The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy Rising to the 2010 challenge Wendy Nicholson Regional Teenage Pregnancy Co-ordinator

The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy: the goals  Halve the under 18 conception rate by 2010 and set a firmly established downward trend in under 16 conceptions  Improve the health and social outcomes for teenage parents and their children, with a goal of 60% of teenage parents in education, training or employment by 2010  10 year strategies in each top tier Local Authority to reach local reduction targets. Strategies led by local teenage pregnancy co-ordinators with Teenage Pregnancy Partnership Boards

The evidence base for the strategy: SEU Teenage Pregnancy Report (1999)  Clear messages to young people in their own media  SRE in schools and out of school settings providing knowledge and skills on delaying first sex, risks of unprotected sex and effective contraceptive/condom use  Open discussion with parents/carers  Easy access to confidential youth friendly contraceptive/sexual health services  Tailored health and social support for teenage parents … a multi-faceted approach, with ALL factors in place, intensive delivery to at risk groups, combined with additional motivation to delay early pregnancy

A Government Priority  DfES/DH Public Service Agreement: to half the under 18 conception rate as part of a broader strategy to improve sexual health  DH Public Service Agreement to reduce infant mortality by 10% by 2010  DfES Public Service Agreement to reduce the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training by 2 percentage points by 2010

A priority supported by…  Children and Young People’s National Service Framework  Public Health White Paper: Choosing Health  National Healthy Schools Programme  Forthcoming Youth Green Paper All programmes prioritise the reduction of under 18 conceptions and STIs and support for teenage parents - with universal improvements for all and intensive support for those most at risk All programmes prioritise the reduction of under 18 conceptions and STIs and support for teenage parents - with universal improvements for all and intensive support for those most at risk

A local priority for Local Authorities and the NHS  Change for Children Outcomes Framework  Be Healthy Outcome: Sexually Healthy  Target: under 18 conception rates  Indicator: Diagnostic rate of new episodes of STIs among under 16s and 16-19s  Achieve Economic Well-being  Target: 16-19s not in education, employment and training  PCT indicators: progress towards under 18 conception target; 48 hour access to GUM clinics; number of new diagnoses of gonorrhoea; % of 15-24s accepting chlamydia screening

Progress towards national target - accelerated decline required after target 2010 target 1998 baseline

National evaluation in-depth study: factors associated with declining rate areas « Strong local leadership « Effective partnerships « Robust, senior coordination « Local support for the Strategy « High priority on public health agenda « LEA support on PSHE implementation « Access to young people’s sexual health services..in short all factors had to be in place – assisted by small population sizes

Progress in the North West 6 red traffic light areas 5 amber / red 1 amber / green 10 green Less than 50% of areas have a sustained reduction from the baseline The NW has the 2 nd highest national rate (London being the highest) If the NW rates do not decrease the national target will not be achieved

The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy: next steps  Meeting the 2010 target  Revisiting the evidence base  The policy priority  Mid-strategy review of progress  Strengthened, targeted implementation  Planning for and Children and Young People’s Plans

Beyond 2006 Raising aspiration and self esteem Delaying first sex Enhancing regeneration Enhanced opportunity Long term solution not short term fixes Mainstreaming the strategy Financial commitment Joint ownership Embracing success and learning from what works

Strengthening all aspects of strategy to high rate areas and vulnerable groups  Under 18 conceptions highly concentrated (50% of conceptions in 20% wards with the highest rates)  At least one ‘hotspot’ ward in majority of LAs  Strong links with deprivation and education attainment (over and above deprivation)  Under 18 conception rates average 68 per 1000 in deprived wards where 50% 5+ GCSEs  Poor school attendance also closely linked  Other vulnerable groups: LAC/ care leavers, young offenders, young people with mental health problems, some ethnic groups: teenage motherhood higher among Black and mixed White and Black ethnic groups

Planning for and Children and Young People’s Plans  New data and analysis to help Partnership Boards review progress, identify vulnerable groups and high rate neighbourhoods, local census data on teenage mothers, and progress of ‘statistical neighbours’  Guidance for Action Plan: strategic objectives of Strategy set out against ECM five outcomes: universal and targeted action for each objective  Integration of all aspects of teenage pregnancy strategy into universal and targeted Children and Young People’s Plans April 06

Finally, If we invest in young people we invest in the future, if we fail to support young people what does the future hold for us all?

Contact details: Wendy Nicholson Regional Teenage Pregnancy Co-ordinator