Safeguarding concerns, practices, and resources in COVID-19 mutual aid groups

Abstract

Community mutual aid groups that sprang up during the COVID-19 pandemic were able to respond flexibly to local needs. Their informal character built trust with local communities, but also meant an absence of formal regulation and hence potential issues around safeguarding. However, there has been little research on COVID mutual aid groups’ safeguarding practices. In the present study, eight organizers of COVID mutual aid groups in the UK describe their group’s concerns, and existing safeguarding resources, and resources they would find useful in the future. Groups often created their own policies, training, reference materials, and safeguarding roles as a way of implementing safeguarding measures. Interviewees expressed three types of concerns around safeguarding: protection from harm (of both volunteers and members of the public), retaining character of mutual aid, and making appropriate referrals. The solutions suggested by interviewees included educational materials, training, funding, consultation, a signposting database, and a forum for COVID mutual aid groups. Some of these needs could be provided by developing relationships with formal community groups. This study suggests some of the mechanisms whereby informal community support groups can retain their grassroots identity and yet protect the health, wellbeing and rights of volunteers and those they work with.

Can group‐based strategies increase community resilience? Longitudinal predictors of sustained participation in Covid‐19 mutual aid and community support groups

“…Alliances and group horizontality were the two group-based strategies that predicted greater future participation intentions over time. Our results are in line with previous qualitative findings concerning organizers' perceptions of the benefits of these strategies (Fernandes-Jesus et al, 2021;Gulliver et al, 2023;Mao et al, 2022) as well as with longstanding research findings on the benefits of strong bridging and linking social capital for community resilience (Aldrich, 2017;Aldrich & Meyer, 2015). For example, Covid-19 mutual aid group organizers identified that alliances with local authorities, charities, and other…”

“…Our results are in line with previous qualitative findings concerning organizers' perceptions of the benefits of these strategies (Fernandes‐Jesus et al, 2021; Gulliver et al, 2023; Mao et al, 2022) as well as with longstanding research findings on the benefits of strong bridging and linking social capital for community resilience (Aldrich, 2017; Aldrich & Meyer, 2015). For example, Covid‐19 mutual aid group organizers identified that alliances with local authorities, charities, and other Covid mutual aid groups can be practically useful for sharing informational resources and problem‐solving (e.g., around safeguarding procedures), promoting a strategic plan for service delivery, and increasing mutual aid groups' leverage in their area (Mao et al, 2022). Our findings thus suggest that organizers' knowledge and adaptive use of group alliances (without compromising independence, Power & Benton, 2021) is important for supporting and enhancing the activities of Covid‐19 mutual aid groups and other informal community support groups.…”

“…Covid mutual aid groups can be practically useful for sharing informational resources and problem-solving (e.g., around safeguarding procedures), promoting a strategic plan for service delivery, and increasing mutual aid groups' leverage in their area (Mao et al, 2022) Nonetheless, the fact that these strategies predicted sustained participation over a short time period attests to their applied potential. Finally, whereas attrition between waves was considerable (49.8%), our sample size exceeds the power required for our analyses.…”