Welcome Helen Barnett Marketing Manager, Bracknell Regeneration Partnership Chairman, Executive Board

I’m delighted to introduce myself as the new Chairman of Autumn 2006 No. 5 Bracknell Forest Partnership Executive Board. I’d like to thank Des Tidbury for his work as the chairman for the last six months. The newsletter for Bracknell Forest I hope to bring some of my skills to help improve the way Partnership we manage and communicate issues regarding the partnership over the next six months.

Contents The September meeting of the Executive Board was very valuable and we all took away new and useful • Chairman’s welcome information. This newsletter provides you with a • Executive Board information sharing summary to share with your colleagues and peers. o Phoenix Project o Voluntary Sector Forum We will spend the next few weeks collating the ideas you o Connexions gave us for improving the way we communicate both o Local Development Framework with each other and with people across Bracknell Forest. Update We will come back to you with an improvement plan for • Consultation – Communications the December meeting – do come! • Bracknell Forest Sexual Health think tank In the meantime if you have any comments or suggestions about the Executive Board meetings or these newsletters, please email Claire Sharp, whose contact details are at the bottom of this page. Next Executive Board Meeting Helen Barnett, Marketing Manager

Bracknell Regeneration Partnership 12 December 2006 9am start with refreshments available from 8.45am Executive Board Information Sharing Kitty Dancy Room, Sandhurst Town Council Phoenix Project Prepared by Bracknell Forest Borough Council on behalf of the Bracknell Forest Partnership. The Phoenix Project is an initiative from Royal Berkshire For further information and to send contributions contact Fire and Rescue Service. It ties into the corporate priority of Claire Sharp, Editor preventing fires happening in the first place. [email protected] (tel. 01344 352203) The five-day, non-residential course is for 13 – 16 year

olds with low-self esteem or confidence, those excluded

The views expressed within this publication are those of from school, those who struggle to set their own the contributors and should not therefore be taken as boundaries for acceptable behaviour or young people either Partnership or individual partners’ policy. involved in anti-social behaviour. The different groups are not placed on the course together. th Deadline for next issue: 18 December 2006 The course aims to develop the young people’s teamwork and perseverance skills using different fire drills to help them focus on tasks and achieve success. Advice is given on healthy eating, sexual health and drugs. The group attend Pangbourne College for outdoor team building activities to develop their problem solving skills, teaching them how to develop multiple solutions to

1 a problem and then evaluating which is the best one. development worker to go into the heart of the groups to Discussions on consequences help the participants help them engage. understand the impact of actions such as making a hoax call. The young people participate in sports such as circuit training that can be replicated without equipment and is low-impact.

Fire Safety is a theme running through the course and all the skills that they are taught will help them prevent The VSF now has a web site as part of the Berkshire accidental fires and understand the dangers of ‘Action for all’ web portal, to enable members to deliberate fires. communicate using notice boards. You can visit the site at The course is both fun and very demanding and the http://www.ba4all.org.uk/club_homepage.asp?clubid=16 young people need to work hard to pass. The behaviour 094 of the participants is assessed throughout the course and at the pass out parade certificates are presented to Arthur McKee, Chairman form the beginning of an achievement portfolio that can Voluntary Sector Forum be used in the future. Connexions The impact of the course is noticed by many of the people involved with the young people, from the coach Connexions provides impartial information, advice, driver to teachers. One head teacher sent 3 girls whose guidance and support to young people. Its key purpose school attendance averaged 25%. Following is to help 13-19 year olds to engage in education, interventions including the Phoenix course the training and employment. This is a universal service with attendance rose to over 75%. priority given to those who need extra support.

Four courses will be run in Bracknell in Autumn 06 and Connexions works in schools and colleges, in the Spring 07, using referrals from the Youth Offending Connexions Centre on the High Street and does Team and College Hall PRU. outreach work to groups such as Young Carers. Its workers undertake intensive work with young people Tregear Thomas, Youth Team Manager facing complex barriers. Connexions has a statutory Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue obligation to work with those who have learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD) and with targeted groups such as teenage parents. Voluntary Sector Forum

The Bracknell Voluntary Sector Forum (VSF) hopes to The Connexions enable the voluntary sector to have a voice within local clients are 13 – partnership groups. Its action plan recognises that the 19 year olds same representatives were attending meetings and that residing in Bracknell Forest or attending schools or it was difficult to get those from the ‘coal-face’ to become college or those up to the age of 25 if have a learning involved. It is particularly difficult to engage volunteers, difficulties and disabilities. rather than paid employees of voluntary groups. Stage 1 of the action plan would be to have VSF representatives The level of intervention with young people varies: on each theme partnership. Work has already been • 10% have multiple problems and need intensive, done to make the meetings more accessible to sustained support volunteers including effective admin support and • 20% are at risk of disengaging and need in- ensuring papers are circulated in plenty of time. depth guidance and help • 70% need information, advice and guidance on Improvement work for the VSF is overseen by the careers, learning and personal development. Change Up Consortium, which exists to govern the spending of Change Up funding and ensure delivery of Connexions has a statutory responsibility to maintain a the local Infrastructure Development Plan. The VSF has current record of the situation of every young person new terms of reference that will be put to its AGM on 10 aged 13-19 and the data is used to monitor October 2006 (6pm at Easthampstead Baptist Church) performance; analyse trends; identify needs and plan the for adoption. service.

