Reducing teenage pregnancy
and support for young parents
action plan 2012 - 2015
www.cornwall.gov.uk
Dear Friend
I have great pleasure in recommending the “Reducing teenage pregnancy
and support for young parents” action plan to you. It is essential that if we are
to maintain and improve on the great strides made in this service over the
last 3 years and further improve outcomes for our children and young people,
we must maintain the momentum by further working together within our
communities and with our young people – this action plan details just some
of the ways in which we intend to do this.
Working together in this arena is not a new concept – in fact, here in Cornwall,
we have been working in a joined up way for many years, and I am glad to
say we have seen many successful initiatives which have become nationally
recognised best practise developments. I am convinced that together we
can and will further improve our commissioning and provision of services to
young people as they enter adulthood.
I would like to thank and applaud the dedication and ownership of everyone
that is involved in providing services to young people within the public,
voluntary and community sectors who continue to play their part and have
the greatest pleasure in endorsing this document to you.
Most Truly
Neil
Neil Burden CC
Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Deputy Leader
Cornwall Council
We intend for this Action Plan to be a live document that will be amended and
updated as work develops and partnerships are made. The actions detailed have been
agreed by Cornwall Council, NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and the partners
referred to. This version is accurate only at point of publication. For development
around particular action points, or if you would like to work in partnership with the
Action Plan, please contact [email protected]
Contents
Page
Priority 1
To provide early intervention for young
people who are deemed to be at increased
risk of teenage pregnancy and poorer
sexual health.
Key objective 1.1
Key objective 1.2
Key objective 1.3
4
9
10
Key objective 2.1
11
Key objective 3.1
Key objective 3.2
Key objective 3.3
Key objective 3.4
Key objective 3.5
14
15
16
18
19
Key objective 4.1
Key objective 4.2
Key objective 4.3
Key objective 4.4
21
25
27
28
Key objective 5.1
Key objective 5.2
Key objective 5.3
29
32
33
Key objective 6.1
35
Priority 2
The needs of young people who come
under the remit of the Teenage Pregnancy
Action Plan is understood and addressed
through eff ective use of local data.
Priority 3
Increase access to Contraception and
Sexual Health Services so that young
people have easier access to contraceptive
and sexual health services and a greater
choice of contraceptive methods across
Cornwall9.
Priority 4
Children, young people and their parents
will benefit from high quality relationships
and sex education provision, advice and
guidance on a formal and informal basis, in
a variety of settings.
Priority 5
Protecting the future health and wellbeing
of teenage parents and their children.
Priority 6
Workforce development that takes a
sustainable approach to ensuring that
children, young people and families have
access to professionals who can effectively
support them.
Teenage pregnancy action plan
3
Priority 1
To provide early intervention for young people who are deemed to
be at increased risk of teenage pregnancy and poorer sexual health.
Key objective:
pathways for identifying children and young people ‘at
1.1 Develop
risk’ of early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy and offer early
intervention and support.
Evidence suggests that early intervention to
promote social and emotional development
can significantly improve mental and physical
health, educational attainment and employment
opportunities as well as prevent teenage
pregnancies, drug and alcohol misuse and
criminal behaviour1.
pregnancy and sexual health in their work with
schools. School nurses are commissioned to be
highly visible and accessible to pupils in school
and at a minimum provide a weekly drop in clinic,
plus targeted interventions for any young people
who may need additional support, advice, or
guidance, including vulnerable young people at
risk from risk taking behaviours and poor sexual
Effective early intervention with children and
health. The new school nurse service specification
families is a key component in Cornwall’s
is currently being developed and as part of
Children’s and Young People’s Plan2 and
programme to safeguard children, and promoting this we are exploring the historical agreements
surrounding the provision of contraception in
positive outcomes for vulnerable children
school and the role of the school nurse within
is incorporated in the 2012/13 Safeguarding
this.
Improvement Plan3.
In Cornwall the “CAF4” process routinely considers
and addresses the needs of young people who
are at risk due to both risk taking behaviour and
difficult family situations. This is integrated into
CAF training and guidance for completion of
CAFs.
School nurses in Cornwall are commissioned
under the Healthy Child Programme5 which
promotes prevention and early intervention
with a specific emphasis on addressing teenage
Our currently commissioned young parent service
WILD continues to contribute to prevention work
in Cornwall via a peer education programme;
WILD trains young mothers to lead workshops
with vulnerable groups in schools speaking about
the realities of young parenthood. Young people
who have participated in these workshops
have commented on the benefit of learning
from ‘real life’ people and felt it increased their
understanding of teenage pregnancy, the realities
of young parenthood, the benefits of safer sex
and delaying parenthood.
1 Allen, G (2011) Early Intervention: The next steps, HM Government
2CYP3 Cornwall Children’s Trust: Children and young people’s plan 2012/13.
3 For more information on safeguarding procedures and requirements go to www.swcpp.org.uk
4 Common Assessment Framework
5 For more details about the Healthy Child Programme please visit www.dh.gov.uk
4
Recognising that young people in and leaving
care are a particularly vulnerable group. WILD
work in close partnership with Carefree,
supporting young people in or leaving care
through the joint delivery of the Developing
Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Flare Course
which aims to build confidence, aspirations
and enterprise skills. WILD also fosters a strong
working relationship with social care and youth
work teams via joint workshops, cross-referrals,
advocacy and training ensuring positive
communications links are maintained with
children’s workforce teams across the Authority.
Poor sexual health can also be a risk indicator
of potential abuse and child exploitation. The
Local Authority has recently appointed a Lead
for Child Sexual Exploitation Officer whose role
involves implementation of the South West Child
Exploitation Strategy in Cornwall.
Lead for Child Sexual
Exploitation Officer
The Lead for Child Sexual Exploitation Officer’s
duties include:
• Working with other areas across the South
West peninsula on a joint protocol and
strategy for Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
• Facilitating monthly area Missing and CSE
operational forums to ensure multi-agency
working and sharing of information to
protect children and young people
• Supporting workforce development via
training, multi agency workshops and
raising awareness sessions
• Data collection and developing information
sharing protocols and pathways in order to
protect children and young people
For more information about the post and CSE
please contact [email protected] or
the Safeguarding Unit on 01872 254549.
The Teenage Pregnancy Coordinator and Lead
for Child Sexual Exploitation Officer work closely
together to ensure an integrated approach
around vulnerabilities and risk taking behaviour.
The Teenage Pregnancy Coordinator sits on the
Missing and CSE operational forums and the
two posts are considering the potential for joint
workforce training opportunities (please see
priority six). Multi agency CSE awareness sessions
will be taking place throughout Cornwall and the
Isles of Scilly in January, February and March 2013.
Brook also offer targeted work to those identified
as at risk of poor sexual health, in particular
through their boys and young men worker.
Brook Boys and Young
Men Worker
The Brook Boys and Young Men Worker
offers both one to one and group work
support to boys and young men identified as
exhibiting risky behaviour and poor sexual
health in order to help them:
• Acquire knowledge and understanding of
sexual health
• Increase uptake of Chlamydia screening
and sexual health services
• Form positive attitudes to relationships
• Develop skills to enable them to
participate in safer sexual relationships
• Understand parenting issues, particularly
among young fathers
• Providing one-to-one education
sessions for young men at risk of a poor
understanding of healthy relationships,
poor sexual health or displaying
inappropriate sexual behaviour
• Supporting youth organisations to
develop ways of working with boys and
young men
We are currently evaluating the impact of
this post and looking at options for the
future.
Teenage pregnancy action plan
5
Recognising how important positive aspirations
and self esteem are to supporting positive
outcomes for young women, Cornwall College
in partnership with Leading Women UK, are
developing ‘young women inspiration days’.
