Case studies

Working with schools is, of course, an essential part of tackling teenage pregnancy. Investing in good quality relationships and sex education is something many areas have done, but Bristol City Council has taken that a step further by establishing a network of drop-in sessions in secondary schools.

North Tyneside has seen a significant reduction in the teenage pregnancy rate of 74 per cent since 1998. At the heart of North Tyneside Council’s success has been its partnership working which has allowed it to make great strides in creating youth-friendly services.

Family Safeguarding Teams are multi-agency teams that work with child protection and child in need cases. The Family Safeguarding project allows adult specialists and social workers to focus on direct, relationship-based therapeutic work.

Staffordshire County Council’s Edge Of Care service targets an innovative package of intensive support to families on the edge of care, in order to change the lives of our most vulnerable families for the better and avoiding the need for costly, statutory intervention.

The Healthy Minds Lincolnshire Service is a partnership to support emotional wellbeing needs of young people, focusing on early intervention, promoting resilience and the prevention of emotional wellbeing concerns escalating to mental health issues.

A new Early Help Family Group Conference (EH FGC) service is now being offered to families where there are developing issues or concerns. The service is at the heart of Sutton’s restorative approach and forms part of Sutton’s early help offer.

Haringey’s Anchor Project is an early intervention that uses attachment and trauma theory to inform practice and support the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people.

New Beginnings is an LGBT youth group which caters for 11 to 19 year olds. It launched five years ago to provide a safe space for young people to socialise and learn life skills, as there is little support for this group within other everyday environments.

The involvement of parents and staff as well as the children, makes these safeguarding lessons unique. This three-way approach gives schools the tools and knowledge to recognise if someone might be at risk or for the individual to realise when they are at risk.

Young Minds Yoga is a weekly exercise session giving young people the chance to relax and discuss problems with professionals, plus help reduce the impact and severity of mental health problems. Their parents or carers can also stay and chat to children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) staff or each other providing peer-to-peer support.