and common sense approaches in decision-making, such as not banning singing or transition toys.

‘‘The demonising of children as 'superspreaders' was also unfounded.’’

-Paragraph 245 of statement

Thanks for reading.

End

Links:

Video-Youtube- Impact hearing | Education and certification | 5 November 2024 (afternoon session)

https://earlyyearsscotland.org/