Decision details

To approve the Kent Teenage Pregnancy Strategy for 2015-2020

The strategy has been informed by stakeholder engagement events, which included the views of sexual health workers, school nurses, midwives, district level representatives, health improvement workers, early intervention workers and teachers and has been developed by close collaboration between public health and education and young people teams.  In developing the strategy, the findings and recommendations of the Kent County Council Select Committee: PSHE/Children’s Health report (2007) were taken into consideration.  The report’s recommendations will also be used as the basis of developing local action plans

The strategy was subject to an equality impact assessment and stakeholder and public consultation. Feedback from the consultation has been incorporated.

The aim of the strategy is to help young people to thrive, become resilient and make positive contributions to their communities and wider society. This will be achieved by providing access to information, services and early help, so that they can make appropriate choices about their sexual relationships. When young people decide to have a child, they should have support to achieve the best possible outcome for themselves and their children. Young people should be involved in this work.

As well as improving the information, advice and support we provide to all young people and introducing measures so that sexually active young people can access contraception easily and use it effectively, our success in reducing teenage pregnancy rates will also depend on how effectively we tackle the underlying factors that increase the risk of teenage pregnancy – such as poverty, low educational attainment, poor attendance at school, non-participation in post-16 learning and low aspirations. Offering appropriate support to young people who are experiencing these underlying risk factors will help to build their resilience and raise their aspirations and so reduce the likelihood that they experience a range of poor outcomes, including teenage pregnancy.

Legal and Financial Implications

There are no legal implications.There are no direct costs relating to the strategy other than officers time expanded in ensuring it is implemented at County and District level. 

As Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, I approve the adoption of the Kent Teenage Pregnancy Strategy for 2015 – 2020.