Teenage pregnancy

The service offers both support for teenage parents aged 13-19 (up to age 25 for those with special educational needs or a disability), and also prevention of teenage pregnancy for young people under 18.

Support services

• Provide young parents, parents-to-be and their children holistic support that focuses on their health and well-being by linking with partners delivering the Health in Pregnancy service/healthy child program.
• Ensure that the service and other services for young people are accessible, meet ‘You’re Welcome’ principles and are inclusive of young fathers; with strong referral links to relevant agencies.
• Focus on reducing the stigma faced by young parents, in turn preventing social exclusion.

Prevention services

• Focus on safe-sex messages, including delivering media campaigns and training
• Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) will focus on best practice and be evidence-based. The current aim being to adopt a universal whole school approach underpinned by Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) programme delivered in partnership with school nursing, sexual health and partner agencies across primary and secondary school settings. Walsalls easysre website  www.easysre.net
• Support young people to access sexual health services; provide resources to promote access to sexual health services.
• Provide bespoke youth development opportunities for vulnerable young people aged 13-16 years -16 week – Teens and Toddlers (focus sexual health) and Thrive (focus emotional health).Young people are assessed using a vulnerabilities risk assessment pre and post programme and complete the Warwick Edinburgh mental wellbeing scale pre and post programme. The programmes aim is to improve young people’s understanding of healthy positive relationships, negotiating healthy and unhealthy risks whilst linking them to sexual health services thus building assertiveness and responsibility. Young people mentor a child from a local nursery in need of extra support, this gives young people a positive experience of learning, achievement, and aspiration for their future.  Young people take responsibility for mentoring a child in need of extra support which raises self-esteem and self-worth. Young people can achieve NCFE level one qualification in Interpersonal skills on completion.