Published on: July 29, 2024
Connect for Health have launched and begun training for ‘Protect’, their new condom distribution and pregnancy testing service for young people in Warwickshire. Education staff, service providers, and other professionals have signed up to access the training from C4H to set-up their own ‘Protect’ programmes, with the vision to deliver support in their own settings to the young people they come into contact with.
Catherine Winton, RSHE Lead for Connect for Health, said: “The new ‘Protect’ service has been established to give young people access to sexual health advice and support, which will allow them to make informed decisions about their own health and relationships”.
The new service has been diligently reviewed by various professionals and stakeholders, to ensure that the appropriate support is being provided to young people in Warwickshire.
Karen Cornick, Service Manager, states: “We have extensively listened to the voice of young people to learn what they wanted from a condom distribution and pregnancy testing service. They named the service ‘Protect’ and supported with the branding. ‘Protect’ training has been piloted and sites have been established in key locations. This means that young people will have greater access to sexual health information, advice and support”.
The first training session took place at the end of April, delivered to Compass service CYPDAS at the Hill Street Youth Club in Rugby. Following this initial session, Catherine Winton has been carrying out the training programme with education staff and other professionals, ready for the programmes to be up and running in select schools when students return for the new academic year.
Catherine said: “The distribution training is essential because it equips individuals with the knowledge and skills to effectively promote safe sex practices, thereby reducing the transmission of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies”.
Feedback from the training has been very positive, and the participants have been engaging and proactive with their learning surrounding the topic, and the aspects of safeguarding associated with the service. Mandy Milsom, Assistant Head Teacher, said: “Yesterday was brilliant, everyone commented on how engaging it was”.
So far the service has completed training for 34 individuals, with a selection of professionals booked in for sessions over the Summer.
Connect for Health , sexual health , training , warwickshire