Local Children’s Partnerships

Reducing teenage conceptions- everybody’s business!

Jayne Shelbourn-Barrow, Strategic Manager Teenage Pregnancy, HPDW Team

The issue is complex as there are a range of factors that are associated with whether a teenager becomes pregnant

Teenage Pregnancy

Poor and inconsistent contraceptive use among young people

Young people lack skills and confidence to make and carry through positive choices

Parents and professionals lack confidence to discuss sex and relationship issues with young people

Lack of confidence in mainstream health services

Fear of parents/carers finding out Lack of easy

access to contraception

Disengagement from school / poor attendance

Behavioural problems

Low aspirations

Parental influence

Cultural influence

Peer influence

Emotionalwell-being

Social deprivation

Looked after children / young people leaving care

Teenagemother

Mental health problems

Sexual abuse in childhood

Low self-esteem

Lack of confidence in resisting pressure to have sex

Alcohol/substance misuse

More likely to have sex early

Poor knowledge and skills among young people in relation to sex, relationships and sexual health risks

Low knowledge levels among boys and young men

Ethnicity

Poor educational attainment

Less likely to use contraception

Teenage Pregnancy

Poor and inconsistent contraceptive use among young people

Young people lack skills and confidence to make and carry through positive choices

Parents and professionals lack confidence to discuss sex and relationship issues with young people

Lack of confidence in mainstream health services

Fear of parents/carers finding out Lack of easy

access to contraception

Disengagement from school / poor attendance

Behavioural problems

Low aspirations

Parental influence

Cultural influence

Peer influence

Emotionalwell-being

Social deprivation

Looked after children / young people leaving care

Teenagemother

Mental health problems

Sexual abuse in childhood

Low self-esteem

Lack of confidence in resisting pressure to have sex

Alcohol/substance misuse

More likely to have sex early

Poor knowledge and skills among young people in relation to sex, relationships and sexual health risks

Low knowledge levels among boys and young men

Ethnicity

Poor educational attainment

Less likely to use contraception

The impact on the outcomes for children and young people who become teenage parents

• less likely to finish their education, and more likely to bring up their child alone and in poverty;

• The infant mortality rate for babies born to teenage mothers is 60% higher than for babies born to older mothers;

• Teenage mothers have three times the rate of post-natal depression of older mothers and a higher risk of poor mental health for three years after the birth

The impact on the outcomes for children of teenage parents

• Children of teenage mothers are generally at increased risk of poverty, low educational attainment, poor housing and poor health, and have lower rates of economic activity in adult life

Key facts and measures – national data• Provisional 2009 under-18 conception data shows

5.7% reduction from 2008 – bringing decline from 1998 to 18.1%

• Under 18 conceptions and births to lowest level for nearly 30 years.

• % leading to abortion is 49.0%

• Provisional 2009 under 16 conception data shows a rate of 7.5 – a decrease of 4% from the 2008 rate with 60.2% leading to abortion.

Hampshire Data• Provisional 2009 Hampshire under 18 conception

data was 28.9 showing a decrease of  5.1  from the final 2008 rate of 34.0. 

• This was an decrease in the number of conceptions from 819 to 687 (less 132).

• Our percentage reduction from 1998 is now -19.6% ( 2008 -5.4%). The England % reduction is -18.1% and the South East region -20.4%.  

Evidence review

• Vast majority of teenage pregnancies are unplanned• Provision of high quality SRE (Kirby 2007) and

improved use of contraception (Santelli 2008) are areas where strongest empirical evidence exists on impact on teenage pregnancy rates

• Qualitative evidence identifies senior leadership, workforce training and effective use of data as also being critical

• No evidence that alternative approaches (e.g. abstinence-based/benefit conditionality) are effective

So how are we doing in Basingstoke & Deane?

• For the under 18 conception rate (2007-09 data) – 3rd highest rated district with a conception rate of 34.0 (per 1000 young women)for under 18’s (with 48% resulting in abortion)

• In number terms this means an average of 97 conceptions per year• (2.4 decrease from 36.4 2006-08 ) no. of conceptions = 291 (21

decrease from 312 in 2006-08)• For the under 16 conception rate (2006-08 data) – 3rd highest rated

district with a conception rate of 7.2 (with 59% resulting in abortion). Numbers approx 20 per year

• REMEMBER a good % of these are our most vulnerable young women

Hampshire Districts – U18 conception rateHampshire County 2007-09 rate

(2006-08)2007-09 number(2006-08)

2007-09 % leading to abortion (2006-08)

% change in rate98/00 – 07/09

Hampshire 31.5 (32.7) 2266 (2366) 52% (53%)