Many members of the voluntary sector are ‘hard to The key focus is to reduce the number in the Not in reach’ because their motives are emotional and these do Education, Employment or Training (NEET) group. In not relate to the business terms of partnerships. A Bracknell Forest there are 162 young people in the ‘BASIS’ bid has been submitted to pay for a NEET group which represents 8.4%. The target set by DfES is 5.2% which will not be met this year.

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Only 0.9% of the areas young people’s current status Consultation cannot be confirmed. The national target is to have at most 5% unknown, so the Bracknell Forest figures are particularly robust. Regular telephone calls, home visits Improving Communications and employer visits are used to keep track of the young people’s progress. Executive Board members were asked to indicate how effective they felt current communications within the The NEET group are looking for careers or training with partnership are in terms of the Executive Board progression and if members of the partnership are able meetings, these newsletters and general to encourage businesses to consider employing and communications overall. The results were: training young people this would help enormously. Good Adequate Poor To find out more: Board meetings 36% 57% 7% Vacancy hotline: 0845 408 5047 Newsletter 71% 29% 0% www.connexions-berkshire.org.uk Overall 0% 27% 73%

Janet Hughes, Partnerships Manager The consensus was clearly that the newsletter is very Berkshire Connexions (tel. 0845 408 5029) useful and the meetings are helpful, although attendance needs to be improved and the agenda setting needs to be tied more closely to the theme partnerships. General Local Development Framework Update communication, however, needs to be improved significantly to allow the partnership to operate The third consultation in preparing the Local effectively. Development Framework which sets out the Council’s emerging planning policies for the next 20 years is Improved internal communications will reduce the risk of imminent. This consultation relates to the submission of duplication of work and will give opportunities for the Core Strategy to the Secretary of State. This agendas to be tied together to add value. External document is being converted into planning speech ,in communications are becoming more important as many line with recommendations received from Counsel, from of the success targets within the Local Area Agreement the innovative plain English style that Members are perception based. This means we must be able to approved in the previous two consultations. communicate our work to the broader public.

You will get an opportunity to comment but the way you In groups, the members were asked to rank the comment has changed as there are now 9 Planning communication channels that are most useful for internal Inspectorate ‘tests of soundness’. This means that if you communications for their partnership/organisation and don’t like what is being proposed you need to explain then for external communications. why it doesn’t meet one of the tests. Internally the key channels Please read the document and make representations were felt to be to face from the Executive Board, the Service Board, your meetings, newsletters, theme partnerships, your organisations or as individuals. emails, better use of minutes, agenda setting, Documents will be available from 10 November on business plans, web site and www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/ldf/submission informal telephone calls.

Supportive representations or objections from all the theme partnerships and individual partners is key for the Externally the key channels success of the Local Development Framework. Even a were felt to be local small piece of information, such as a plan for a new newspapers and parish or Health One Stop Shop, could be critical in deciding community magazines, where future development might be located. If you are newsletters, web site, large aware of new service plans (such as Neighbourhood posters (perhaps even of the Policing strategy) now or in the future, please email back of buses), face to face these to John Waterton at john.waterton@bracknell- meetings, radio and text forest.gov.uk messages/podcasts.

John Waterton, Development Plan Team Manager Members of the Executive Board were also asked which Bracknell Forest Borough Council local newspapers and radio stations they regularly read/listened to. Newspapers included the Bracknell News, Bracknell Standard and The Star. Radio stations were mainly national but local ones included Radio Berkshire and 210FM.

3 As of 1st October Bracknell Forest clinics will be trebled From these suggestions an improvement plan will be by opening two additional clinics on Thursday morning drawn up. If you have any further suggestions please and Monday evening, although the premises at Skimped email Claire Sharp at claire.sharp@bracknell- Hill are not fit for purpose as clients need to use the forest.gov.uk emergency access door.

Helen Barnett, Marketing Manager Chlamydia is a particular problem with a rising incidence Bracknell Regeneration Partnership across East Berkshire in under 25’s. 70% of cases of Chlamydia present without symptoms, but it can lead to Think tank infertility, and treatment is a simple course of antibiotics. A self screening pack is now available as part of a national screening programme that allows people to Where Next for Sexual Health in Bracknell post a swab or urine sample for testing. Forest The Berkshire East Chlamydia Epidemiology of sexual health Screening Programme (EBCSP) is aimed at individuals most at risk, Demographically Bracknell Forest has a young those under 25 and sexually active. It population compared with other parts of Berkshire, there has screened 4,000 people with the is an equal split between genders and 95% of the majority being undertaken in Bracknell population is white. In East Berkshire the trend in HIV Forest. Of these ~ 400 were found to be positive, which infection and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) reflects the national estimate of 10% of <25’s being is rising whilst teenage pregnancy is falling. infected.

