Hypnotherapy’s role in child mental health
Leah Walsh, from Inspired Minds Hypnotherapy, discusses how hypnotherapy sessions for children differ from adult sessions and addresses the questions parents may have around this form of child mental health therapy… Around half of all lifetime mental health problems start by the mid-teens, and three-quarters by the mid-20s, although treatment typically does not start until a number of years later. The most recent survey of the mental health of children and young people in England found that 12.5% of 5 to 19 year olds had at least one mental disorder when assessed (2017), and 5% met the criteria for 2 or more mental disorders. An increase in child mental health issues The prevalence of mental health issues in children and young people has shown a slight but steady increase in the past few years but sadly the access to services has not kept up with the needs. Services such as CAMHS have lengthy waiting lists and whilst they do their best to manage the needs with the resources they have, when a family feels they have reached a crisis point, waiting for months for an appointment is not always an option and parents are looking more towards private practices for help. Having been one of those parents, I decided when I got into hypnotherapy that one of the areas I wanted to focus on was working with children. I felt it was important that parents had another option available. The popularity of hypnotherapy in children is on the increase and whilst it’s a specialised and challenging area to work in, it’s also greatly rewarding. Using hypnotherapy with children is a vastly different approach – they’re not mini adults and the usual rules don’t apply. Of course, hypnotherapy is not just used to tackle mental health problems and clients are often surprised what it can be used for. From fussy eating (including SED/ARFID) to bed-wetting, tics, stutters and so much more, the problems which hypnotherapy can solve are endless. So how is it done? Parents often have questions such as: “What’s it like for a child to be in a trance?â€, “Is it like mind control?†and “Is it dangerous or harmful?†Using hypnosis with a younger child is best described as the child almost being in a daydream, similar to role playing or reading a story and encouraging their minds to wander whilst tapping into their wonderful imaginative flow. This is the kind of activity that children are used to and comfortable with, so they immediately start to remove the barriers. There are no traditional inductions used to bring about a trance – children are fidgety and wriggly during hypnotherapy sessions and often their eyes are open and they’re very engaged. Hypnotherapy of this kind is carried out using stories and metaphors. I can put them at the centre of an adventure, use magical places they know of or characters they like. Metaphors within hypnotherapy are much like fables and are a highly effective tool to use. Children are often primed to understand fables as they are well used at school and they find it easy to allow their mind to subconsciously seek out hidden messages and meanings. More importantly, metaphors allow a hypnotherapist to deal with an issue that might be sensitive or distressing to the child without even mentioning it. No talking about the issues, no expectations for the child to talk about their feelings or engage in talking with a therapist, just a magical escape with the most wonderful benefits. Leah Walsh HPD PNLP MNCH (Reg.) is a qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist and a practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming, working with both children and adults in the North West. Find out more at inspiredmindshypnotherapy.co.uk
Top of the class – allmanhall launch tech solutions for caterers to start the new school year!
This September sees food procurement experts allmanhall launch a face-lift of their food procurement portal, The Pass. This is an online resource hub and a means for caterers to raise requests for new products or ask questions about deliveries. The face lift adds functionality and also enhances the existing Covid-19 support section and the nutrition & dietetics section. Also in September, allmanhall will continue to offer a Click and Collect solution as well as launching an e-Magazine – Foodsight. Foodsight from allmanhall will collate reports and insights, giving clients a regular, engaging update on what is going on with regards to commodities, markets and food innovations. All of this is the latest in a long line of innovations that allmanhall have been providing over the last few months – from a dedicated Covid-19 resource portal, an online re-opening guide for school caterers plus various webinars and blogs. For more information, visit allmanhall.co.uk Other helpful links: https://allmanhall.co.uk/blog/forecasting-food-inflation https://allmanhall.co.uk/blog/acs-international-schools-case-study https://allmanhall.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Click-Collect-Solution.pdf https://allmanhall.co.uk/covid-19
Millennial parents are the most likely to consider homeschooling in the future