Gosport 52.3 (56.9) 223 (245) 44% (48%) 3.4%

Havant 41.7 (42.5) 281 (292) 50% (49%) -33.9%

Rushmoor 33.4 (41.2) 173 (208) 50% (51%) -18.7%

Basingstoke 34.0 (36.4) 291 (312) 48% (50%) -6.6%

Test Valley 33.1 (31.8) 219 (211) 55% (55%) 10.3%

New Forest 29.6 (30.0) 270 (276) 50% (53%) -9.7%

Eastleigh 33.9 (31.3) 237 (223) 54% (54%) 6.7%

Fareham 28.9 (29.6) 177 (184) 66% (64%) -3.5%

East Hampshire 24.5 (26.0) 166 (178) 50% (52%) 6.7%

Winchester 20.9 (21.4) 134 (136) 58% (60%) 0.4%

Hart 18.5 (19.7) 95 (101) 54% (60%) -13.4%

B&D Wards 2006-08

WARD Under 18

UNDER 18 CONCEPTION RATE

2006-08IMD Score 2007

Popley West 15 73.9 17.76Eastrop 15 67.0 13.72South Ham 24 64.3 21.75Buckskin 26 63.4 23.80Brookvale and Kings Furlong 13 62.8 11.92Popley East 24 62.3 21.66Norden 32 52.7 17.34Brighton Hill North 14 39.9 8.69Brighton Hill South 12 38.7 16.11Pamber 5 38.2 4.79Tadley North 14 34.2 7.20Tadley South 10 33.6 4.00Winklebury 12 32.7 14.69Basing 11 30.6 4.96East Woodhay 6 30.2 4.01

Some new challenges since 1998(when the TP strategy baseline data was calculated)

▪ Increasing use of the internet and mobile phone technology by young people

▪ Early sexualisation and celebrity culture

▪ Alcohol-fuelled sexual activity – and the impact on consensual, safe relationships

▪ Potential impact of recession on poverty and aspiration

▪ A tougher financial climate in public services – doing more with less!

Good practice examples to support improvements in Hampshire

• Helping schools to improve delivery of SRE• Improving access to contraception (GET IT ON website,

community schemes, clinics in FE colleges, outreach)

• Children’s Trust SRE policy / workforce development programme

• Promoting work on teenage pregnancy within the wider health and well-being agenda (health and well-being drop ins on school sites)

• Work of Children’s centres in supporting teenage parents

• Helping parents to talk to their children about SRE (Speakeasy and Teen Triple P)

Good Practice in B&D – Sure Start Children’s Centres

• Linked midwives and health visitors to each CC• Young parents groups established• Postnatal and baby clinics running in centres• PEEP programme – 0-3 yrs• Antenatal programme – joint delivery through HV/midwifery

/FSOW and delivered in the community• Breastfeeding support – young parents trained as supporters• Links with vulnerable pregnancy group at NHH• Speakeasy programme• JCP support and advice

Amy is 17 years old• Amy is currently pregnant• Amy has a supportive partner who is working• Amy’s mum is going to evict her from the family home• Amy’s attendance was poor at school• Amy is currently not in work, education on training• Amy has low self esteem• Amy does not have many friends• Amy does not have a good relationship with her parents• Amy is currently being treated for a Sexually Transmitted Infection

What could your agency have done to improve this young

person’s outcomes?

Charlie is 18 years old and a dad

• Charlie’s girlfriend has just had a baby• Charlie is excited about becoming a dad

but also very scared• Charlie has a good relationship with his mum

but doesn’t see his dad• None of Charlie’s friends are dads and he is feeling overwhelmed• Charlie is worried about how he will provide for his family as he

currently doesn’t have a job• Charlie obtained some GCSE’s and went to college but dropped out of

college as he didn’t like the course.What could your agency have done to improve this young person’s outcomes?

Daisy is a school pupil

• Daisy is 15 years old• Daisy has just discovered she is 18 weeks pregnant• Daisy’s mum has informed the school she is pregnant• Daisy has not told any of her friends she is pregnant and is scared of

their reaction• Daisy’s boyfriend is also 15 years old and Daisy is worried he might get

in trouble with the police for getting her pregnant• Daisy’s attendance has never been good at school and now her mum

is worried now that she is pregnant she may use this as an excuse not to go to schoolWhat could your agency have done to improve this young person’s outcomes?

How can local children’s partnerships contribute to improvement?

• A member of the Local Children’s Partnership should sit on the Local Implementation Team (LIT) for TP

• The LIT should be a sub group of the Local Partnership

• The LCP should provide challenge for LIT• The LCP should ensure that TP ‘everyone’s

business’