Archived decisions

REPORT OF THE

EXECUTIVE MEMBERS

CHILDREN'S SERVICES AND ADULT SOCIAL CARE

PART II

SEXUAL HEALTH AND EDUCATION OF SERVICE USERS

1. The Executive Members for Children's Services and for Adult Social Care were each pleased to approve a Department procedure for sexual health and education of service users.

2. The World Health Organisation defines sexual health as the integration of the physical, emotional, intellectual and social aspects of sexual being, in ways that are positively enriching and that enhance personality, communication and love. Essential elements of good sexual health are equitable relationships and sexual fulfilment with access to information and services to avoid the risk of unintended pregnancy, illness of infection.

3. Social Care practitioners often work with service users who have lacked appropriate support or who are facing difficulties or prejudice in developing their sexual health. This can result in inappropriate behaviour, exploitative/exploited relationships, lack of self-esteem and unintended pregnancy or sexually transmitted infection.

4. The procedure provides a framework to underpin work on sexual health and education by social care practitioners with service users and their families. It defines boundaries within which staff should work and promotes current good practice.

5. The procedure outlines the role of staff in this area of work; clarifies levels of confidentiality that services users may expect and staff may offer; outlines the level of support that staff may offer to service users to access contraception and sexual health services; emphasises an equal opportunities approach to these issues; refers to training opportunities already provided through the Training Co-ordinator (Teenage Pregnancy) and the County HIV Development Worker; refers to the need for information leaflets for service users and their families to include references to aspects to procedure where appropriate and recognises the need for more detailed operational advice and guidance to be developed under this over-arching procedure.

6. This has close connections with the Sex and Relationships Education Policy referred to elsewhere on the agenda in the report of the Executive Member for Education.

7. The decision supports Aims 1 and 5 of the Corporate Strategy.

FELICITY HINDSON, MBE PATRICIA BANKS

Executive Lead Member for Executive Member for Children's Services Adult Social Care

4IR1130805