LGA responds to new relationships and health education guidance

Responding to guidance set out by the Government on new relationships and health education in schools, Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:

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“Councils called for sex and relationship education (SRE) to be made compulsory in all secondary schools, and were pleased when the Government announced this would happen last year.

“As we warned at the time, the lack of compulsory SRE in secondary academies and free schools is storing up problems for later on in life, creating a ticking sexual health time bomb, as we are seeing in those who have recently left school.

“The draft guidance set out today will help address this and also enable pupils to improve their physical health and mental wellbeing. But we would like to see government go further and give councils and schools the funding to offer independent mental health counselling so pupils have access to support as and when they need it.”

  1. Government announcement



    Selected STI diagnoses



    The LGA’s Bright Futures campaign for children and young people’s mental health is calling for services that change children’s lives to be properly funded, so that all children and young people can have the bright future they deserve.

Bright Futures

Helping children and young people to fulfil their potential is a key ambition of all councils, but the local services that can support them to do so are under increasing pressure.

Bright Futures is our call to properly fund the services that change children’s lives.

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