3 August 2009

The winner of the 2009 Pamela Sheridan Award for excellence in sex and relationships education (SRE) is the Sexual Health Project for vulnerable young people at NHS South West Essex Community Services. The project worked with eight homeless teenage mothers on issues of self esteem and sexual health and will receive £500 prize money and £1,000 worth of FPA resources.

The project gave the teenage mothers an opportunity to look at how they think of themselves, their goals and aspirations and to consider how they can improve their sexual health and emotional needs. The project adapted a popular sexual health resource (Go Girls, written by Jo Adams) especially to work with this particular group.

Working with the young people at times that suited them and in an environment they were comfortable with, project worker Gemma Davison built strong, positive relationships with the group. This meant that over six weeks the project was able to raise the confidence of all the young women so that they were better able to access services for both themselves and their children.

As a direct result of the project six of the teenage mothers are back in touch with sexual health services and five of them now access long acting methods of contraception. This project shows how crucial self esteem work is when working with vulnerable young people and helping them access sexual health services. It also created new partnerships across NHS services in south west Essex, and helped improve delivery of health and well being services in the PCT.

Terri Ryland, Director of Practice Development, FPA said: “By identifying the importance of self esteem to the health and well being of vulnerable young people this project delivered an amazing amount. It involved people across NHS services in south west Essex to effect real and lasting change that will benefit vulnerable young people in the future.”

Gemma Davison, sexual health advisor for vulnerable young people at NHS South West Essex Community Services said: “There is a crucial link between positive self esteem and good sexual health. Resources such as Go Girls course are an invaluable tool in developing the right understanding of sexual health, and the project used this innovatively. This course also provides excellent opportunities for vulnerable young people to reflect on their lives and importantly their levels of self esteem. 

“I hope that the success achieved so far will encourage more young people to come forward and seek help and advice from our dedicated team.”

The other judges, Lucy Emmerson, Acting Coordinator of the Sex Education Forum and Jane Lees, representing NSCoPSE, said: “This particular group of young women are at high risk of second pregnancies and this project tackled the issue brilliantly. By reconnecting these young women with sexual health services and a health visitor, real and tangible benefits have been achieved.”

The judging panel this year was: Terri Ryland, Director of Practice Development FPA, Lucy Emmerson, Acting Coordinator of the Sex Education Forum and Forum and Jane Lees, representing NSCoPSE - the National PSE Association for advisers, inspectors and consultants.

     -ENDS-

For further information please contact the FPA press office on 020 7608 5265/5264.
Mobile 07958 921060.

FPA (Family Planning Association) is the only registered charity working to improve the sexual health and reproductive rights of all people throughout the UK.

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