The Sexual Health and Healthy Relationships Project from Who Cares? Scotland
The Sexual Health and Healthy Relationships Project ran from January – November 2022 and brought together 32 passionate Care Experienced people to co-design refreshed workforce guidance for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC) Health Board on sexual health and healthy relationships.
How young people shape the Commission
32 young people aged 13-26 living in the Glasgow area took part in this project over 25 meetings. They had varying experiences of care including Foster Care, Secure Care, Residential Care, Kinship Care and having a Social Worker at home. We met as a group in the National Office, and adapted the project to ensure we heard from more seldom-heard groups, including:
Young refugees with the Scottish Guardianship Service
Our Glasgow Mum and baby group
At the Good Shepherd secure care centre
The groups spent time building relationships and creating group agreements, reviewing the existing guidance and sharing experiences around conversations on sexual health and relationships. They then chose what resources they wanted to develop alongside workforce and carer feedback, designed and created the following suite of resources.
How young people’s views have been used in decision-making
So far with these recommendations, we have influenced the Sexual Health Standards by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, and the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s inquiry into the health and wellbeing of children and young people.
In 2022, Who Cares? Scotland has worked with Corporate Parent NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC) Health Board to involve Care Experienced young people in co-designing refreshed workforce guidance about relationships and sexual health, also taking into account views gathered from 55 members on sexual and reproductive health in 2021.
These resources will be built into an NHS GGC interactive toolkit for the workforce and carers to use with young people to support these conversations. We will share the link as soon as it’s ready!
This project helps to uphold Care Experienced people’s rights to life, health, education, privacy, to be free from torture and discrimination.
What young people said
“This made talking about these things normal”
“Loved the conversations, helpful and memorable”
It was good to talk about who to speak to. I learned lots of new words in English”
“A little embarrassing but it was really nice and entertaining”
There is also feedback on pages 28 and 29 of the report from partners at the Guardianship Service and Good Shepherd Centre.
Contact info to find out more:
If you would like to know more about the project please contact Policy and Public Affairs Manager Laura Pasternak: lpasternak@whocaresscotland.org. If you require any of these resources in an alternative format, please contact: comms@whocaresscotland.org. You can find out more about Who Cares? Scotland’s wider Annual Participation Programme here.
