The aim of the research is to investigate how young people’s wellbeing priorities and how different forms of youth work participation in Scotland impact their ability to take action to address those priorities, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bynner et al. (2020) note that the climate of lockdowns, isolation, and social distancing has contributed to substantial shifts in our daily lives, resulting in severe repercussions for health and wellbeing. Adult populations have been at the forefront of many COVID-19 wellbeing studies, but there is a lack of research on young people’s experiences (Guessoum et al., 2020; Suhail, Iqbal, and Smith, 2020).

Research shows that people belonging to Scottish communities of multiple deprivations are facing extensive challenges, which, although predating the pandemic, have been exacerbated by it (The Scottish Government & COSLA, 2020). Specifically, it has worsened the disproportionate effects for “…households on low incomes or in poverty, low-paid workers, children and young people, older people, disabled people, minority ethnic groups, and women” (Scottish Government & COSLA, 2020, p.4).

The literature provides strong evidence that the detrimental impacts of the pandemic have hit young people hardest out of any group (Hagell, 2021; Leavey, Eastaugh, and Kane, 2020). It has deeply intensified poverty, impacted employability and education outcomes, and hindered wellbeing (Bynner et al., 2020; The Scottish Government and COSLA, 2019; The Scottish Government, 2021).

Recent research argues that community organisations, such as youth projects, are ideally placed to address and solve local problems caused by the pandemic (Leach et al., 2020; O’Sullivan et al., 2021; Suhail, Iqbal, and Smith, 2020). For example, Stansfield, Mapplethorpe and South (2020) argue that communities and youth work have been paramount in helping meet the needs of the most vulnerable. Youth work services articulate that they have been significant in supporting young people throughout COVID-19 (UK Youth, 2021; Youth Scotland, 2020; YouthLink Scotland, 2020), but young people’s views are missing.

This research addresses this gap in the literature by investigating the experiences of those young people who have been most detrimentally impacted by COVID-19. This project seeks not only to speak to young people about their experiences but to find out what they need from youth work in Scotland. How much do youth work services listen to young people? Is there meaningful engagement of young people in youth work? This study will get to the heart of these issues by investigating young people’s perspectives on the role of Scottish youth work in supporting youth wellbeing.

The primary research question of this research is: How can young people’s wellbeing be better supported by Scottish youth work? The sub-questions are: How do young people define wellbeing?; What are young people’s priorities concerning wellbeing, Scottish youth work, and the impact of COVID-19?; How can young people be supported to take control of their wellbeing?

Empowerment theory has been chosen as a focus of the theoretical frameworks of this research because of its emphasis on social justice, where the individual is an active participant in the empowerment process (Rappaport, 1981). Additionally, this theory has become a focus due to its acknowledgement of the inextricable link between power and empowerment (Page & Czuba, 1999). This theory is vital in enabling power to be disseminated and rightfully restored to individuals. The shift from tokenistic engagement in the name of empowerment is at the heart of this research and consequently creates space for highlighting youth perspectives, a central aim of this study. Lastly, empowerment theory and its key concepts will contribute to the lens from which the data will be analysed.

This research employs a qualitative methodology within a participatory paradigm grounded in constructivist beliefs. The paradigm relies on a relationship between researcher and participant based on collaboration and allows for the creation of co-constructed knowledge grounded in emancipation and transformation (Howell, 2013). In this study, participatory visual methods will be utilised to conduct research with young people as co-creators of knowledge. Photovoice is the intended primary method from the outset. It requires the participants to be responsible for taking their own photographs. However, participatory visual methods challenge participants and have “…the potential to reinforce rather than disrupt existing social conditions and dominant arrangements of power and participation” (Cook-Sather, 2007, p.389). Therefore, photo-elicitation, a less demanding data collection method, is also built into the methodological framework from the beginning by way of risk mitigation. This methodology will employ the following methodological instruments: 1. Photovoice/Photo-elicitation: a. One of the primary purposes of the research is to highlight young people’s perspectives which photovoice and photo-elicitation can facilitate. b. Photovoice is a process by which participants take photographs in everyday life representing the issues within the study's remit. Their photographs will then be used in discussions allowing participants to discuss issues and identify priorities. c. For photo-elicitation, the researcher will provide photographs instead (Harper, 2002). d. Using the SHOWeD method (Wallerstein & Bernstein, 1988; Wang & Burris, 1997), participants will write short stories about the photos they identify as most important. e. They will write three short participation stories describing how prepared they felt to take action to address the priorities they identified throughout the project. f. Lastly, there will be an exhibition to enable local stakeholders to observe and discuss the participants’ work. 2. Open-ended Questionnaire: a. Employed after the exhibition. b. Elicits information from stakeholders, including their position, attitudes towards the photos and themes the young people produced in the photovoice sessions, and their plans to address these themes. 3. Semi-structured Interview: a. Participants will be asked about one or two of their photos, accompanying photo stories, participation stories, and experiences within the photovoice project.

