In 2000 the first Sure Start programme in Kent was developed in Millmead, an estate on the outskirts of Margate in Kent. Sure Start was a high-profile New Labour initiative which aimed to give young children living in deprived communities such as Millmead a better start in life by creating opportunities for them and their parents and by eradicating child poverty. There were four main objectives for young children and their parents: to improve social and emotional development, to improve health, to improve children’s ability to learn, and to strengthen families and communities. There was an expectation that teenage pregnancies in Sure Start areas would be reduced.
Millmead was chosen for the first Sure Start programme in Kent because of the high levels of need and the dense child population on the estate. The estate was built as a private housing development in the early 1970s but due to financial difficulties it was purchased by the local council and used to house families from their own and surrounding district priority housing lists. Many young families were housed on the estate and had little in common with each other.
In developing the Sure Start Millmead programme the challenges appeared immense. Local parents were sceptical and felt let down by the local councils. There had been lots of consultations and promises but no delivery of a promised secondary school and a community centre. There was no trust.
In setting about establishing the programme I worked very closely with local parents. Together we designed the role of a community worker and four local parents were recruited to this role to work in the programme.
In addressing the high levels of teenage pregnancies in Millmead I asked parents how they thought we might reduce the numbers over the course of the programme. Parents were clear about the difficulties. They told me that they themselves as parents did not have the language or the confidence to talk to their children about sexual health issues. Their own parents did not talk to them when they were young about sexual health. They were embarrassed about the subject. They did not have any aunts or uncles with the knowledge who might help. Also they said that there was no resource on the estate where they might get help or information. I learned from this experience that parents wanted to help their adolescent children but lacked the skills and resources.
In partnership with local parents we set up a programme called ‘Sex, Storks and Gooseberry Bushes’. The emphasis was on giving parents the language, the confidence and the skills to talk to their children about sexual issues. The programme was well attended, light-hearted and fun. There were quizzes and crosswords which included appropriate sexual vocabulary. There was also online work and songs including the Twelve Days of Christmas where a different sexually transmitted disease was given each day. It was a very amusing programme to visit. There were also opportunities for parents and their children to attend advice and information sessions on sexual health issues. These were planned for half-term breaks. What was different about this programme was that it was set up in true partnership with parents and sought to address the issues that the parents had highlighted in preventing them from helping their children understand sexual issues and avoid teenage pregnancies. At the end of a six-year period it was apparent that the teenage births on the estate were down my 66 per cent. We cannot claim that it was this specific sexual health programme that brought about this change but we can claim that there were many positive changes in Millmead during the course of the Sure Start programme and the involvement of parents in the identification of need and the planning of appropriate approached to address these needs were key to our success.
The estimated cost of a teenage pregnancy and birth is £70,000. Sure Start Millmead allocated £10,000 per year for the sexual health programmes. We estimated that there was over £1m savings on teenage births during the first six years of this programme. Our approach was very different but more effective than the professional-led local NHS approach.
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Frances Rehal is the parliamentary candidate for North Thanet
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