Response to the House of Lords inquiry on the Impact of Covid-19
This is our response to the House of Lords Public Service Committee’s inquiry into the impact of Covid-19 on services and how services meet users’ needs.
Before Covid-19, many people were already facing multiple problems accessing services. Although there were some positive signs during the first lockdown, it is clear that people facing severe and multiple disadvantage are now worse off.
Most services now assume that users have moved online and have the skills to access services digitally. However, many people facing multiple disadvantage are still digitally excluded. We also hear that a deep divide remains between professionals and people with lived experience of severe and multiple disadvantage.
We recommend that future services should be co-designed, co-commissioned, co-delivered and co-evaluated with people with lived experience of severe and multiple disadvantage. We also recommend that services should be accessible and inclusive, understanding and responding to the needs and diversity of the communities they serve.
