Council leads partnership workshop to improve sexual health outcomes for young people 

Liverpool City Council, alongside key partners from across the city, brought together key stakeholders for a workshop last week (12 February) focused on improving the sexual health and wellbeing of young people in the city. 

The event marked a significant step in shaping a new, collaborative action plan designed to ensure that young people receive high-quality information and advice, learn about healthy and respectful relationships, and understand how to access the right support and services when they need them. 

Most recent local data has shown a decline in STI diagnoses in young people. However the rates of diagnoses remain above the national and regional average, which shows there is still more to do.  

Fewer young people were found to be attending clinics in person for advice, and there has been an increase in the use of emergency contraception and the number of abortions in young people (particularly repeat abortions). These trends highlight the need for a renewed, whole systems and partnership-driven approach to ensuring young people have the knowledge, confidence and support to make informed choices about their sexual health. 

The workshop brought together professionals from the local authority, health, education, youth services, academics and the voluntary and charitable sector. All were focused on developing practical, evidence-based solutions. Their insights will contribute directly to an ambitious new action plan aimed at improving outcomes for young people across Liverpool. 

Melisa Campbell, Associate Director (Public Health) for Children, Young People and Health Improvement, said: “It is so important that we take a partnership and whole systems approach to improving the sexual health of our young people. It was fantastic to see so many stakeholders attend this workshop to focus on how we develop our action plan. We aim to shape positive and empowering messages to our young people and deliver high quality relationships and sex education (RSE) that builds knowledge and understanding of what makes a healthy relationship. By working collectively, we can equip young people with the tools they need to make safe choices and thrive”. 

A central feature of this work is ensuring that the plan is shaped by the voices and experiences of young people themselves. A series of surveys and focus groups have already taken place, giving young people the opportunity to share their views on current local provision and to influence future developments.  

James Woolgar, Advanced Public Health Practitioner (Sexual Health), said: “We were delighted to see so many stakeholders attend to work on this new action plan, it shows how committed everyone is to improving sexual health outcomes for young people. Recently we have seen reductions in STI rates in young people, and improvement in the number accepting highly effective long-acting contraceptive options. However, we know there is much more to do system-wide, and that we need to develop new and innovative ways of communicating, including apps and technology”.

Representatives were in attendance from across Liverpool City Council, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, Axess, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, MSI Choices, Boots Pharmacy, BHA, Schools and colleges, Liverpool Women’s Hospital, MYA, Pause, Liverpool University Hospitals Group, ICB, Organon, NUPAS, Valley Community Theatre, Tiber, and Alder Hey.  

Further engagement with young people will continue throughout the year to strengthen the co-design process and ensure that the final action plan reflects their priorities and lived experience.