FPA Annual Report 2011

FPA – talking sense about sex

About FPA 3

Welcome from Julie Bentley, Chief Executive FPA 4

Our work with parents and families 5

Our work with young people 8

Our work with disadvantaged groups 12

Our work with adults 15

Our work with the nation’s professionals 17

Our work with politicians and influencers 18

Our work – financial accountability 19

Chair’s closing message 20

With thanks to… 21

Our 2012 targets 24

General and contact information 25

About FPA

Our mission is to help establish a society in which everyone has positive, informed and non-judgemental attitudes to sex and relationships, where everyone can make informed choices about sex, relationships and reproduction so that they can enjoy sexual health free from prejudice or harm.

We believe that:

· All people are sexual beings.

· Sexual health is important to individuals, relationships and societal wellbeing.

· Sexual behaviour should never result in exploitation, oppression, physical, emotional or psychological harm.

· Everyone should have access to accurate, high-quality sexual health information, education and services.

· Everyone should be able to exercise his or her reproductive rights.

· Everyone should have the ability and responsibility to control their own sexual health.

· All sexualities should be respected and accepted.

· Self-esteem, confidence and communication skills are very important to healthy relationships.

IPPF declaration of sexual rights

FPA is one of 150 member associations of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). IPPF is a global service provider and a leading advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.

FPA supports Sexual rights: an IPPF declaration which states that sexuality, and pleasure deriving from it, is a central aspect of being human whether or not a person chooses to be sexually active or to reproduce. Sexuality is not merely a vehicle for individuals to satisfy their reproductive interests. The entitlement to experience sexuality should be safeguarded.

Welcome from Julie Bentley, Chief Executive FPA

Welcome to this review of our activities in 2011, in which we worked with around 30,000 adults and almost 5,000 young people, and 970,000 people visited our website. Against the backdrop of reduced funding and heightened need for our services, we set ourselves some challenging targets for the year. I’m especially proud that we have been able to fulfil so many of them, all of which you will read more about on the following pages.

With the firm belief that we are ‘stronger together for sexual health’ we formalised our solid partnership with the young people’s sexual health charity Brook. As a result, our charities are now working more closely together.

In 2011 we jointly delivered our policy and parliamentary activities and held our first joint House of Lords reception. A further success of our collaboration has been the creation of a three year programme of work, with Durex. This is with the specific aim of improving public access to, and understanding of, sexual health information. Excitingly, this work will be taken forward in 2012.

FPA continues to be bold in talking sense about sex. During the year we held a debate asking the question ‘Do we live in a sexualised society?’ Participants heard lively and passionate contributions from speakers who discussed everything from the impact of the media on our children to the reach of the pornography industry in the internet age.

Reductions in public funding and changes to commissioning of health services in England means sexual health services are being squeezed. We have worked tirelessly this year to ensure that sexual health is recognised as a key public health issue. And we will continue to fight to ensure that everyone across the UK, regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation or ability, has access to comprehensive sexual health services at a time and place suitable for them.

Julie Bentley

Our work with parents and families

Speakeasy in England and Scotland:giving parents and carers the information and skills to talk to their children about sex and relationships

Now in its 10th year, our Speakeasy parenting programme is well established across England and Scotland. It’s widely respected by parenting commissioners and sexual health leads as the gold standard course for parents and carers who want the skills and information to talk to their children about sex, relationships and growing up.

We were delighted to welcome two parents, Ian Gallagher and Karen McGuire, to our House of Lords reception in July. They spoke movingly to peers, MPs and other guests about how completing the Speakeasy course had made a positive difference to their family life. Another group of parents met for Children and Families, to tell her how important Speakeasy is and the difference it has made to how they communicate with their children.

“The parents I met today spoke enthusiastically about how Speakeasy has given them confidence and skills to talk to their children about sex and relationships. What’s more, they are then getting involved in their schools’ work … and passing on this understanding to other parents. I fully support the aims and objectives of the Speakeasy programme.”

Sarah Teather MP

Minister for Children and Families

In England, hundreds of professionals have been trained by FPA to run Speakeasy in their area. Over 60 local authorities offer Speakeasy as part of the support they offer to parents in their area. We adapt Speakeasy to meet local needs, for example running one-day courses for parent support staff or foster carers or offering shorter, half-day workshops.

Big Lottery Funding for Speakeasy in Scotland came to an end this year. Local areas are now taking responsibility for this work by running courses with staff trained by FPA. At a celebration and graduation event for parents in September, actress Joyce Falconer presented parents with certificates and entertained guests with her own brand of Scottish humour.

“Two of the most vocal parents in attendance … said they would have been ‘terrified’ to know the school was dealing with [sex and relationships education] as they would have felt very unable to support this at home. In fact they both commented that they take any opportunity now (and create some of these opportunities) to speak with family and community members on the topic.”

Jude Irwin, NHS Lanarkshire

Blood Borne Virus and Sexual Health Training and Education Manager

“My three-year-old asks about why her body parts are different to her brother’s. The course showed me the language to use and just to be open and honest.

Stacey Findess, Manchester

I heard from a friend that my daughter had a boyfriend so I sat her down and talked to her about boys, pregnancy and diseases. She didn’t say much but she listened. I could never have done that – you know, just told her the facts – without the course. And I wasn’t embarrassed.

Rebecca Butler, Devon

Speakeasy in Northern Ireland

Thanks to funding from Belfast and South and East Health and Social Care Trusts we delivered the Speakeasy course to many different parents. We spent an enlightening few weeks with women from different religious backgrounds who came together to share their experience of the course. We also worked closely with mums living in hostels because of domestic violence. Building up their resilience means they are better equipped to deal with adversities that they may face in the future. And we held a tailor-made programme for lesbian mothers. Issues including homophobia, and the impact this can have on how they communicate with their children, were discussed.

