Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Strategic Director People.

The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Director People outlining the current position of the Council in relation to Sex and Relationship Education in schools and colleges.

Personal, Social and Health Education and particularly Sex and Relationship Education were recommended to become statutory for all schools from September 2011.The report outlined how Cheshire East would prepare for this requirement and how it would develop delivery mechanisms to support schools to implement this effectively.

The Council would be using ‘Are We Getting It Right’ toolkit with the young people of Cheshire East, to evaluate the impact and quality of the Sex and Relationship Education they received.

A workforce development strategy for Sex and Relationship Education was being developed and national standards published would be published as part of the new refreshed ‘Teenage Pregnancy strategy 2010 and Beyond’. Tiered training would be given to the children’s workforce.

Work with parents and carers would be developed further through a range of parenting programmes, for example local programmes such as ‘Speak Easy’ in Children’s Centres, schools, and voluntary sector organisations.

RESOLVED –

That cabinet be informed that this committee supports the following recommendations:

(a)      That Cheshire East Council should work with the Healthy School programme to develop Sex and Relationship Education through the National Healthy Schools programme and the newly launched Enhanced Healthy Schools Model.

(b)      That Cheshire East Children’s Trust should develop a model of linking effective Sex and Relationship Education with on site health services, including sexual health services, on school and college sites.

(c)      That children and young people be actively involved in an evaluation of their Sex and Relationship Education and sexual health provision.

(d)               That the children’s workforce be trained to deliver the recommendations in (a)and (b) above

(e)       That work be undertaken with parents and carers, using effective Sex and Relationships Education programmes, to enable them to talk to their children and young people in order to raise their aspirations.