Nearly two in five young parents say they might continue homeschooling 43% of parents enjoyed teaching their children during lockdown London parents enjoyed homeschooling the most Young parents are the most likely to continue homeschooling their children despite schools reopening, new research has revealed. The study, conducted by home education provider, Oxford Home Schooling, found that over a third (36%) of parents aged between 25 and 34 are considering home education as a permanent option, which is more than any other age group. Across all categories, 30% of the nation’s parents say they might keep their children out of school. This is partly because, despite the challenges, many families enjoyed the homeschooling experience. More than two in five (43%) parents said that they had liked teaching their children. Dads were found to have enjoyed homeschooling more than mums, with almost half (48%) of male parents reflecting on the experience positively, compared to 38% of women. Around the country, Londoners savored the experience the most, with 55% of parents in the capital saying they enjoyed homeschooling. Belfast was a close second, at 54%. In contrast, just 15% of parents in Edinburgh said they liked teaching their children – the lowest rate of any city in the UK. The 10 UK cities which enjoyed lockdown homeschooling the most are: 1) London – 55% 2) Belfast – 54% 3) Bristol – 47% 4) Southampton – 47% 5) Norwich – 46% 6) Manchester – 39% 7) Nottingham – 38% 8) Birmingham – 38% 9) Leeds – 36% 10) Glasgow – 35% Another possible reason why so many parents are considering home education is that a staggering 80% felt unsupported by schools during lockdown. Young parents were the most unsatisfied with the level of assistance they received, with 85% of those aged between 25 and 34 feeling isolated. These factors have all contributed to a surge in interest in the services of home education providers. Between May and July this summer, Oxford Home Schooling enrolled 59% more students on courses than it did in the previous year. The largest increase was seen amongst parents of children aged 16 to 18. The provider has seen a 152% rise in enrolments for A-level courses. Greg Smith, Head of Operations at Oxford Home Schooling, said: “We have never had this many calls. Many parents have simply enjoyed the homeschooling experience and want to carry on, but there is also a significant number who are nervous about sending their children back to school. “Our research found that a fifth of parents don’t feel comfortable about the idea of schools reopening as it opens up a whole set of risks for their family.†For more data about the rise of homeschooling in the UK and to see which areas are experiencing the most growth, visit: https://www.oxfordhomeschooling.co.uk/blog/the-growth-of-home-schooling-in-the-uk/
Eleanor Bradley, MD Registry and Public Benefit at Nominet says:
“Covid-19 has undoubtedly shone a light on the importance of digital skills, with the pandemic catalysing a digital transformation in the world of work. This is evident in the many organisations embracing technological innovations in order to maintain business as usual via digital channels. “In light of this, it is positive that the number of students studying STEM subjects at A-Level has increased this year, as part of a longer-term trend. STEM A-level entries in the UK now account for 64% of all courses taken, an increase of 8% over the last five years, according to NTT Data UK. In particular, computing has seen a significant uptake of 131% during this period. “This is an encouraging step in the right direction towards ensuring young people are able to develop the digital skills necessary to fuel our future talent pipeline – vital if we are going to continue to fill the growing number of job opportunities we have in the digital sphere. “However, the job is far from done, and this should not stop us from encouraging more young people to take up STEM subjects at school – the UK economy could lose as much as £141.5bn of GDP growth if we don’t narrow the skills gap which has only been made worse by the pandemic. Encouraging young people into STEM subjects at school is a foundational step in ensuring that the future working generation has the necessary skills for – and interest in – the plethora of digital roles available in the world of work. “As the subjects a student picks for their A-Levels also provides an early indication of the career aspirations for the workers of tomorrow it is fantastic to see a rise in the number of girls taking and excelling in STEM subjects. The total number of girls opting to study computing has grown by 21.8% year to year. “This really is vital when we look at the lack of gender diversity within the tech sector, especially with recent data highlighting how 69% of undergraduates studying STEM subjects are male. Diversity matters in our sector because we need a variety of different people, perspectives and ideas at the table if we are going to create inclusive technology that helps everyone. This year’s A-Level results show we are moving in the right direction to achieve this. “Nevertheless, we still need to fight for wider scale social change. We can achieve this by ensuring more parents, teachers, career advisors and tech sector employees contribute to a wider cultural discourse that will encourage even more girls to take up STEM subjects and improve the tech industry for the better.â€
Teachers to Get 3.1% Pay Rise – But They Could Earn More with Energy Cuts
Educational bodies and services across the UK recently welcomed news that public sector workers – teachers amongst them – would benefit from a wage increase across the year 2020 – 2021. Teachers, specifically, will receive a 3.1% wage increase year on year, meaning that they will benefit from the Chancellor’s latest boosts more than any other group. This is likely to be a huge boon to those teachers who have needed to adapt to shaky school scheduling amid COVID-19. However, there is the potential for more money to be pumped into our education system. “It’s of course great news that our hard-working teachers and tutors are receiving a large wage increase,” Mark Sait, CEO for SaveMoneyCutCarbon says. “However, there are more than a few additional ways for extra funds to find their way into education.” “Small changes can be made by all schools and colleges to create safer, more efficient energy choices”. “Our team has seen educational bodies waste thousands of pounds unnecessarily on outdated electricity and water systems,” he says. “Energy expenditure per pupil, per school will vary. However, figures suggest that secondary schools are likely spending up to £65 per student in terms of electric, gas and water. This is a figure which can be drastically slashed, providing bodies are willing to make reasonable changes.