Friendships

• Just under three quarters of children and young people in the sample need help to meet people and make friends (71% ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’). This is consistent with the findings from last year’s survey (73%).
• Results are again similar across the years when comparing whether the children and young people in the samples have a good network of friends. Just under half do not have a good network of friends (45% in 2021 and 47% in 2020) in comparison to almost a third who do (30% in 2021 and 32% in 2020).

The following chart shows that 71% of children and young people need help to meet people and make friends.

Key findings:

Children and young people with an EHCP are slightly more likely to need help meeting people and making friends in comparison to those without one.

Across the board, large proportions of those with different types of SEND needs need this help. Respondents whose children or young people have vision and/or hearing disabilities are the smallest proportion to agree that they need this help. Those with communication and interaction needs and/or social, emotional or mental health needs are only slightly more likely than the others to need help.

The following chart shows that 30% of children and young people have a good network of friends.

Key findings:

There is little difference in opinion depending on whether their child or young person has an EHCP or not and if they have a good network of friends.

Those with a vision and/or hearing disability are slightly more likely to have a good network of friends compared to all other need types. Children and young people with social, emotional or mental health needs are the least likely to have a good network of friends.