Recommendations: The self screening kits (urine for males and vaginal • Ensure equity of access across the patch and swabs for females) are available at 5 GP surgeries, according to need Skimped Hill Sexual Health Service, via a postage • Create better 48 hour access to Genito-Urinary service by calling for a pack. More sites will be added Medicine (GUM) clinics especially in Bracknell soon. Visits have also been made to Wellington College • More resources need to be invested in the and Bracknell and Wokingham College. prevention of STIs including sexual health promotion, Sex and Relationship Education and Dr Noreen Desmond and Caroline Andrews contraceptive services to help reduce the incidence of HIV and STIs such as Chlamydia Teenage Pregnancy and Sexual Health • Improve Teenage Pregnancy services in Windsor and Maidenhead whilst maintaining the The national target is to halve the rate of teenage level of service in Slough and Bracknell conceptions among under 18s by 2010 and increase • All three PCTs to concentrate efforts to prevent participation of teenage mothers in education, training or HIV infection and halt the numbers of people work to 60% by 2010. affected from rising Bracknell Forest targets are: A report is available by request summarising all of the • 10% reduction in under 18s conceptions by results. 2004 • 45% reduction in under 18s conceptions by Rutuja Kulkarni, Public Health Directorate 2010 Slough PCT Bracknell Forest has recently been praised by the Sexual Health Services government on its work to reduce teenage pregnancy and latest figures released by the Department of Education & Skills shows a drop of 30.7% in conception

rates. The borough has seen the biggest drop in under- The Garden Clinic covers Slough, Maidenhead and 18s conception rates in the South East. Bracknell and is the first integrated Sexual Health Service in the UK combining Sexual Health Promotion, The focus is on three main areas: Family Planning and Genito-Urinary Medicine (GUM) . • Sex & Relationship Education To increase capacity follow-ups are kept to a minimum • Contraception, Advice & Information Services and nurses operate a triage system. The GUM clinic at • Care & Support for Teenage Parents Skimped Hill Health Centre, Bracknell offers an appointment/emergency access system on a Thursday This is a joint initiative and there is strong partnership lunchtime whilst there are daily walk-in GUM clinics in working across the agencies. Slough. Initiatives include:

4 • Engage more with parents that will support and • Sexual Health Drop-ins or Health Drop-ins in all prepare them in their role as educators the secondary schools. • More focus on work with young men and hard to • Sexual Health Drop-ins within the community reach groups • Sexual Health Drop-in in supported accommodation. Jenny Gordon, Community Public Health Nurse for • EHC scheme now available in 10 pharmacies School Aged Children • Fathers Group for all young dads to meet up • PACT Expectant Young Mums/Young Mums The members present endorsed the development of the Group sexual health agenda via the Bracknell Forest Public • Teenage Pregnancy Midwife Health Group. • CPD training for teachers, nurses and youth workers Members of the partnership were asked to consider: • School Nurses attending Health Promotion Course • How could your organisations contribute to the • Strong links with all primary and secondary sexual health agenda? schools through the Healthy School initiative. If you have any ideas or further comments please email • Sex and Relationship Resource Library Claire D’Cruz at claire.d'[email protected] • Engaging with young people including

development of DVD with the young people at Rainforest Walk about existing sexual health services.

The appointment of a sexual health lead within school nursing will help pull all these initiatives together. This work has also identified a need to consider the risk factors such as school exclusions and why some young people choose to become teenage mothers.

Lorraine Parker, Teenage Pregnancy and Sexual Health Project Manager (tel. 01344 351327)

School health contribution to the teenage pregnancy and Sexual Health Strategy

The PSA target is to reduce the under 18s conception rate by 50% by 2010.

Within Primary Schools sexual and relationship education is being started in years 5 and 6. Parent information sessions are offered with both a Mother and Daughter programme and a Lads and Dads programme, although the Lads and Dads programme has lower take up and any ideas from partners would be welcome.

Within Secondary Schools there are sexual health drop in clinics, hoping to be able to offer Chlamydia screening, STI’s and Contraception. On Valentine’s day nurses visited Bracknell and Wokingham College with a ‘Love is in the air!!’ stand offering sexual health advice.

Within the community school nurses are looking to roll out the Drop-Ins throughout the year and have developed links with the Youth Service, LAC Nurse and the Youth Offending Team.

The way forward: • Investment in SRE resources • New Post – Sexual Health Lead • Increased consultancy support for targeted schools • Provide and promote further drop ins in schools

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