These sessions, which are currently being piloted
with young women in years 9, 10 and 11, aim
to raise aspirations, confidence and self-belief
alongside providing young people with an
opportunity to meet and talk with positive role
models. We know from research that both low
aspirations and educational disengagement
are significant risk factors in relation to teenage
pregnancy and so look forward to hearing the
outcomes from this pilot and the potential impact
these sessions can have in addressing these
factors.
The SAFE Project
6
The SAFE Project, which sits within the Cornish
charity Skoodhya, has delivered lessons around
safe relationships and preventing domestic
abuse to all year groups at two schools, Richard
Lander and Pool Academy and to many of the
County’s schools at Year 9, including on the Isles
of Scilly, for the last four years. This has enabled
young people to recognise warning signs that a
relationship might be becoming abusive.
either school’s anti-bullying policies but is now
specified in both, supporting a position that
bullying will not be tolerated, the sanctions that
will be used to deal with it and the commitment
on staff’s part to challenge it whenever it arises.
The SAFE project have also been able to offer
individual support on particular elements of
domestic abuse on request from the schools they
work with.
The project has strong links with colleagues at the
Willow Centre, Cornwall’s Sexual Abuse Referral
Centre, as a result of students they are working
with speaking to workers about their experience
of rape and the ongoing Police investigations.
Sexual bullying was not previously covered in
In the academic year 2012/13 the SAFE project are
working with secondary schools in Wadebridge,
Truro, Saltash, Launceston, Helston and Falmouth
and are always interested in taking the project to
other schools who might be interested. For more
information please contact Sarah Leigh on
[email protected]
What we need to do:
Action
Evidence we have done so
Who should
make sure
this happens
We want young people to
understand the difference between
positive and negative relationships
and be able to make positive
choices about the relationships
they embark on. To support this
CLEAR (Children Linked to and
Experiencing Abusive relationships)
have been commissioned to
develop an educational intervention
to be delivered across schools.
This interactive programme will
promote positive aspirations and self
esteem alongside understanding of
healthy and risky relationships. The
programme will also signpost young
people identified to be experiencing,
or linked to abusive relationships,
into the organisations’ therapeutic
service.
The CLEAR Healthy relationships
programme delivered to Year 9 pupils
in the Safer Town schools6 by July 2013.
Community Safety
and Protection,
Cornwall Council
We will establish a consistent
and effective form of two way
communication with front line
practitioners in order to disseminate
up to date information across the
workforce as well as gain feedback
from frontline staff about their
experience and perception of needs.
The Healthy Relationship Programme
will be measured by the impact of
the programme on the attendees
including being able to evidence that
as a result of attending the programme
90% of attendees can as a minimum;
• Differentiate between positive and
negative relationships
• Understand the importance of
own self-esteem and respect and
have achieved a higher level of
self-esteem and respect for self and
others through the programme
• Understand and be able to identify
pressures and expectations within
relationships and to make informed
decisions that prioritise their needs
and are respectful to themselves and
others
• Understand the impact on their own
health and wellbeing if engaging in
risky behaviour
• Be able to identify warning signs
within their own relationships
• Understand the range of services
for support and be able to access
support
Either the establishment of a Teenage
pregnancy practitioner network, or
The inclusion of the teenage
pregnancy agenda onto an existing
network, or
Supporting
Families, Cornwall
Council
Ensure updated information about
services, strategies and resources are
available via an existing information
channels.
6http://safercornwall.co.uk/make-a-difference/priority-areaspriority-actions/
Teenage pregnancy action plan
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What we need to do:
Action
Evidence we have done so
Who should
make sure
this happens
We recognise that many young
people who are engaged with
our Children’s Social Work and
Psychology Service care may be
vulnerable to poor sexual health.
This includes children and young
people who are in care as well as
those who have a child protection or
child in need plan. We also recognise
that children and young people
with additional needs may need
additional support.
Membership of taskforce agreed and
group established.
Supporting
Families
The development of practice
guidelines that align with current child
protection procedural manual.
Children’s
Social Work
and Psychology
Service, Cornwall
Council
We will put together a task force of
frontline practitioners and policy
leads to develop practice guidelines
for workers which assists them to
identify and work with children and
young people at risk of poor sexual
health and teenage pregnancy.
Potential indicators:
The taskforce will consider the
differing remits and relationships
of the various roles across the
workforce including, but not limited
to, assessment worker, family
support worker, residential worker
and foster carer.
We also recognise that Locality
based Integrated Youth services,
and those providers externally
commissioned to provide these, as
key partners delivering direct work
with young people. These services
both universally promote positive
relationships and sexual health as
well as identifying young people at
risk of poor sexual health to whom
they can deliver direct interventions.
To ensure the work of the services
continue to be positive and current
we will undertake a review of the
service’s Relationship and Sex policy
and practices including a review
of the multi-agency sexual health
training for practitioners.
8
Practice guidelines agreed by Senior
Management team and Children’s
Leadership Group.
Implementation of practice guidelines
across the Children’s Social Work and
Psychology Service.
Evidence that risk factors have been
considered and appropriate action
taken within case notes
Young people and children’s workforce
reporting an increase in advice
provided by professionals.
Updated Relationship and Sex policy
implemented across Integrated Youth
Services.
Refreshed sexual health training for
frontline workers.
Supporting
Families, Cornwall
Council
Key objective:
1.2
Increase our understanding of the needs of teenage parents and the
reasons why they have become teenage parents.
In 2012 we interviewed the education group:
Young Mums Will Achieve to try and better
understand the reasons why these young people
became young mothers and to see if there were
common factors within their lives with which they
would have benefited from more support. We are
currently in the process of analysing the results.
Role of the Teenage Pregnancy and Sexual Health Coordinator
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly PCT currently
fund the teenage pregnancy and sexual health
coordinator role which is hosted by Cornwall
Council. It is the Coordinator’s duty to be an
advocate for the reducing teenage pregnancy
and supporting teenage parent strategy. The
Teenage Pregnancy Coordinator forges links
with relevant areas of work addressing the risk
indicators related to early sexual activity and
teenage pregnancy in order to identify areas for
joint work. This includes, but is not limited to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Social Care
Early intervention
Domestic violence
Resilience and aspirations
Sexual exploitation
Youth homelessness
Child poverty
Troubled Families
What we need to do:
Action
Evidence we have done so
Who is
responsible
Use the information shared with us
by the YMWA group and from WILD
outcomes data to better understand
the needs and experiences of young
people who do become pregnant
and use this to shape services for
teenage parents in the future.
We also plan to conduct further
research with a wider, larger group
of young people – including young
fathers and those working with
the Family Nurse Partnership - to
further increase our understanding
of our local needs and experiences.
A literature review will also be
undertaken to see if there are specific
differences which impact on choices
made locally.
A direct link between research
outcomes and service development.
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
Cornwall College
The outcomes of this research project
will be published and used internally
to highlight areas of need and
potential trends in those vulnerable
to early parenthood.
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
Family Nurse
Partnership, Cornwall
Foundation Trust
Teenage pregnancy action plan
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Key objective:
1.3
Ensure that the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy is linked to other
relevant strategies relating to vulnerable children, young people
and families.
A reduction of teenage pregnancy rates
can only be achieved if action is taken to
address the underlying factors that increase
the risk of teenage pregnancy, such as
poverty, educational underachievement,
low aspirations and lack of engagement in
post-16 education and training. The Teenage
Pregnancy and Sexual Health Coordinator
role has a responsibility to forge links with
relevant areas of work addressing the risk
indicators related to early sexual activity
and teenage pregnancy in order to identify
joint agendas and opportunities as well as
represent the strategy and the needs of the
co-hort of young people identified by the
strategy.
