listening to young parents listening to young parents research exploring the issue of teenage...
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Listening to Young Parents
LISTENING TO YOUNG PARENTSResearch exploring the issue of teenage pregnancy in Merthyr
Tydfil
Duncan Mackenzie
Research and Evaluation Officer
Merthyr Tydfil Children and Young People’s Partnership
Listening to Young Parents
Presentation structure
• Background and context
• Development of the research
• Initial findings
• Potential outcomes
• Discussion
Listening to Young Parents
Conception rates to women aged 15-17yrs
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Rat
e per
1,0
00 w
omen
England and Wales
Wales
Background and context
Listening to Young Parents
Conception rates to women aged 15-17yrs
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Rat
e per
1,0
00 w
omen
England and Wales
Wales
Merthyr Tydfil
67% higher than Welsh average
Listening to Young Parents
Conception rates for women aged 15-17yrs
No. conceptions Above Welsh ave. Difference
2001 94 37 +65%
2002 73 16 +28%
2003 57 2 +4%
2004 77 23 +43%
2005 62 10 +19%
2006 68 14 +26%
2007 82 29 +55%
2008 85 34 +67%
Listening to Young Parents
Who said this?
‘Teenage mothers are less likely to finish their education, less likely to find a job and more likely…to bring up their children in poverty. Our failure to tackle this problem…has cost the country dear.’
Tony Blair, Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, Government Social Exclusion Unit1999
‘The (valleys) girls’ aspiration is to get pregnant as quickly as possible and get a council property’
Barbara Wilding, Chief Constable, South Wales Police Force
Jane’s Police Review Dec 2009
Listening to Young Parents
Who said this? (cont.)
‘Children born to teenage mothers are more likely to live in deprived areas, do less well at school, and disengage from learning early – all risk factors for poor outcomes’
Beverley Hughes, then Minister for Children, Young People and Families, 2006
‘Teenage pregnancy rates in the UK have increased in the last 20 years’
81% of respondents to an Ipsos MORI poll, 2008From the same poll:• 95% of respondents over-estimated the actual rate of teenage
pregnancy• A quarter of all 15-26yr olds surveyed thought four out of ten girls
under 16yr old fell pregnant every year (actual rate is less than 1%)
Listening to Young Parents
887,000 conceptions in the UK in 2008
324 to women aged 14ys and under0.04% of all conceptions
Listening to Young Parents
Research project development
• Reasoning for the research– Highest rate of teenage conceptions in England and Wales– Response to negative media attention– Collective desire to act from CYPP
• What did we want to achieve?– Why and how are young girls becoming pregnant?– How good are our services at dealing with pregnant teenagers?– Research will provide questions rather than answers
• Methodology– Developed by young people– Specific Merthyr focus– Provide new information
Listening to Young Parents
Methodology
Semi structured questionnaire format, covering:
• Family circumstances• Information and support received before, during
and after pregnancy• Experience of birth
• Options given to participants for style of engagement
• Aim to interview 50 young parents – findings not intended to be statistically representative
Listening to Young Parents
Methodology (cont.)
• Combination of quantitative / qualitative data– assessment of services– personal stories
• Ethics approval– Not sought from NHS– Potential benefits of using health services
outweighed by disruption of process
• Recruitment of participants– Non-health provisions asked to signpost young
parents
Listening to Young Parents
London Model of Unplanned Pregnancy
Six questions around the circumstances of a young girl’s pregnancy, covering:
• Contraception use prior to conception• Aspirations• Mind set of young girl and partner• Health behaviour
Multiple choice answers, which give a score out of 12:
0 = completely unplanned 12 = totally planned
Listening to Young Parents
Initial findings*
Young parents were:• Fully engaged with the process and keen to take part• Brutally honest in interview• Source of recruitment of participants will skew results?• Clear distinction between engaged and disengaged parents
Before and during pregnancy:• PSE provision was poor. Single sex provision is paramount• Contraception methods unreliable• Uptake of ante natal provision almost non-existent• Lack of practical and basic advice given• Continuity of health staff produces better outcomes
* These results are not statistically robust
Listening to Young Parents
Initial findings*
Birth:• Large number of difficult births• Teenage parents often needed an advocate during
procedure• Negative experiences all too common
Being a parent:• Generally very positive• Those with a single, named health visitor recount an
overwhelmingly positive experience• No sign posting to accessing benefits, services available,
etc • Support groups focussed on young parents invaluable
Listening to Young Parents
Potential outcomes
• Links to the 2011-14 CYP Plan – Sexual Health priority– Specific need to gain more information from young people– Quantify experiences of young people and service
providers into robust format to provide a challenging argument for change
– More research and consultation needed to inform service planning
• Roadblocks– Attitude of adults (Councillors, parents, Governors,
educationalists, etc)
Listening to Young Parents
Duncan MackenzieResearch and Evaluation Officer
Merthyr Tydfil Children and Young People’s Partnership01685 725087