†SaveMoneyCutCarbon’s main focus lies in helping public bodies save money on unnecessary energy wastage, as well as to offer general energy savings advice to the public. They have extensive experience in consulting with the leisure and education spheres, in one case helping Eton College to reduce electricity rates through simple fixture swaps. “There are many ways that schools could, and should be able to save more money,†Sait explains. “We continue to see examples of schools and their boards using outdated light bulbs and tubes. It is a simple enough switch to use LED lighting, which is just as effective, and which runs at a fraction of the cost of ‘energy-saving’ technology.†One of SaveMoneyCutCarbon’s core missions is to show people, and bodies, how easy it is to save money by only making small changes to their daily routines and general fittings. “It is not difficult for schools to make worthwhile changes to the way they expend energy,†Sait observes. “We understand that school boards are likely to want to keep processes as simple as possible. We completely support this – and with a little research, they will see that changing lighting standards is cost-effective and completely painless.†“Not only that, but it’s also hugely beneficial, and straightforward, to rethink school plumbing on a more efficient basis. Outdated cisterns in schools are wasting vast amounts of water. Coupled with electricity wastage, making a few small changes could release 20% of the money schools spend on energy year on year.†Sait believes that, as this money is reportedly simple enough to release, funds could easily repurpose across staff wages and educational facilities. “Our schools are crying out for as much financial support as possible. Yes – the fact that teachers are getting raises in the year to come is wonderful news – but their employers could be freeing up even more money to put to better use if they look into the facts.” “Crucially, this is our concern – that public bodies, and everyday people, simply assume that saving money on energy means having to make large, awkward changes to their lives and daily running. We are not suggesting that schools ever have to go beyond their means.†“We feel, collectively, that the government – and energy regulators – should give the public sector more choice when it comes to saving money on electricity, gas and water. If nothing else, they should offer these bodies information on how they can make small changes that cut down on emissions and which drive down costs.†“Energy conservation, and the economic benefits, start with clear education and messages. Pay rises will come and go – but by saving money on energy, schools will effectively future-proof themselves against potential spikes in prices for years to come.â€
Sir David Carter on the power of collaboration between MATs and LAs
Many multi academy trusts (MATs) have strong existing relationships with their Local Authority (LAs). They work effectively together to deliver a high quality education to all students in their area. But the relationship between MATs and LAs perhaps isn’t always fully utilised and opportunities to collaborate may sometimes be missed. There has historically been an ideological tension between MATs and schools within the maintained sector with some school governing bodies and leaders reluctant to become academies, whilst others have strategically chosen to change their status believing in the benefits to be gained from being part of a formal collaboration. The current climate has offered us a chance to review this. Many trusts have supported maintained schools across the country during the lockdown phase in a way that has not been seen for some time. Now is the time to start exploring the potential for further collaboration as working closely together will be key to tackling the challenges ahead. The role of collaboration in closing the attainment gap School leaders across the country face a challenging few months as they manage the return to school of more staff and children. Educational communities will work together to take responsibility for every child, irrespective of the type of school that they attend, in order to close the performance gap between dis-advantaged children and there peers. Coming together as a community will be critical to building capacity, creating ideas and enabling the simple truths about what works to be communicated across the educational community. A key part of this mission will be re-culturing our schools for September. We know that for some children, often the most vulnerable, the traditional six week summer holiday is challenging. By September it will be almost six months since many children last set foot in their school buildings. The same is true of staff, and schools will be thinking and planning ahead to meet the needs of their workforce as they return to work. Schools will work together and support one another to build a narrative of the experiences of children and their families during lockdown. There will be patterns and trends of experience across the community that will give a clear indication of how life has been since March 2020. By sharing and understanding this information, the whole community can work towards understanding the best way to lead the induction programme in schools that supports students and staff alike. The learning gap is a massive system-wide challenge but we have to remember that a gap already existed on March 20, the last school day for many children. The challenge is to assess the degree to which the gap has widened and then to find a way to set new baselines and work from there. Working together to understand this is important. Children will not be restarting where they left off. For many, there will have been a decline. We need to understand how in primary schools core language and numeracy skills, and in secondary schools the knowledge of exam syllabi that was taught earlier last year, will need reinforcing, and this may be a good place to start. The role of edtech in collaboration Education technology will have a crucial role to play in the way our sector recovers moving forwards. To date, our