What we need to do:
Action
Evidence we have done so
Who is
responsible
Teenage pregnancy and sexual
health coordinator to strengthen
links with:
The teenage pregnancy agenda is
represented in appropriate working
and strategic groups.
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
•
•
•
•
Evidence of joint working with
identified areas.
Child Sexual Exploitation Officer
Social Care and Psychology Service
Family Intervention Project
Domestic Abuse and Sexual
Violence Strategic Coordinator
• Troubled Families Officer
10
The teenage conception rate remain
a key performance indicator for the
Supporting Families Service Plan and
Cornwall remains comitted to a 50%
reduction from the 1998 baseline
as set out in the Governments 1999
national reducing teenage pregnancy
strategy.
Priority 2
The needs of young people who come under the remit of the
Teenage Pregnancy Action Plan is understood and addressed
through effective use of local data.
2.1 Key objective:
Data is effectively collected and used to identify:
• Vulnerable young people, risks and needs
• The needs of teenage parents
• Geographical areas of high need (‘hotspot areas’)
• The impact that current projects and services are having on young
people’s lives (conception rates/sexual behaviour)
• Progress in meeting agreed targets
What we are doing
Detailed, accurate and up‐to‐date data and
information are essential for determining need,
planning, commissioning and performance
managing appropriately targeted programmes.
Additional local information is required to identify
young people most at risk to allow effective
targeting. Information on issues such as school
attendance, deprivation, ethnicity at ward level is
critical7.
We also collect local data. Whilst this is unverified
and usually made up of numbers so small we
cannot share for confidentiality reasons, this
information is very useful internally as it gives
us an earlier indication of conception rates
across Cornwall. Information is used to report
on progress internally and to identify areas
with consistently high rates of conceptions so
resources can be better targeted.
We use the national data provided by the Office
of National Statistics (ONS) to track our quarterly
progress in reducing teenage conceptions and
to measure our progress against other Local
Authorities. This information is published on our
website (www.cornwall.gov.uk/jsna) and it is the
Teenage Pregnancy Coordinator’s responsibility
to maintain, update and disseminate this
information. It is important that we recognise that
this information is always historic and relates to a
period eighteen months prior to publication.
Because we know that young parents are less
likely to be in education, employment or training,
Careers South West report specifically on the
number of teenage mothers, and fathers (where
known) in education, employment and training
on a monthly basis. We use this information to
measure our progress against a target of 40% of
mothers engaged in education, employment
and training by April 2013.
7 DCSF (2009) Teenage pregnancy prevention and support:
A self-assessment toolkit for local performance management
Teenage pregnancy action plan
11
To ensure that this target is aspirational we also
measure our performance against other Local
Authorities (see Care to Learn8).Currently we
are ranked third in the country and aim to stay
amongst the leading Local Authorities in relation
to this target.
Careers South West
www.careerssw.org
Careers South West (CSW) advisers are
currently commissioned by Cornwall Council
to deliver impartial information, advice and
guidance to vulnerable 13 to 19 year olds who
are at risk of not engaging in education or
training, and to track the participation rates of
all young people aged 16 to 19.
Advisers are based in various young people
settings and proactively follow young
people’s education and employment activity,
supporting those needing most help.
Advisers link with key support staff and
organisations to co-work and share
information to safeguard young people
and their families, and to help them access
opportunities in employment and learning
and fulfil their aspirations.
8 Care to Learn https://www.gov.uk/care-to-learn/overview
12
What we need to do:
Action
Evidence we have done Who should
so
make sure this
happens
We need to make sure we are consistently
and effectively evaluating our
programmes of support to make sure we
are meeting the needs of our children,
young people and families as well as we
possibly can.
Introduction of the Outcomes
Star as an evaluation tool
capturing ‘soft outcomes’ in
the Young Mums Will Achieve
Group and young parents
support service (currently
WILD).
As resources are very tight we also need
to ensure the Council is getting value for
money.
Anecdotally we know that young people
who are in care, or have a history of
care or social care involvement are at
increased risk of poor sexual health and
teenage pregnancy. We also know that
children of teenage parents often have
social care involvement. Locally, however,
we do not have the data to support our
understanding of the needs in this area.
To address this we will establish a method
of data sharing in order to identify the
number (percentage):
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
Service Providers
Evidence of robust contract
reviews with performance
measured against agreed
targets for all services
commissioned by the Teenage
Pregnancy and Sexual
Health Coordinator and the
appropriate commissioning
manager (children’s).
Internal data reports between
the Social Care and Psychology
Service and the Teenage
Pregnancy Coordinator.
Cornwall Council
• of children of teenage parents currently
open to social care services
• of teenage parents who have had
previous social care involvement
including those in care and care leavers
• of children of teenage parents currently
open to locality teams
• teenage parents who have been
identified as being in a high risk
relationship, or linked to a high risk
household.
Teenage pregnancy action plan
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Priority 3
Increase access to Contraception and Sexual Health Services so
that young people have easier access to contraceptive and sexual
health services and a greater choice of contraceptive methods across
Cornwall9.
3.1 Key objective:
Develop and commission sexual health services that ensure service
follows need.
Over recent years the number of dedicated young
people’s sexual health services have increased,
both in clinical and non clinical settings. Services
now available for specifically for young people
are available at www.EEFO.net
Cornwall offers an integrated model of service
delivery Genito-Urinary and contraception
services co located at many locations across
Cornwall. This ensures that young people visiting
the GU clinic for screening and treatment can
also use this opportunity to access a range of
contraceptive services, as well as giving staff the
opportunity to further promote positive sexual
health and choice of contraceptive use. Over
the past three years the GU team has increased
its number of community clinics and is aspiring
towards complete coverage across Cornwall.
All Cornwall Council contracts are robustly
evaluated, to ensure that service follows need,
and we aim to offer equitable service provision to
all. We are currently in the process of evaluating
the School Based Integrated Health Centres
model to consider the benefits for students and
the possibility of future provision within schools.
9 In supplying contraceptive and advice services to young people under the age of 18 professionals follow their agency’s safeguarding
procedures. The Fraser guidelines are uniformly used to assess competency and confidentiality and provide clear guidance that a young person
under the age of thirteen cannot consent to sex. If a professional or agency suspects that a young person under the age of 13, or a young
person over the age of 13 but not Fraser competent, was engaging in sexual activity, or any young person was at risk of harm, then the agency’s
safeguarding procedures are followed.
14
What we need to do:
Evidence we have done so
Action
Who is
responsible
The upcoming Health and Social
The Teenage Pregnancy Action Plan
Care Bill will place a duty on our
is included within Cornwall’s wider
commissioning activity to have
Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
due regard for Cornwall’s Joint
Strategic Needs Assessment. Teenage
conception data will feed into the
assessment and both promoting
sexual health and reducing teenage
conceptions will remain a key area of
the Cornwall’s Health and Wellbeing
Strategy.
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
The GU team is looking to develop
its outreach services, specifically
targeting vulnerable and hard to
reach groups via new GU drop ins.
Additional clinics established in
areas of high need and hard to reach
groups proactively targeted. Patient
data used to evaluate impact.
GU, Royal Cornwall
Hospitals Trust
Cornwall Healthy Schools, on behalf
of a range of partners, will conduct
an Authority wide Health Related
Behaviour Questionnaire in years 8
and 10, covering a range of health
issues. This will be used as a vehicle to
better understand the experiences,
views, needs and perceptions of
young people in regard to their
sexual health and wellbeing as well as
their views and experience of service
provision.
Questions regarding sexual health
and contraception provision included
in schools questionnaire. Evidence
that this information has been
considered in service provision.
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
Health Promotion
Service
3.2 Key objective:
Modernise and improve the choice in termination of pregnancy.
