15 March 2007
Government urged to step in to protect confidentiality of sexual health advice for young people
The Government must intervene to ensure that local guidance for professionals who work with children and young people does not deter young people from seeking sexual health and relationships advice because of concerns about confidentiality, three organisations representing the rights of children and young people said today.
A survey carried out by Brook, the sexual health charity for young people, and Action on Rights for Children, with the support of the Children’s Commissioner, found there is still confusion among Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) about how to interpret the Government’s guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children.
A third of LSCBs - 26 out of the 77 who responded - indicated that they would require professionals to report all cases of sexual activity among young people under the age of 13 to social services or the police. Only one in four LSCBs who responded to the survey (19 out of 77) had developed guidance on working with sexually active young people that complies with Working Together.
Commenting on the findings, Simon Blake, Chief Executive of Brook, the sexual health charity for young people, said:
“Confidentiality is top of the list of young people’s concerns when they need advice about sexual health issues such as contraception or pregnancy. If they don’t believe a service is confidential, then they simply won’t go there. That leaves them at far greater risk of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and may also lead to abusive or coercive relationships remaining hidden.
“The Government’s ‘Working Together’ guidance was intended to preserve professionals’ discretion to judge on a case by case basis whether a child or young person is at risk of serious harm and whether or not it is necessary to pass on information about them to social services or police in order to protect them. However, the findings of this survey suggest that many local protocols do not comply with that guidance. If the Government doesn’t intervene now many more young people will be left feeling they have nowhere to turn for confidential advice.”
Terri Dowty, Director of Action on Rights for Children, said:
“Routinely passing on details of children who may be in sexual relationships is a heavy-handed and counterproductive strategy. Automatic police reporting can lead to children themselves being criminalised and registered as sex offenders. Even if a child is not prosecuted, the police are likely to retain details of the relationship as ‘soft’ intelligence, which may have serious repercussions later on. The best way to protect children and to safeguard their health is to ensure that they feel safe to come forward and talk to the practitioners who can help them.”
Sir Al Aynsley Green, Children’s Commissioner for England, said:
“Health professionals should always be concerned if a child under the age of 13 is engaging in sexual activity, but where young people are reported, the risk of serious harm and the best interests of the child must be the overriding reasons for doing so.
“I promised last year to monitor the implementation of this guidance carefully to ensure it did not result in young people being deterred from accessing confidential contraceptive and other sexual health advice when needed. I raised concerns with the government that guidelines to healthcare professionals were unclear about when information should be shared. The results of this survey show there is still much more work to be done to ensure Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards (LSCBs) comply fully with the guidance. LSCBs have a duty of care to make sure that young people are kept safe and I will continue to monitor their interpretation of the guidance.”
For further information contact Catherine Evans on 020 7284 6047 catherinee@brookcentres.org.uk
Notes to editors
1. The summary survey findings are available on the Brook website.
2. Working Together to Safeguard Children was published by the Department for Education and Skills in April 2006. It sets out government guidance on how agencies and professionals should work together to promote children's welfare and protect them from abuse and neglect.
3. In a survey published for the launch of Brook’s Wise Up! campaign to protect young people’s right to confidential sexual health advice, in October 2005, 91% of respondents under the age of 16 said that health professionals should not be allowed to tell others about their visits. 74% said they would be less likely to seek advice if they thought information about them could be passed on to others. More information about that survey is available at: http://www.brook.org.uk/content/M6_3_wiseupsurvey.asp
4. A range of influential organisations representing health professionals and young people spoke out in support of Brook’s Wise Up! campaign, including the General Medical Council, the British Medical Association, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Nursing, the UK Youth Parliament, the National Youth Agency, Action on Rights for Children, Childline ,the fpa, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care
5. ARCH is an internet-based children’s rights organisation with a particular focus on civil rights. It supports equality, choice, respect and privacy for all children and young people.
6. The Office of the Children’s Commissioner is an independent organisation that was set up by parliament as part of the Children Act 2004. It looks after the interests and acts as the voice of children and young people.