education system hasn’t been set up for full digital learning because it didn’t need to be. The last few months have uncovered some real barriers to online learning. The lack of sufficient hardware for every child, the connectivity of WiFi and the pedagogical challenges of teaching lessons on a digital platform are just a few of the issues that are making leaders think hard about the immediate future. The technology available has already played a fundamental role in the design of a ‘recovery curriculum’ that goes some way to meeting the needs of every child. EdTech organisations such as Renaissance Learning, who produce programmes such as Accelerated Reader and myON, have enabled thousands of schools across the country to seamlessly access lessons and assessments online. Renaissance offered myON Reader to all schools and pupils for free during the lockdown, providing access to more than 6,000 enhanced digital books to keep the nation reading. Similarly the curriculum, assemblies and enrichment activities available from Oak National Academy have helped schools to set up online learning quickly so they don’t have to ‘invent the wheel’ themselves. Collaboration in the digital space will need to focus on schools, where leaders accept that they do not own the monopoly on great learning for their children. If they have something better than what has been developed elsewhere then great – use it and share it. If however the opposite is true, then we need to accept that others have been ahead of us and that we should welcome and embrace their work and collaborate with them. This cultural change and willingness to embrace innovation from new sources could be the game changer for the way that we consider system wide collaboration in the future. Challenges to be aware of Effective and meaningful collaboration does not come without its challenges. From my experience, it is not unusual to find that many school leaders and governing bodies believe that autonomy from any form of external influence or direction is sacrosanct, and as a result they can become disinterested observers and passive participants in collaboration. This is a tendency we must overcome if we are to succeed together. We must not be limited to our own perceptions of what makes ‘effective practice’. We have to be magpies and steal the best ideas that work, whilst being mindful that what works in one school may not work automatically as well in another. That said, in my experience the action of filtering the practice through the lens of transmission between schools often enhances the original strategy. When collaboration is clear and purposeful and the goals are shared and understood it has the potential to benefit the whole community. The final pitfall
Entrust establishes initiative to provide IT equipment to Birmingham’s disadvantaged
Schools across Birmingham have continued to deliver lessons and other educational activities digitally for pupils who remain learning from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, at the start of the pandemic, there were at least 5,000 disadvantaged young people in the city who did not have the necessary technology to continue with their education. Without suitable access to digital devices, such as laptops, and a robust internet connection, this group were likely to fall behind their peers while they were unable to attend school. Recent government initiatives to provide devices and connectivity for young people have helped bridge this gap, but some pupils sit outside the criteria of eligibility and need further support. Birmingham City Council and local schools are working to address this and separately so is Entrust Support Services (Entrust), part of Capita, which provides education services to schools, academy trusts and local authorities. Entrust has strong relationships across the education technology sector including Birmingham Education Partnership (BEP) who they have partnered with to create the Digital Education Partnership (DEP). The DEP project has expanded to include other partners including: Digital Birmingham, the Birmingham e- Learning Foundation (BeLF), and the Titan Partnership. The project is working to provide IT equipment to those children who need them to continue with their education and has distributed 250 so far. The DEP project is working to deliver, maintain and run these devices. They are doing so by enabling schools to repurpose decommissioned devices and where schools aren’t able to recommission devices, the partnership is funding or part-funding new devices and internet connectivity. Additionally, the partnership is providing technical support to schools to deal with any troubleshooting and ensure that the digital systems including security, that are used on the devices, continue to function. The project is ongoing and to ensure demand is met, the DEP continues to seek funds, donations and devices for repurposing and reuse. John Doherty, Chief Executive of Entrust Support Services, said: “I am proud of the work of every member of our team and our partners involved in establishing and running the Digital Education Partnership. This initiative, along with the separate work by Birmingham City Council and local schools, will ensure that young people, from disadvantaged backgrounds in Birmingham, can continue with their education and engage with their teachers, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, until they can return back to school on a full-time basis.†Manjit Shellis, BEP Assistant Director for Wider Learning, said: “Entrust has been an invaluable partner in setting up this. Entrust have not only provided all the technical support for the project but they have made a considerable contribution to creating a vision and direction for it, which in turn has helped to instigate a citywide conversation on the need for digital inclusion. The project is hugely indebted to the generous pro bono support Entrust provides both operationally and strategically.â€
Educations and career aspirations hard to reach as result of pandemic.