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is a large rural
area with deprivation, transport and financial
difficulties affecting the young, most vulnerable
and at risk. Therefore easy access to termination
services is paramount. It is also known that
young people’s circumstances can lead to them
accessing services later.
have been made to develop a centralised selfreferral booking system, passing the choice
of termination of pregnancy provision from a
referring clinician to the service user. This will
empower young women seeking termination of
pregnancy by enabling them to make choices
about where they access this service.
Cornwall is committed to providing early access
to services and a termination service that
promotes choice. In support of this proposals
Teenage pregnancy action plan
15
3.3 Key objective:
Ensure Services are provided within settings that suit the lifestyles,
needs and ‘travel realities’ for young people in Cornwall, especially
those living in rural isolation.
The C Card Scheme ensures young people have
access to contraception across a wide range of
settings. The scheme is now accessed by over
12,000 young people with over 180 C Card outlets
across Cornwall. The target number of new
registrations for 2012/13 is 3000.
In addition to facilitating of the C-Card service,
the Young People’s Sexual Health Worker works
in partnership with other agencies including the
Youth Service, Brook, The Hub and the Royal
Cornwall Hospital Trust and the Chlamydia
Screening service, to provide a co-ordinated
approach to sexual health and contraception
choices for young people. This is achieved
through campaigns, events, group work and one
to one sessions where necessary for those with
specific needs.
C card is also represented at ‘youth events’ such
as Boardmasters, Cornwall College Fresher Events,
Truro College Healthy Fortnight and Cornwall
University Health & Wellness Events ensuring it
reaches the greatest number of young people.
C Card
The C Card scheme is a free and confidential
condom distribution scheme for young
people aged 13-21 in Cornwall and the Isles
of Scilly. Young people under the age of
16 wishing to register for the scheme are
assessed using the Fraser Guidelines10. The
aim of the scheme is to provide easy access to
free condoms and sexual health information,
advice and guidance at young people friendly
outlets. Once a young person has registered
for a C-card they are able to use any C Card
distribution point. The card can be used up to
ten times before re-registration is required.
Professionals working with young people and
organisations can be registered as registration
sites, distribution sites or both. Workers that
operate the scheme must attend a training
course. Registration sites complete two way
condom demonstrations with young people
wishing to register for the scheme to ensure
young people know how to use condoms
effectively.
Cornwall currently has over 12 000 registrants
to the scheme and 196 organisations involved
with C-card. Since 2009, 363 individuals have
been trained to offer C-card registration,
distribution or both.
10 Criteria outlined by Lord Fraser in 1985 in the House of Lords’
ruling in the case of Victoria Gillick v West Norfolk and Wisbech
Health Authority and Department of Health and Social Security. This
criteria is commonly known as the Fraser Guidelines:
· The young person understands the health professional’s advice
· The health professional cannot persuade the young person to
inform his or her parent or allow the doctor to inform the parents
that he or she is seeking contraceptive advice
16
· The young person is very likely to begin or continue having
intercourse with or without contraceptive treatment
· Unless he or she receives contraceptive advice or treatment, the
young person’s physical or mental health or both are likely to suffer
· The young person’s best interests require the health professional
to give contraceptive advice, treatment or both without parental
consent
The mobile young people’s sexual health service
which services St. Austell, The Clays, Bodmin
Wadebridge and Camelford continues to provide
a needed service in more isolated areas where
young people may face geographical barriers to
accessing services. The service provides young
people with confidential information, advice
and guidance alongside contraceptive services,
Chlamydia screening pregnancy testing services.
Our target number of visitors
to the bus per year is: 720
What we need to do:
Action
Evidence we have done so
Who is
responsible
We know school nurses are a key
point of access for our young people
who are concerned about travel
and confidentiality within the rural
landscape of Cornwall. Cornwall’s C
Card Coordinator will deliver training
to all the school nurses across the
localities in Cornwall and will attend
and deliver a workshop for school
nurses at Cornwall’s Annual School
Nurse conference.
C CARD Scheme is currently
recruiting GP practices in the County
to offer free condoms and C CARD
registration to young people.
Increased number of school nurses
trained to register and distribute
condoms under the C Card scheme.
Health Promotion
Service
Target of 20 new GP sites for 2013/14.
Health Promotion
Service
Number of attendants attending
refresher training courses.
Health Promotion
Service
To ensure that staff in all the
registered sites are trained to an
appropriate standard so that they
can implement the C Card scheme
effectively in light of the latest
good practice research, the C Card
Coordinator will run C Card refresher
courses for all staff trained prior to
2009, throughout 2013.
Teenage pregnancy action plan
17
3.4 Key objective:
Ensure universal and specialised services are accessible and meet the
needs of all individuals, including those with learning disabilities and
from minority groups.
Equality and diversity is at the centre of all the
services we provide and commission. Special
Schools receive support in order to deliver
meaningful personal, social and health education
(PSHE) and relationship and sex education
(RSE) that meets the needs of their students via
Cornwall Healthy Schools Programme.
Training and support is given to staff in
clinical settings to understand the needs and
expectations of working with people with a
learning disability. Patients with additional and
complex needs, including those with learning
difficulties also have access to GU services at
an additional drop in session on Wednesday
evenings.
Equalities issues and needs have been considered
in our Equalities impact assessment which is
available on our website. (www.cornwall.gov.uk/
equality)
What we need to do:
Action
Evidence we have done so
Who is
responsible
Currently there is no C Card provision C Card implemented on the Isles of
Health Promotion
on the Isles of Scilly. However, due
Scilly so young people can access
Service
to a recent Ofsted report it has been confidential advice and contraception
identified that this Scheme needs
to be offered to young people. With
the support of the local GP on the
Isles of Scilly, C Card is looking to be
implemented at the GP Surgery on
St Marys, available for all the young
people.
We need to ensure that all service
providers carry out Equality Impact
Assessments of services to ensure
they are as equitable and accessible
as possible.
18
Equality Impact Assessments
completed for:
•
•
•
•
WILD contract
YMWA Service
Brook Contract
Teenage Pregnancy Strategy
Cornwall Council
3.5 Key objective:
Young people understand and have access to a wide range of
contraceptive methods and are equipped to make informed choices
about what best meets their needs.
All clinical and contraceptive provision is
widely publicised via leaflets, posters and
representations at key events. Young people are
also signposted to specialist contraceptive advice
via Brook’s educational outreach and one of
Brook’s key performance indicators is percentage
of young people accessing clinical provision
following signposting.
EEFO
eefo.net
EEFO has developed a set of quality standards
that address the barriers that can stop young
people from accessing the services they need.
There are a wide range of services across
Cornwall that have met the EEFO quality
standards and have been EEFO Approved for
providing a young person friendly service. The
EEFO level 3 Quality Standard meets the ‘You’re
Welcome’ national criteria for young person
friendly services.
The eefo website is for young people aged 13 – 19
and aims to provide:
• Signposting to all services in Cornwall that have
met the EEFO Quality Standard
• Advice and information about issues young
people face in everyday life
Website: www.eefo.net
Telephone: 01209 313419
Emal: [email protected]
EEFO.net provides a ‘go to point’ for young
people and provides information on health
services, including sexual health services, in the
young person’s area including those services
awarded the EEFO quality standard. The website
also provides more general information and
advice regarding all aspects of physical and
emotional health and wellbeing.
Our education outreach aims to support
young people’s knowledge of different forms
of contraception so that young people can
make choices appropriate to their needs and
lifestyle. This work runs alongside supporting
young people to understand and aspire to
healthy relationships as well as identify risk in
relationships.
