Support services and websites
National support services
Brook Free, confidential advice on sex and relationships, 0800 0185 023.
Teenage Health Freak Interactive website including facts, quizzes, questions and answers on teenage health concerns. Visit Dr. Ann's virtual surgery or ask her about a problem.
Children first for health Great Ormond Street Hospital's website provides much helpful information and practical advice about children's illnesses and health. It has sections on infants, children, teenagers and the family. "The UK's best health website for children", The Times.
Family Planning Association 0845 122 8690 (9am to 6pm, Mon to Fri). Sexual health information and guide to local contraceptive services, including where to get emergency contraception.
British Pregnancy Advisory Service Action Line 08457 304030 Offers support, information, and counselling to women facing unplanned pregnancy and termination of pregnancy.
Marie Stopes UK Information and advice line 0845 300 8090 including specific help for young people and a live, confidential chatroom to ask questions and get immediate advice. Like it is Part of Marie Stopes, this site gives young people access to information about all aspects of sex education and teenage life. Topics include teenage pregnancy, help and advice, periods, lovebugs (sexually transmitted infections), sex, peer pressure, sexuality, contraception, emergency contraception and puberty.
The Hormone Factory website has been developed by researchers and educators at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. For children and young people, it has sections on Looking after myself, What's happening to me?, Making babies, Sex stuff, Feeling good - feeling bad, and lots more. It's brilliant! And there is also a section for parents and teachers.
L8R Pupils can enjoy an interactive drama that allows participants to influence the lives of a group of characters as they deal with everything teenage life can throw at them including first-time sex, relationships, pregnancy, parenthood, drugs and alcohol, gangs, bullying, friendships, loyalties and much more.
Sex worth talking about This NHS website has been designed to help teenagers and adults understand all aspects of sex and sexual health.
4YP The NHS in Bristol developed this information site for young people, their parents and professionals.
NHS choices website with advice and information for young people about sex and relationships.
Lesbian and Gay Switchboard 020 7837 7324. Information and support service providing a first point of contact for lesbians and gay men for information, advice and support.
EACH Award-winning charity for young people and adults affected by homophobia. It is also a not-for-profit training agency for employers and organisations committed to realising an equal and safe working environment for all regardless of age, sex, ability, ethnicity, faith or sexuality.
The Outsiders Trust Advice on issues around sex and disability.
Avert HIV/AIDS information for young people.
National AIDS Helpline 0800 567123. For information and advice about HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections.
Rape Crisis 020 7837 1600. For girls and women who have been raped or assaulted recently or in the past.
Survivors UK 0845 122 1201. For boys and young men who have been raped or assaulted.
Childline 0800 1111. A 24-hour freephone service for children in trouble, needing advice or someone to listen to them.
Local services and support
FFLAG Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is dedicated to supporting parents and their gay, lesbian and bisexual sons and daughters. Cornwall helpline: 0845 652 0325
AIDS Helpline in Cornwall 01872 242520
Cornwall Brook 01209 710088
Cornwall NHS Contraceptive Service 01872 354393. Cornwall-wide self-referral service for all methods of contraception and referral to the unplanned pregnancy service.
Cornwall Share Free advice and counselling to young people. Confidential helpline 0800 181033. Share centres: Bodmin 01208 79252, Camborne 01209 711500, St. Austell 01726 69144, Truro Zebs-Share c/o 01209 613782.
GUM Clinic 01872 255044
NHS Direct 0845 4647
Speakeasy helps parents to talk to children about sex, relationships and growing up. The Speakeasy Development Worker for Cornwall is Mandy Lancaster, 01209 313419.
CIOSPCT's Health Promotion Service, Sexual Health Team 01209 313419. Information about the C-Card Scheme, policy support, sexual health training, the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy and Healthy Gay Cornwall.
Kernow Positive Support 01208 264866. Kernow Positive Support offers support to those infected by HIV or AIDS in Cornwall or affected by it. The support covers everything from peer support groups to housing and benefits advice. KPS also offers awareness training for those who don't necessarily know much about the illness and therefore could be putting themselves and others at risk. This awareness training is tailored to the needs of differing audiences, including schools.
Sharon Hindley is the Teenage Pregnancy Coordinator for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Contact Sharon for information about teenage pregnancy data, 01872 326951.
Tic Tacs, school-based integrated health centres and drop-ins
The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy supports the development of sexual health services in schools, in combination with good SRE, as being highly effective in helping reduce unwanted teenage pregnancy. Some Cornish schools already have an on-site service such as a Tic-Tac Centre and several others are taking part in a pilot project to build and run school-based integrated health centres. These will combine a selection of health and support services for young people and the wider community.
Other schools are considering introducing their own on-site services provided by school nurses and / or other practitioners. There are also some schools, sadly relatively few in our geographically challenging peninsula, that already have good access to a local service. Should an individual school decide that it would like to develop this type of service then best practice would be to proceed thoughtfully and consider similar projects that have taken place locally and nationally. A key guidance document is Secondary schools and sexual health services: forging the links by Sarah Thistle of the Sex Education Forum. Another useful document is National mapping of on-site sexual health services in education settings by Lucy Emmerson of the Sex Education Forum.
It is crucial that parents, governors, the senior management team, teachers, young people and health professionals are all involved in discussion about this project and that the whole school community is in general agreement before proceeding. The process must not be rushed and if agreed it is recommended that such a drop-in should start as a generic advice service. As a minimum the following must be negotiated before a drop-in service is established:
- allocation of appropriate space and time for the sessions to take place
- what the service will offer
- boundaries of confidentiality and systems for dealing with child protection issues
- how young people will be involved in the development of the drop-in
- referral systems to the drop-in
- clarification of professional codes of practice.
What is the C-card (condom-card) Scheme?
The C-card scheme is a free and confidential condom distribution scheme for young people aged 13-21 in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Young people under the age of 16 wishing to register for the scheme are assessed using the Fraser Guidelines. The aim of the scheme is to provide easy access to free condoms and sexual health information, advice and guidance at young people friendly outlets. Once they have registered they can use any C-card distribution point. The card can be used up to ten times before re-registration is required. There are two kinds of C-card sites: registration and distribution.
Green card scheme
Some schools run a Green Card scheme which enables a young person to leave the school premises during the day to attend a local health centre.