The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly affected all aspects of life, from public health to the economy. Students of all ages have had their education and exam timetables disrupted, and there is talk of the deepest recession the UK has seen for 300 years, with the impact of this predicted to hit young people particularly hard. New research commissioned by EngineeringUK has revealed that educational and career aspirations have already been affected by the pandemic, with just over half (52%) of the 15 to 19 year olds asked agreeing or strongly agreeing that going to university would become more difficult and 41% saying the same of becoming an apprentice. 62% of the 11 to 19 year olds asked agreed or strongly agreed that finding a job in the future has become more difficult as a result of the pandemic. The research makes it clear that the pandemic has had a bearing on young people and the careers they’re thinking about choosing in the future. It reveals over 2 in 5 young people reported that the pandemic has made ‘having a job that you can be certain you can keep’ (44%) and ‘availability of jobs’ (41%) more important to them when considering their future career choices. Considerations such as ‘liking what I do’ and ‘being able to progress in my career’ are sadly lower (33% and 26%). For some young people the pandemic also appeared to raise the importance of having a job that enabled them to make a positive societal contribution, with around a third of respondents indicating that the pandemic has made ‘having a positive impact on society’ (36%), ‘helping people with the work they do’ (34%), and ‘ethics and social responsibility’ (33%) more important when considering career choices. Findings from the research, which surveyed over 1,100 11 to 19 year olds, also suggests that some young people felt their career choices have been constrained because of the pandemic. 30% say the careers they could do has changed as a result of the pandemic and 22% say what they wanted to do as a career has changed. Throughout the survey there were often significant gender differences, with girls/young women more likely than boys/young men to say ‘ethics and social responsibility’ (89% vs 80%) and ‘helping people with the work you do’ (89% vs 79%) were important factors when thinking about jobs they want to do in the future. Exams, home learning and thinking about future education or careers has been tough during lockdown so the survey also looked at whether young people searched out information online, spoke to their parents or took part in any careers activity during this time, with the results showing a gender disparity. Girls/young women were more likely to have used the time to research their futures – 60% of girls/young women, compared to 49% of boys/young men had taken part in a careers activity during lockdown. 44% of girls/young women had discussed career options with their parents, compared with 30% of boys/young men and 27% of girls/young women compared to just 19% of boys/young men had searched for careers information online. Dr Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive of EngineeringUK says: ‘Young people are going to be greatly affected by the pandemic for years to come and they are well aware of it. To hear that children as young as 11 are concerned about their ongoing education and careers is not what anyone wants, but their interest in job security and availability is balanced by an increased desire to benefit people and society. “It is encouraging that the pandemic has resulted in young people being considerably more interested in a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths). Young people know about the role that engineers have played in efforts to combat the pandemic – we need to translate this insight into career aspiration. Interest in engineering careers lags behind that in science and technology so we need to emphasise the opportunities, as the country invests in its infrastructure and net zero, and provide young people with every opportunity to hear about and experience the breadth and societal impact of modern engineering. ‘STEM outreach and work experience needs to be targeted to the schools and students that need it most, including those who are underrepresented in the STEM and engineering workforce and those that are most affected by the pandemic. We need to give these young people the opportunities they deserve and, in turn, we need them to ensure the diversity of thought for a thriving future workforce. ‘We ask that organisations that have been resilient to the impact of the pandemic go above and beyond, supporting young people who may join with their future workforce and that of the wider system – from their supply chain to the wider economy. I also encourage the government to be bold, ambitious and experimental in its support for the next generation and to treat diversity as a priority not as a ‘nice to have’. Together, we can do this and, I truly believe, make a real difference to these young people’s futuresâ€. The findings report, Young people and Covid-19: How the pandemic has affected careers experiences and aspirations, is available online at www.engineeringuk.com/ypcovid