EEFO also offers services the opportunity to be
recognised as being ‘Young Person Friendly’ via
the EEFO quality standard. Services that have
been assessed as ‘young person friendly’ can
display the EEFO logo. The Quality Standard is
renewed annually and services can be assessed
anonymously by young people through the
‘Mystery Shopper’ evaluation.
Cornwall’s young people’s sexual health
promotion worker also undertakes promotional
work with young women at College campuses in
the Authority, offering workshops about all forms
of contraception including Long Acting Reversible
Contraception. Young women are also signposted
to access Brook Clinics and Contraceptive Clinics
for full range of contraception available to them.
EEFO provide young people with up to date
information regarding sexual health and a range
of other issues. This includes factual information
around contraception and Sexually Transmitted
Infections STI’s as well as support and advice for
dealing with issues and scenarios that may face
young people in respect of their sexual health.
Teenage pregnancy action plan
19
Share
SHARE is a service currently commissioned by
the Integrated Youth Service. Share provides a
confidential information and advice service for
young people aged 13 – 25. The SHARE service
is based in Young People’s centres across the
county in Penzance, Camborne, St Austell,
Truro, Newquay, Bodmin and Liskeard. They also
run an outreach service in schools, youth and
community settings. SHARE provides:
• The C Card service
• Facilitates access to emergency contraception
(morning after pill)
• On site pregnancy testing
• Access to Chlamydia screening
• Information, advice and guidance on a wealth
of areas including sexual health, welfare
and benefits (including maternity benefits),
employment and housing
• Personal support around the needs of young
people including relationships, peer pressure
and bullying
• Referrals to specialist services as required,
including mentoring and counselling
All centres are open generally from 10 – 4.30
on weekdays and young people can access the
service on ‘drop in ‘basis. The service is run by
volunteers (supported by paid workers) and
is always keen to increase the proportion of
young volunteers (aged 18 – 25). Volunteers
have the opportunity to gain qualifications in
Advice and Guidance and Youth Work.
What we need to do:
20
Action
Evidence we have done so
Who is
responsible
To develop a centralised web-based
information point for all clinical and
support regarding sexual health
across the county for all ages.
Sexual Health central website
running.
Health Promotion
Service
6000 unique site visits for 2013/14.
Priority 4
Children, young people and their parents will benefit from high
quality relationships and sex education provision, advice and
guidance on a formal and informal basis, in a variety of settings.
4.1 Key objective:
Children and young people are supported within their educational
settings to develop their understanding and skills in order to make
positive life choices around healthy relationships, deciding when to
have sex and contraceptive use.
Identified as an important age group in the
Sexual Health Strategy for Cornwall11, good
Relationships and Sex Education is an essential
link in improving health and wellbeing outcomes
for children and young people both in the
shorter and longer term. It ensures that children
and young people have reliable and factual
information and a supportive environment in
which to learn about relationships and sexual
health.
Children and young people are supported in their
educational settings via the work undertaken
by Brook (external provision) Health Promotion
Service’s Healthy Schools & the Sexual Health &
Alcohol teams (supporting internal provision).
The Health Promotion service has introduced
primary and secondary educational resources
and training via the Christopher Winter project.
Schools are also signposted to the South West
RSEHub and the Healthy Schools’ website in order
to access evidenced based resources to support
their in-house provision of RSE education.
11 Sexual Health Strategy for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly 2010-13. Available at http://
www.cornwallandislesofscilly.nhs.uk/DocumentsLibrary/CornwallAndIslesOfScillyPCT/Policies/
PublicHealth/SexualHealthStrategy.pdf
Teenage pregnancy action plan
21
Relationships and Sex
Education Advisor
The Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)
Advisor’s role is to enable and support
secondary schools to deliver consistent,
evidence based effective relationships and sex
education (RSE)’ in years 7 and 8 (11-13years).
This is undertaken in conjunction with
Cornwall Healthy School’s programme.
The RSE Advisor offers schools a range of
training and advice in order to support schools
to deliver factual, coherent, comprehensive
and effective RSE which meets the educational
needs of children and young people and
is sensitive, responsive and reflective of
the realities of society. The RSE Advisor can
provide:
• Curriculum Consultation
• Resourcing and Materials
• Policy Development
• Student Consultation
• Teaching & Learning Methodology
• Schemes of work (SOW) Construction
• Teacher Training (Christopher Winter Project)
The work is pro-actively focussed towards
where the needs are most significant – i.e.
Schools that are in areas identified as “teenage
pregnancy hot-spot” areas.
22
Cornwall Healthy Schools
Cornwall Healthy Schools’ aim is simple: to
support schools throughout Cornwall and
the Isles of Scilly to improve health and
wellbeing for pupils, staff, parents and carers
in the wider school community.
Cornwall Health Schools consists of two
elements:
Schools can work to gain ‘Healthy School’
status by using the on-line annual audit
which is a school-specific self-evaluation tool
to help schools demonstrate how they bring
added value to school life through their
health and wellbeing work.
Healthy Schools Plus encourages and
supports schools to identify specific health
needs in the school community and deliver
an effective, evidence-based piece of work
delivering real outcomes.
Cornwall Healthy Schools work in
partnership to ensure the best possible
support for schools and we bring an
innovative and energetic approach to all that
we do.
Website: www.cornwallhealthyschools.org/
Twitter: @CornwallHSTeam
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CornwallHS
Speakeasy
Speakeasy is a national programme, supported
by FPA with facilitator accreditation through
the Open College Network (OCN), that enables
parents and carers to acquire the necessary
skills, confidence and knowledge to:
• Be able to talk positively about relationships
and sex to children according to their age
and level of understanding
• Feel comfortable taking on the role of
‘relationships and sex educator’ at home
• Understand the changes children go through
during puberty
• Understand how to help children deal with
pressure from media and advertising
• Have up-to-date information on
contraception and sexually transmitted
infections
• Know more about the relationships and sex
education that is taught in schools
With this knowledge, Children and young
people are less likely to engage in risk taking
behaviour that may lead to unplanned
teenage pregnancy, acquisition of sexually
transmitted infections, they will also be aware
of contraception methods and where to access
them.
Speakeasy’s objectives are to;
• Prioritize Teenage Hot-Spot areas for
development of Speakeasy provision
• Recruit parents/carers and professionals from
diverse backgrounds to train as facilitators
• Develop and deliver Speakeasy facilitator
training (with OCN accreditation for
participants)
• Co-ordinate the delivery of Speakeasy course
for parents and carers, ensuring evaluation
and monitoring is fed back to relevant parties
• Work strategically with the Healthy Schools
programme and Primary Schools to share
information and to meet mutual objectives
The Speakeasy course for parents and
carers offers a non-threatening group based
opportunity for parents to learn together
and acquire the confidence and skills they
need to talk to their children about sex and
relationships. It is designed to be fun and
relaxed, and provide an atmosphere where
parents can learn together from their own
experiences.
Backed up by the FPA’s extensive training
resources and expertise, the course offers
a flexible and relaxed way to gain greater
confidence in an area that can cause
embarrassment and awkwardness for parents
and carers with children of all ages. Creative
group work methods including collage and
artwork, role play and games are utilised, as
well as more traditional written work. The
emphasis is on making the courses as accessible
as possible.
Speakeasy in Cornwall provides opportunities
for schools and community settings to receive
free taster sessions (and initial courses for
parents and carers in areas of high teenage
pregnancy). We then train members of the
school staff and/or parents/carers as Speakeasy
Facilitators to deliver the Speakeasy course in
their own community. The course for parents
and carers is accredited at level 1 and 2 by the
OCN and the Facilitator training at level 3.
We welcome parents and carers, all primary
schools and community organisations that
work with children and families to participate in
Speakeasy.
