Download The HSCB Annual Conference 2013

Hertfordshire Safeguarding
Children Board
December 2013
Prevention and early intervention:
Teenage pregnancy.
Lindsay Edwards, Services for Young People. Chair of
Teenage Pregnancy Partnership Board.
Teenage Pregnancy Strategy
National context
• Teenage Pregnancy Strategy 1999 – Social
Exclusion Unit
• 2010/11 – end of the 10 year Teenage
Pregnancy Strategy
• Previous government – context of social
exclusion and poor health outcomes
• Current government – context of child poverty
and health inequalities
Teenage Pregnancy Strategy cont.
Local context
• Hertfordshire Teenage Pregnancy Strategy
2012-2015
• Strategic leadership of the strategy – Teenage
Pregnancy Strategy Group
• Implementation of the plan managed by Health
Inequalities Manager – Services for Young
People
Risk factors
• Children of teenage mothers have a 63% increased risk
of being born into poverty, compared to babies born to
mums in their 20’s
 Risk of low educational attainment, poor housing and
poor health; and have lower rates of economic activity in
later adult life
• At the age of 30, teenage mothers are 22% more likely
to be living in poverty, than mums giving birth at 24 or
over
• Rates of teenage pregnancy are highest in deprived
communities.
Local Strategy – strategic
objectives
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Information and education
Targeted interventions
Supporting teenage Mothers and young Fathers
Access to contraceptive and sexual health
services
Hertfordshire Health Related
Behaviour Survey (2012)
• Results from Hertfordshire secondary school pupils in
Years 8 and 10 (ages 12-15):
- 19% believe there is a special sexual health service for
young people available locally
- 41% of pupils say they know where they can get
condoms free of charge
- 55% of Year 10 boys and 70% of Year 10 girls agreed
that getting pregnant or getting a partner pregnant now
would ruin their career plans
• 41% of boys and 57% of girls in Year 10 agreed that
there is pressure on young people to have sex.
Early intervention & targeted
activity
• Young people excluded, truanting from school, or
underperforming in education
• Young people in care or leaving care
• Daughters of teenage mothers
• Young people involved in crime
• Some ethnic minority groups
• Vulnerable young people
• Young women who have had a previous pregnancy.
Plus One programme
• 2012 -2013: commissioned Youth Connexions to deliver
programme to young parents & young parents to be
• Funding from Education Funding Agency (EFA)
• Aims: positive experience of learning; progression into
further education, training or employment; reduce social
isolation; enhance skills and knowledge in caring for
child; managing money and planning for the future.
Criteria
• Aged 16 to 18, or up to age 24 if they have a
learning disability or difficulty
• Be a young parent or young parent-to-be
• Live in Hertfordshire
• Be lawfully resident in the UK and have been a
resident for the last 3 years.
Content & qualification
• Young people achieve Level 1 City and Guilds
Qualification in Employability and Personal Development
• Units covered
– Self assessment
– Parenting awareness
– Managing personal finance
– Community Project – (making a difference project)
• Post programme, one to one support – Information,
advice and guidance
Outcomes
• 65 Young parents and young parents to be, completed the course
• Total of 87.5 guided learning hours completed.
Success measured by :
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Record of attendance at each session
Evidence of targets being reached in the Individual Learning Plan.
Attaining a nationally recognised City and Guilds qualification
Evidence of progression into other forms of education and/or
engagement
• Personal resilience and increased ability to cope emotionally.
Plus One 2014
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Begins January – 20 weeks
Minimum 30 young people
Total guided learning hours – 220
3 venues – Watford, Hatfield, Stevenage
Support to develop local links to One Stop
Shops, Children’s Centres and health providers.
Enhanced Study Programme
• City & Guilds units:
- Managing personal finance
- Community project
- Parenting awareness
- Self assessment
- Work-based experience.
- Healthy living
• Functional skills
• Work experience