COVID-19 Educational online event watched by eager STEM fans
Big Bang Digital 2020 – science, engineering & Covid-19, the one-day educational online event which took place online in mid-July gave an inspirational and uplifting look at the essential role of science and engineering in a pandemic. Young people had the opportunity to listen and chat to world leading scientists, healthcare professionals, engineers, technicians and other students who have and continue to be vital in the fight against the disease and in keeping essential services and supplies available. The event, watched live by almost 28,000 viewers and viewed by up to 50,000 young people including 4,773 British Sign Language viewers across 24 hours, also played host to exclusive videos from Sir David Attenborough which were part of an interactive session by Plastic Oceans UK on how plastic pollution may well have worsened during the pandemic. Young people were also given the opportunity to ask questions to world-renowned scientist and SAGE member Sir Jeremy Farrar live on air in the Ask the Experts session. Many also joined the GSK workshop to find out more about their work in finding a vaccine. The day also saw a lot of fun with BBC’s Gastronaut Stefan Gates who produced the colours of the rainbow in a science show called Explosion of colour. Viewers also tuned into a session where TV & Radio Science Presenter, Podcaster & YouTuber Greg Foot, who hosted the day, talked to a red panda. The red panda was the on-screen avatar used by an intelligence agent for security reasons as he explained what you should be doing to keep yourself safe and secure online. When polled on the day almost 80% of young viewers said they were inspired to consider a future career in science, technology or engineering, a higher proportion than young people surveyed generally. No doubt so they can be the scientists and engineers of tomorrow, who help prevent future pandemics. It also discovered that 63% of viewers think that people will respect the environment more as a result of seeing the detrimental impact humans can have. Beth Elgood, Director of Communications at EngineeringUK, which organised the digital event, said: “The Big Bang Digital event was a huge success – this was not only evident by the numbers of engaged young people tuning in but also the positive comments we received. To hear that 80% of viewers would consider a future career in science, technology or engineering is so encouraging. We’re really proud that The Big Bang Digital has inspired them and hope it’s long lasting. “We know from research by the British Science Association that almost nine in ten young people do not think scientists (89%) or politicians (92%) are talking to them when discussing COVID-19*, so it was great that the Big Bang Digital was able to give young people insight into the important roles engineers and scientists play in a pandemic, as well as the opportunity for them to ask these experts first-hand any questions they have about the pandemic – an opportunity that otherwise wouldn’t be possible for many.†When asked what they thought about the event, the young viewers made comments, including: “Very informative and enjoyable. Interactive features and the live chat were very useful. Thank you for putting together this event!†“I like how kids can understand Covid-19 by using this website, and you can learn more and meet people who are working here and now.†“I like it because you can hear about all the NHS workers and their stories, and the other important people during the pandemic. I love how you can ask questions to the people on here with a live chat.†“It helped me picture what my parents are going through.†“I’m finding it really interesting and am learning a lot. It’s really good how it’s been related to the times and allows you to hear all the amazing questions and answers, and how we can help in the future, as well as how our lives will be changed.†“This event was a great opportunity for young people to discover more about this pandemic that seems so out of reach.†“Big Bang Digital inspires others to become awesome engineers and to create something new to show the next generation of technology and creativity.†“Big Bang Digital can help you find a good career as I saw the different types of engineering and this is useful for the people who would like to start this career.†During the event viewers were invited to participate in the Meet The Future You Quiz, a careers quiz designed to your skills and passions could lead to an exciting job in the future. 4,900 viewers completed the quiz on the day of the event and an additional 1,369 have done so since. There have also been an impressive 4,194 views of the content since it was made available on demand. The Big Bang Digital 2020 – science, engineering & Covid-19 full stream, as well as individual sessions showcasing the incredible contribution of scientists, healthcare professionals, engineers, technicians and students in responding to the pandemic, is now available to view on demand at www.digitalbigbang.co.uk.