Teenage pregnancy action plan
23
Brook Schools Outreach
Brook is currently commissioned by Cornwall
Council to provide universal Relationship and
Sex Education (RSE) programmes for secondary
schools in Cornwall. A programme of ageappropriate RSE sessions ensures young people
gain a wide range of relevant information and
skills as they need it. Recommended sessions,
delivered to individual tutor groups are:
• Year 9 (age 13/14): Confidential Questions;
providing a confidential space for young
people to ask questions about relationships
and sex. This session covers sex and the law,
consent, peer pressure, confidentiality and
access to services. It also explores strategies
for young people to delay first sex as well as
exploring healthy relationships.
• Year 10 (age 14/15): Healthy Behaviour;
delivered over two sessions with a focus on
staying safe and healthy. The first session
provides an introduction to contraception
whilst the second session provides an
introduction to sexually transmitted
infections and aims to raise awareness of
the risks of unprotected sex and to develop
negotiating skills for negotiating condom use.
The Health Promotion team and Healthy Schools
team work with primary school educationalists
providing support and advice as well as offering
Speakeasy facilitator training to staff alongside
parents. Sexual health and quality Relationships
and Sex Education is a key part of the Health
Schools Programme and the Healthy Schools Plus
accreditation. As part of their package of support
to schools, Healthy Schools deliver training for
teachers, governors and parents and help schools
evaluate the effectiveness of their work.
Cornwall Learning12 has developed Walk Tall,
a home- school partnership resource aimed
at helping children understand and talk about
relationships and sex. The resource, which was
developed following local research into the
12 For more information about Cornwall Learning please visit
http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=18118
24
• Year 11 (age 15/16): Healthy Relationships;
focussing on sexual health with a broader
context of relationships, attitudes, stereotypes
and media. It includes discussion about the
qualities that make a healthy relationship and
the importance of healthy behaviour.
In addition, Brook offer schools additional
support through
• Bitesize Brook; an interactive full or half day
event with a focus on sexual health and risk
taking behaviour. Bitesize Brook can deliver
to up to 100 young people at a time. Young
people rotate in teams of 12-15 around a
number of themed learning zones, facilitated
by Brook and specialists from other agencies
such as the Health Promotion Service.
• Assemblies; generally focused on a specific
issue to address need identified by the school.
• One-off sessions; addressing specific identified
need in the school or locality.
• Targeted Work; for groups of young people
who may be at risk of poor sexual health. These
sessions can be based around specific topics
identified as an issue for a particular group
of young people. Brook’s targeted work also
offers sessions which look at self esteem and
confidence building.
support needs of parents around relationships
and sex education for their children, provides
primary schools with 32 hours of curriculum
content across key stage two, including lesson
plans, worksheets and take home interactive
discussion sheets for parents to complete
with their children. The ethos of the Walk Tall
programme is to support schools to develop a
partnership with parents around relationship and
sex education. Parents whose children attend
schools that have delivered the programme
consistently report increased emotional literacy
and increased understanding of the school’s
RSE curriculum. The resource has recently been
updated and rebranded and is in the process
of being re-launched to schools who buy in the
resource.
What we need to do:
Action
Evidence we have done so
Who is
responsible
The RSE advisory role has recently
developed from a focus on primary
support to secondary in order to
better meet the RSE needs of years
seven and eight. The impact of
this shift of focus will need to be
evaluated to ensure provision is best
meeting the needs of our children
and young people.
• Needs Assessment completed
• Identify and engage with 6
secondary schools in high priority
areas
• Provide support and training to
teachers in delivering RSE
Health Promotion
Service
4.2 Key objective:
Young people are provided with consistent information, advice and
guidance to support them in recognising and managing the risks of
drugs and alcohol to sexual health.
All WILD staff working with young parents are
SUST (Substance Use Screening Tool) trained
enabling them to carry out brief interventions
around drugs and alcohol with their service users.
Brook also incorporate the potential impact of
substances on sexual health into their education.
Teenage pregnancy action plan
25
What we need to do:
Action
Evidence we have done so
Links will be established between
• Screening tool developed for
GU and YZUP – the current tier three
GU clinics by YZUP to support
provisions for young people around
self identification of problematic
substance misuse- so that young
substance use
people with potential problematic
• Substance use training provided to
substance use can be signposted
GU staff
towards services whilst also providing • GU staff provided with referral
reflective tools for both GU staff and
pathway for young people and
young people to better understand
adults who report, or they are
the impact substance misuse may
concerned have, problematic
be having on their sexual health and
substance use, or whose use is
behaviour.
impacting on their sexual health
• GU to provide information leaflets
in clinics
The project will be evaluated by the
We are currently undertaking an
following indicators:
Alcohol & Substance Use Early
Intervention Project
• Web-based hub developed and
This project will form the Early
Intervention element of a multiagency Risk Taking Behaviour
Strategy for the county, beginning
with Drugs and Alcohol, by pulling
together a quality assured package
of policies, educational and
information sources, screening and
brief intervention tools, lesson and
session plans for groups in schools
and the community, information
on how to access specialist services
and links to other web resources.
It will also provide training and
support to schools, colleges, training
providers, short stay schools and
voluntary and statutory youth work
providers to facilitate the consistent
use of evidence based materials in
providing a coherent approach to
early intervention and education
around drugs and alcohol aimed at
13-19 year olds.
A range of leaflet based resources
for young people around reducing
risk related to alcohol and sexual
health/unplanned pregnancy called
“A Guide To Sexual Health” & “A
Survival Guide To A Night Out” will be
produced.
26
•
•
•
•
used by a minimum of 50% of
Secondary Schools and 10 partner
agencies / locality teams within 6
months of the site going live
High quality, effective, sustainable
and tested E-learning package for
drugs and alcohol for practitioners,
young people and parents
developed
A consistent, quality assured
approach to educational delivery
of drugs and alcohol work in
schools and youth settings across
the county
Final evaluation report written
– ‘what’s changed for young
people as a result’, key stakeholder
feedback and recommendations
for the future
2000 leaflets distributed at key
events – Freshers, Cornwall
College Alcohol awareness,
Xmas campaign, Newquay Safe,
Boardmasters, Youth Centres etc
Who is
responsible
YZUP, Cornwall
Council
GU, Royal Cornwall
Hospital Trust
Health Promotion
Service
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
4.3 Key objective:
Parents and Carers are able and encouraged to support and develop
their children’s understanding of healthy relationships and the ability
to make positive choices around relationships, sex and sexual health.
The parents and carers of primary school aged
children in Cornwall are supported to develop
skills in speaking to their children about
relationships and sex through the Speakeasy
Programme and the Health Schools support
package. (please see page 23)
Universal literature is also published and
distributed offering tips, support and signposting
regarding speaking to your child about
relationships and sex.
What we need to do:
Action
Evidence we have done so
Who is
responsible
Ensure Information, Advice and
Guidance literature for parents and
Carers in Cornwall is available online
and parents are signposted towards
it.
Literature is available online.
Health Promotion
Service
Consideration be given to including
the messages learned through the
Speakeasy programme to alternative
parenting support such as parenting
classes.
Inclusion of Speakeasy Principles in
parenting class syllabus
Page hits are recorded in order to
evaluate reach of this information.
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
Health Promotion
Service
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
Teenage pregnancy action plan
27
4.4 Key objective:
There is a consistent approach across corporate parenting that
acknowledges children in care as a vulnerable group of children and
young people who may require additional support and guidance
Cornwall Council has corporate parenting
responsibilities to the children in its care that
include helping children to overcome experiences
of neglect and abuse, supporting children to
achieve better outcomes in health and education
and assisting young people to make a successful
transition to adulthood and independence.