In November, Speakeasy and the FPA Choices project for young women teamed up to pilot a workshop for women aged from 15 to 80. Held to mark the launch of a Newtownabbey Borough Council DVD, What My Mother Never Told Me, women discussed everything from values and attitudes to parenthood, body confidence, reproductive choices and contraception. After a hugely positive response to the pilot we hope to develop this programme in 2012.

Parents of people with learning disabilities

Good sexual health for people with learning disabilities in Westminster

Special sessions for parents are an important part of our sex and relationships education programme for people with learning disabilities. Parents benefit from the extra support and the chance to meet other parents; and their children benefit as parents feel more confident talking about relationships and sex with them.

A striking feature of this year’s work is our success in engaging parents from a variety of backgrounds, including the Muslim community. These parents can hold strong religious and cultural beliefs about sexuality and told us that they found the support sessions extremely helpful in coping with an issue that can

be difficult.

“The FPA courses and advice are extremely precious to parents and carers as they throw light on questions, concerns, problems, anxieties that all

parents have when dealing with such a delicate subject.”

Jenny, mum of Luke, 16-year-old with learning disabilities

Just Ask: supporting people with learning disabilities in Northern Ireland

Our groundbreaking project in Northern Ireland delivers group workshops for parents and carers of people with learning disabilities and one to one information and support sessions. The following quote from a parent whose son was coming to the attention of the criminal justice system aptly demonstrates the need and impact of this work.

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“I had been referred to a number of agencies but no one seemed to have the capability or expertise to deal with our son’s issues. FPA becoming involved was a lifesaver not only for our son but our entire family.”

Mary Hara, Craigavon, Northern Ireland

The Facts of Life campaign, Sexual Health Week 2011

Our mission for Sexual Health Week in September was to get as many parents as possible to talk to their children about sex and relationships. Excitingly, Facts of Life is the first campaign for parents FPA has ever run. Scottish parents who had completed our Speakeasy course shared some of the more entertaining questions their children had asked them about sex for our animated campaign video – our first ever animated production, made in-house by FPA staff.

Over 180,000 new leaflets, packed with advice for parents about how to handle tricky questions were sent to thousands of Sure Start centres, pharmacies and health centres. The campaign was covered by several local BBC radio stations and newspapers too, helping us get our message out.

In 2011 we worked with

· 3,000 parents

· 1,000 professionals.

Our work with young people

Sex and relationships education in the community

’Bout Ye: raising aspirations in young men from Northern Ireland

It can be easy to forget that young men face the same pressures as young women about body image, self-esteem and resisting peer pressure. They need support to make positive decisions about their health.

Funded by the Public Health Agency, ’Bout Ye delivers workshops to young men under 25, across Northern Ireland. As well as educating them about contraception and sexually transmitted infections, ’Bout Ye explores the issues that influence the sexual health of young men growing up in the 21st century. Workshops are held in youth clubs, training schemes such as The Prince’s Trust, and for young people excluded from mainstream education.

“It’s good to talk about this stuff, not all men are the same, we don’t all have big willies.”

Brian, 15, Ballymena

“Wow, didn’t know about pre-cum, am gonna put the condom on right away.”

Shaun, 16, Derry

“I always thought that porn movies were like real sex, now I know they’re not.”

Rory, 15, Craigavon

Sexability: for young people in central Scotland

Sexability enjoyed one of its busiest and most interesting years since it began in 2007. The project helps young people make informed choices about their sexual health and relationships.

Our focus this year was on supporting young people outside of mainstream education. We worked in and around Glasgow with lots of amazing young people, including survivors of childhood sexual abuse and those facing homelessness. These are the young people who often miss out on sex and relationships education (SRE) which makes our work so essential.

In Shetland, we trained a group of 14 young people, aged 14–18, to be peer educators. They are now equipped to work with other young people on the island to improve their sexual health. This approach is absolutely necessary in places such as Shetland. The young people there need the same information, education and empowerment as everyone else but, living in isolated and rural areas, they can struggle to find the support they need.

“No one ever talks to us about this sort of stuff! It’s good to know that I’m not the only one freaking out about my body.”

Fern, 15, Glasgow

“So glad I didn’t have to talk about sex with my teacher, this was much less embarrassing!”

Josh, 14, Paisley

Is This Love?

An education programme for young homeless survivors of domestic abuse

In April we launched Is This Love? This Comic Relief-funded project supports homeless survivors of domestic violence and relationship abuse. In partnership with homelessness charity Centrepoint, we work in London hostels with young residents aged 16–25. They might be young mothers at the hostel with their children, or young men or women newly homeless and receiving intensive support from Centrepoint workers. Many of them have personal experience of domestic violence and others want the skills the course will give them.

The name Is This Love? reflects the ambitions at the heart of the project. Many young people are simply not aware of what makes a relationship unhealthy or abusive. Our workshops help young people identify positive and negative relationship traits, educate them about sexual health and empower them to make positive decisions about their lives. Rape, consent and healthy relationships have been recurring themes throughout the first months of the project. Interestingly more young men than women have attended our courses. More men than women are homeless but we are also seeing their genuine interest in developing healthy personal relationships.

Training Centrepoint staff to recognise the different forms and possible indicators of relationship abuse, and to learn strategies for working with young people experiencing it, is another strand of the project. Feedback from staff has been very complimentary with one participant saying that “domestic violence should be at the top of our agenda.”