The young people’s photographs will undergo participant-led coding and reflexive thematic analysis. All other data will undergo reflexive thematic analysis using NVivo. Expected findings will demonstrate that Scottish youth work, while helpful in some areas to young people, can improve in other areas that are more important to the participants. Expected outcomes for the participants include positive individual empowerment and the ability to take control of their own wellbeing. Additionally, this research intends to support young people in identifying issues of importance and creating a list of actionable things they can do to lobby for change in their local communities. These issues and actionable items will also help identify ways Scottish youth work can better support youth wellbeing and how COVID-19 has impacted wellbeing. This research will act as a liaison for young people’s voices to be heard by allowing them to pose, discuss, and interpret problems related to wellbeing, youth work, and the impact of COVID-19. The co-creation of knowledge through this participatory visual methods project will facilitate an investigation into how young people’s wellbeing can be better supported by Scottish youth work and how young people can be better supported to take control of their wellbeing. Additionally, this project will meaningfully engage young people with academia and relevant stakeholders within their local community. It will encourage participants to be curious about their experiences while learning how to lobby for change.

Bynner, C., McBride, M., Weakley, S., Ward, S., & McLean, J. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on families, children and young people in Glasgow. Cook-Sather, A. (2007). Resisting the Impositional Potential of Student Voice Work. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 28(3), 389–403. Guessoum, S.B. et al. (2020) “Adolescent psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown,” Psychiatry Research, 291, p. 113264. doi:10.1016/J.PSYCHRES.2020.113264. Hagell, A. (2021). Summarising what we know so far about the impact of Covid-19 on young people. Harper, D. (2002). Visual Studies Talking about pictures: A case for photo elicitation Talking about pictures: a case for photo elicitation. Visual Studies, 17(1). Howell, K. E. (2013). An introduction to the philosophy of methodology. London: SAGE. Leach, M. et al. (2020) Covid-19 - a social phenomenon requiring diverse expertise - Institute of Development Studies. https://www.ids.ac.uk/opinions/covid-19-a-social-phenomenon-requiring-diverse-expertise/ Leavey, C., Eastaugh, A., & Kane, M. (2020). Generation COVID-19: Building the case to protect young people’s future health. O’Sullivan, K. et al. (2021) “A Qualitative Study of Child and Adolescent Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ireland,” International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(3), pp. 1–15. doi:10.3390/IJERPH18031062. Page, N., & Czuba, C. E. (1999). Empowerment: What Is It? Journal of Extension, 37(5). https://archives.joe.org/joe/1999october/comm1.php Rappaport, J. (1981). In praise of paradox: A social policy of empowerment over prevention. American Journal of Community Psychology, 9(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00896357 Stansfield, J., Mapplethorpe, T. and South, J. (2020) The community response to coronavirus (COVID-19) - UK Health Security Agency. https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2020/06/01/the-community-response-to-coronavirus-covid-19/ (Accessed: September 30, 2021). Suhail, A., Iqbal, N. and Smith, J. (2020) “Lived experiences of Indian Youth amid COVID-19 crisis: An interpretative phenomenological analysis,” https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764020966021, 67(5), pp. 559–566. doi:10.1177/0020764020966021. The Scottish Government and COSLA (2019) Children & Young People’s Mental Health Task Force: Recommendations. The Scottish Government, & COSLA. (2020). Scotland’s Wellbeing: The Impact of COVID-19. https://nationalperformance.gov.scot/ The Scottish Government (2021) COVID-19: Children, young people and families: June 2021: Evidence Summary. UK Youth. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on young people & the youth sector. Wallerstein, N., Bernstein, E. (1988). Empowerment Education: Freire’s Ideas Adapted to Health Education. Health Education and Behavior. 15, 379–394. Wang, C., & Burris, M. A. (1997). Photovoice: Concept, Methodology, and Use for Participatory Needs Assessment. Health Education and Behavior, 24(3), 369–387. Youth Scotland (2020) Rising to the Challenge: Community-based youth work and Coronavirus. YouthLink Scotland (2020) COVID-19 Education Recovery: Youth Work.