What we need to do:
28
Action
Evidence we have done so
Who is
responsible
Foster carers and residential workers
will be included as key strands in the
development of practice guidelines
for the Children’s Social Work and
Psychology Service. The practice
guidelines will provide clear guidance
around the expectations of those
exercising the role of corporate
parent in terms of understanding the
law, risk and the needs of children
and young people in terms of
positive sexual health.
The role, remit and relationship
that corporate parents have with
children and young people is
included and explicitly explored in
the development of sexual health/risk
sexual behaviours practice guidelines
developed for the Social Work and
Psychology Service.
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
Children’s Social
Work and Psychology
Service, Cornwall
Council
Priority 5
Protecting the future health and wellbeing of teenage parents and
their children.
5.1 Key objective:
Support and interventions aimed at supporting parents to achieve
positive outcomes for Parents and their child(ren).
Young parents in Cornwall are supported by the
WILD and YMWA13 projects (see case studies)
that provide opportunities and support to
develop both their education and skills including
self confidence, aspirations and parenting skills
alongside intensive support to young parents
aimed at improving healthy outcomes for parent
and child. Both projects also focus on positive
sexual health for their participants and work with
their young people to support a reduction in
second unplanned pregnancies.
First time mothers aged nineteen and under also
benefit from the Family Nurse Partnership which
provides an intensive health visiting programme
until the child’s second birthday (see case study)
In 2011/12 WILD supported the wider public
health agenda continuing to support
www.wildproject.org.uk
breastfeeding through group workshop
and individual support sessions, enlisting
WILD work with around 450 young families
(up to the age of 23) a year. WILD young mums 4 breastfeeding peer mentors, providing
62 young mums and 45 young dads with
group is commissioned to support healthy
lifestyles and improved mental health in young individual outreach breastfeeding support
mums. All of the target groups are mothers or and developing its WILD breastfeeding face
mothers to be, commonly disadvantaged from book forum which now has 243 members.
In addition specific work has been done to
training and employment opportunities, and
support smoking cessation or reduction,
experience the wider manifestations of social
increased uptake of smoke free homes,
exclusion.
exercise and positive photo shoots of young
WILD aims to provide young mothers and
parents with their children for the annual
their children and families with opportunities
calendar. to develop their skills, improve self-esteem,
make positive and healthy choices, protect
themselves, participate as equal members of
their communities and achieve their potential.
WILD
13 YMWA is provision for mothers only.
Teenage pregnancy action plan
29
Young Mums Will Achieve (YMWA)
YMWA was established in 2009 with the
primary objectives to support mums back
into mainstream education, employment and
training whilst supporting the development of
positive parenting and life skills.
YMWA aims remove to some of the barriers
that young parents can face. On site childcare
is provided via the Care to Learn fund whilst
tutors from Cornwall College provide two
days of education and life skills support.
The programme offers a level 1 ‘step up’
Family Nurse Partnership
The Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) is evidence
based, preventative programme offered to
young mothers (aged 19 and below) having
their first baby. It begins in early pregnancy
and is orientated to the future wellbeing of the
child. It is a nurse-led intensive home visiting
programme – intensive enough to make a
difference and filling the gap in the continuum
of the progressive universal Healthy Child
Programme (HCP).
Evidence shows that FNP intervention has the
following outcomes:
• Improvements in women’s antenatal health
• Reductions in children’s injuries
• Fewer subsequent pregnancies
Recognising that child care provides vital
opportunities for children to interact, Cornwall
offers 15 hours of free childcare for two year olds
to parents who are under 18. Young parents who
are on employment or income support or extra
tax credit due to disability are eligible for this
provision. In April 2013 Cornwall plans to drop
additional local criteria and extend the scheme
to all benefit dependent families. This means that
more families, including young parents over 18,
will be able to benefit from the scheme.
Teenage parents also represent a priority group
for Careers South West who actively monitor and
support young parents in accessing education,
employment and training opportunities. Careers
30
qualification alongside functioning skills in
maths and English, employability skills and
parenting support.
The group, available to all mothers and
expectant mothers aged 19 and under, has
been designed to encourage peer support and
new participants can join the group at any time
of the academic year. Participants are able to
remain in the group for up to two years.
YMWA currently has 7 groups across Cornwall
with another new group starting in January
2013, supporting around 65 young mothers.
•
•
•
•
•
Greater intervals between births
Increases in fathers’ involvement
Increases in employment
Reductions in welfare dependency
Reduced substance use initiation and later
problems
• Improvements in school readiness
FNP is a licensed programme with well-tested
theories and methodologies. Cornwall has been
involved in a Randomised Controlled Trial which
is due for completion at the end of 2012.
FNP in Cornwall is delivered by a team of 8
trained Family Nurses, based throughout
Cornwall and led by the FNP Supervisor. FNP is
commissioned to provide the programme to
203 eligible teenagers.
South West is represented at the Teenage
Pregnancy Board providing opportunity for their
experience of what is needed on the ground to
be fed in at a strategic level.
Across Cornwall we are working to an target of
40% of young mothers engaged in education,
employment or training by April 2013. This
reflects some of the long term challenges which
we know are faced by those vulnerable to young
motherhood, such as poor aspirations, risk
taking behaviour, an increased likelihood of a
care background and previous disengagement
from education and support. Our projects aim
to help remove the barriers these young people
experience in accessing education, employment
and training whilst building their confidence, self
efficacy and aspirations to support a continued
education and/or employment journey. Cornwall’s
Care to Learn take up rates show that Cornwall
is now the third best performing Local Authority
from has raised from 138th in 2009.
Recognising the complexities of many young
parents’ lives WILD offer a variety of projects and
support aimed at addressing young parents’
potential wider needs. This includes:
• WILD positive relationships – a peer led
programme providing education advice
and support on positive relationships,
understanding cycles of abuse, understanding
the impact this has on children, attachment,
resilience and protective behaviours
• WILD mental health project – supporting
young parents to access mental health support
alongside Cornwall’s Peri-natal strategy; and
• WILD First Steps – supporting and advising
young parents around housing, benefits, debt
and independent
We aim to offer all young parents in Cornwall a
CAF and will be working towards this target in
2012/13.
What we need to do:
Action
Evidence we have done so
Who is
responsible
The young parents support service
(currently provided by WILD) will be
re-tendered in Spring 2013 when the
current contract ends.
Contract awarded for 2012/13.
Cornwall Council
Research outcomes available.
Cornwall recently participated
in a randomised trial of the FNP
programme to measure outcomes
for FNP ‘graduates’ compared to a
control cohort who received universal
services. The trial is due to end in
November 2012 and Cornwall looks
forward to the research outcomes in
2013.
This year we will review the Young
Mums Will Achieve programme so
as to look at ways the Council can
continue to expand and improve the
programme for young parents and
their children.
Family Nurse
Partnership, Cornwall
Foundation Trust
Review completed and use to shape
service design.
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
Cornwall College
The review will look at:
•
•
•
•
Sustainability of the programme
Referral Pathways to YMWA
Progression routes on from YMWA
Participants’ experiences of YMWA
Increase the number of children of
teenage parents who have a CAF.
That CAFs are initiated in at least 50% Supporting Families,
of new young families in 2013 with a Cornwall Council
view to 75% in 2014.
Teenage pregnancy action plan
31
5.2 Key objective:
Ensure that young parents can access timely support and are aware
of both specialist and universal support/resource that is available to
them.
Cornwall’s Family Information Service (FIS,
(cornwall.childrensservicedirectory.org.uk)
provides a centralised hub of information for all
families across Cornwall. FNP nurses, YMWA, WILD
and the young father’s group all also signpost
young parents to further advice, support and
resource.
