In 1999 the government's Social Exclusion Unit set out a ten-year strategy with the aim of halving the rate of teenage pregnancy by 2010, with an interim reduction of 15% by 2004. It also intended to reduce their risk of long term social exclusion by increasing the participation of teenage parents in education and work to 60%.
Each local authority area was given funding to set up local strategy partnership boards, to facilitate joined-up action between the various agencies. Recent signs are that the strategy is making some impact – by 2003 both the under 16 and the under 18 conception rates have been reduced by nearly 10 percent.
However, the picture is not an even one across the country; there are "hot-spots" - neighbourhoods with high under 18 conception rates. The vast majority of local authorities contain at least one hot spot ward. Each local partnership has been asked to intensify their efforts to strengthen the delivery of the local strategy to these areas. There must be an opportunity for the dioceses or parishes that include these "hot spots" to contribute to this effort.
Statistics for 2002 are available on the government website:
www.dfes.gov.uk/teenagepregnancy
To take just a few examples: it would appear that Blackpool, Nottingham, Southampton and the London areas of Lambeth and Southwark, still have higher than average rates, and in some cases these are actually rising. More current information should be available from local teenage pregnancy partnership boards in the dioceses; I am currently endeavouring to obtain the latest detailed information from the Teenage Pregnancy Unit at the DFES and if and when I do, Flame contacts in the relevant dioceses will be informed.
I have been involved at two levels: in my own diocese and, more lately, representing the Flame Trustees on the Interfaith Forum on Teenage Pregnancy.
Local level
Here in Coventry Diocese, which also covers Warwickshire, I have made links with the local teenage pregnancy co-ordinators. In one “hot-spot” in Coventry , we have facilitated the bringing together of various agencies, including Sure Start and local community groups, with the church. As a result a young parents group was formed, and provision was made for a trained nurse to offer what is known as “clinic in a box” at a local community centre frequented by young people. The Mothers' Union has taken virtual babies into schools. Coventry University have been commissioned by the Coventry and Warwickshire partnership boards to develop a parenting programme “What do I tell the Children about Relationships and Sex?” Along with our Mothers' Union President and Parenting Co-ordinator, I have been able to play a major consultancy role in its development, offering suggestions both about content and mode of delivery; the Mothers' Union in Kenilworth has provided two focus groups and will help to pilot the programme when it is available very shortly.
Inter-Faith forum
This group comprises representatives from a wide range of faith groups, with a particularly strong Roman Catholic presence. At our last meeting Father Jo Quigley from the Birmingham RC Diocesan Department of Religious Education gave a presentation about his programme “All that I am”. This is a series of programmes for Key Stages 2-5, with an overview pack for school governors and parents. These each focus on personal, social and spiritual education, founded on self respect and respect for one another, seen as underlining all human relationships.
Father Jo gave us an example of how as an Ofsted Inspector, he had come to realise that children and young people understand the facts and the values they are taught, but when asked how they will apply this to their own lives they either didn't make the connection between what they learn and what they do, or they saw it as irrelevant. One of the key learning objectives of this programme is that they will have the self-awareness, confidence and skills to translate knowledge and understanding into personal behaviour.
For further information about this resource email:therese.gordon@theredepartment.com
© 2005 carol Davies & Newsline