From speaking to young parents we have learnt
that they are not always aware of the resources
available. We need to make sure that as far as
possible, teenage parents have easy access to
information about what is available for them and
their children. We have already taken steps to
address this; YMWA now provide all participants
with packs containing information about
services to meet a range of needs, and FIS are
undertaking outreach with pre existing services
for young people to sign post young parents to
their telephone service and website as a point of
information. We also plan to:
What we need to do:
32
Action
Evidence we have done so
Who is
responsible
Develop a single point of referral for
all midwives. By merging a number
of referral routes we hope to support
an increase of referrals to all projects
aimed at supporting young parents
in Cornwall.
Review current maternity pathway
for young parents who are pregnant
in line with the introduction of
maternity payment by results. We
also hope to develop a progression
and referral pathway for young
parents in Cornwall to be agreed
and shared with all specialist young
parent specific services. The aim
would be to encourage professionals
to refer, support young parents
to access specialist support and,
when ready, progress onto universal
services to ensure long term
sustainable support. We will use
the pathway to encourage young
parents to make use of universal
community resources alongside
specialist provision and ensure are
young parent programmes work in
partnership with wider early years
provision.
Single referral form developed and
rolled out across midwifery service.
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
Public Health
Pathway developed agreed and
implemented.
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
5.3 Key objective:
Support young fathers to play a positive and active role in their
child’s life
Both FNP and WILD work on a whole family
model which values fathers alongside mothers
Brook Young Fathers
Brook young fathers (under 25) aims to:
• Support young fathers to value and
understand the importance of their role as a
father
• Develop their skills and knowledge to
effectively fulfil their responsibilities as
parents
• Increase young fathers’ voluntary access and
engagement with universal services
Brook Young Fathers runs a rolling programme
of education work every Tuesday evening in
St Austell aimed specifically at young fathers
to help them to access the vital information
they need to perform their role as parents. The
project works with fathers who cohabit with
their partners and children, step fathers, and
fathers who are estranged from their families.
They deliver work that is factual and carefully
researched in line with current advice such
as nappy changing, bathing, infant feeding,
However Fathers are often totally reliant on the
relationship with the mother of their child in order
to receive close targeted support that improves
their ability to play an active role in the child’s
life. Even in cases where the father and mother
are involved with a service such as WILD or FNP,
the father will only be able to access the service
through the mother. In the case of statutory
services, although fathers can establish a separate
relationship with them they often perceive that
because they don’t have full time care of the child
they don’t realise they can access these services
just like the mother. If there is a break down in
relationships then there are few services offering
support from the father’s side to help negotiate
getting back to a position where they can play
and the role they play in raising their children.
Fathers represent one third of WILD service users.
preparing for birth and child development
as well as soft skills sessions relating to
relationships, sexual health, supporting mother
and baby, making life changes and managing
money. The project aims to be responsive to
the needs of the group and individuals and
the young fathers worker spends much of
their time following up the individual needs of
the group throughout the week in between
sessions. The workers provide information,
advice and guidance according to the needs of
the individual alongside advocacy and support
in navigating services for them and their child.
In 2011/12 The young fathers group ran play
days and cooking workshops on the weekends
that have been well attended by fathers and
their families.
This year the group has also been involved
in the production of films to accompany a
resource pack aimed at young fathers. Brook
young fathers group piloted the activities in the
pack and provided vital feedback to help create
an effective resource.
an active role again. Brook young fathers service
seeks to advocate on behalf of fathers and to
support young fathers to work with services and
to make positive life changes to enable them to
demonstrate that they can provide a positive role
in their child’s life.
Following feedback from the Young Mums will
Achieve group, where the participants told us
they felt a similar provision should be available
for fathers, Cornwall College has employed a part
time designated worker until July 2013. A young
father himself, his remit is to work with fathers
to develop a programme which young fathers
would want to engage in. We look forward to
hearing the outcome of this work.
Teenage pregnancy action plan
33
The Young Fathers Resource Pack
An introductory parenting programme
designed for young fathers and young fathersto-be. Brook Young Fathers, in partnership
with Inspire Cornwall and Cornwall Council, has
designed a parenting programme, through a
resource book and DVDs, specifically for young
fathers. This resource helps young fathers to
understand the importance of their role for
the mother and for the child, and includes
key messages on how to look after their baby,
playing with their baby, healthy eating, and the
importance of healthy relationships and good
communication. The roll-out and delivery
of this resource is currently under discussion
within the NHS.
What we need to do:
Action
Target for 2012/13
Expand the remit of the Brook young Continued, extended service.
fathers project to offer one to one
support and groups in a number of
locations across Cornwall. To pursue
a bid to the Big Lottery funding
to fund two full time countywide
workers to deliver an extended one
to one service and further groups.
This would enable the service to
work more closely with individuals
to encourage their participation with
universal services as well as increase
access to the service across the
county.
34
Who is
responsible
Brook
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
Priority 6
Workforce development that takes a sustainable approach to
ensuring that children, young people and families have access to
professionals who can effectively support them.
6.1 Key objective:
To continue to develop a trained and informed children’s workforce
that are able to identify and support children and young people who
are at increased risk of teenage pregnancy and poorer sexual health.
To provide universal and specialist support and interventions and
signpost and refer on to further services as meets the needs of the
individual.
Sexual Health Training Team
The training team is a multi agency
partnership that deliver the Council run
free sexual health training courses for
professionals and volunteers working
with young people. The training aims to
provide knowledge and skills to support and
signpost young people in relation to sexual
health and relationships.
The local children’s workforce are offered support
in understanding the sexual health needs of
young people as well as communicating with
young people about sexual behaviour and sexual
health via the two day Multi Agency Sexual
Health Training course; delivered in partnership
by sexual health and youth professionals.
The children’s workforce all also have access to
the C Card training day which aims to develop
professionals sexual health knowledge alongside
skills in working with young people to encourage
contraception use and develop positive choice
skills.
We also want to make sure that all frontline staff
have up to date policy advice and guidance in
their front line work with young people in relation
to risk taking behaviours, sex and sexual health.
To ensure this we plan to:
Teenage pregnancy action plan
35
What we need to do:
Action
Target for 2012/13
Who is
responsible
Use the teenage pregnancy network
(or alternative communication tool)
to ensure professionals are routinely
updated on current research, policy
and resource.
Develop and signpost the children’s
workforce towards information
around:
Routine provision of information via
the network.
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
Information and resources are
available on centralised hub on the
web. Children’s workforce is directed
towards these resources.
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
Links established between clinical
providers and specialist services.
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
Review carried out and used to
further develop training based on
workforce need.
Supporting Families,
Cornwall Council
• Risk factors for early sexual activity
and parenthood
• Protective factors for young people
at risk of early sexual activity and
parenthood
• What works in supporting young
people to delay parenthood
• Appropriate RSE resources
• Identifying and assessing risk in
young people’s relationships,
including domestic abuse, and
knowing when to refer to specialist
services
The Teenage Pregnancy and Sexual
Health Coordinator will work with
sexual health clinical provision to
identify potential training needs of
staff around identifying risk for young
people and appropriate referring
including, drug and alcohol, sexual
exploitation and domestic abuse and
sexual violence.
Review of current training packages
for the children’s workforce,
including, but not limited to,
the Children’s Social Work and
Psychology Service and the Multi
Agency Sexual Health Training with
the view to develop focused training
around risky behaviour and sexual
health.
Work with the Sexual Exploitation
officer to develop a specialist training
programme for professionals working
with vulnerable young people.
36
Training leads,
Cornwall council
Cornwall
Safeguarding
Children’s Board
Notes
Teenage pregnancy action plan
37
Notes
38
If you would like this information in another
format or language please contact:
Cornwall Council, County Hall, Treyew Road,
Truro TR1 3AY
Telephone: 0300 1234 100
Email: [email protected]
www.cornwall.gov.uk
Jn32008 January 2013
Printed on recycled paper.