Justine (YMU teacher) and Demi (young mum) setting off for the visit
The Hospital and Outreach Teaching Service was recently invited to bring some of the young mums from the Young Mums/Pregnant Schoolgirls’ Unit (based at Wester Hailes Education Centre) to give evidence at the Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee’s Inquiry into Teenage Pregnancy.
The remit of the inquiry is:
- to assess whether the action being taken in Scotland is sufficient to bring about real and sustained reductions in unplanned teenage pregnancy.
- to explore with witnesses what further action may be required to ensure that those young people at risk of pregnancy at a young age, or who have a baby when they are very young, are able to gain access to appropriate support and services.
Four girls, Jessica and Demi (who are currently in the Unit) and Louisa and Amber (who left the unit last session) attended the Committee in March. They were accompanied by Ann Burnett, Depute Head of the Hospital and Outreach Teaching Service, and Justine Haddow, teacher-in-charge at the unit. Ann reports from the visit…
The Committee will publish a report on its inquiry into Teenage Pregnancy in May
The visit took place on 5 March and the girls were invited to have a working breakfast with 4 MSPs - Gil Paterson, David Torrance, Nanette Milne and
Bob Doris (Deputy Convener). Bob had previously taught at Wester Hailes for a year.
Further information on the Health and Sport Committee and the inquiry is available on the Scottish Parliament website - you can also click on each Member’s name for background information on them.
“Keen to contribute”
The visit went well. The young mums were keen to contribute and were not shy! They emphasised how being given the opportunity to continue their education at YMU and at WHEC had made a difference to their lives. All four talked about how becoming a mum had totally changed their direction in life. They talked about how being recognised as having Additional Support Needs made this possible. They were asked how this had worked for them. They discussed the importance of not being judged by staff and how every effort should be made to ensure appropriate access to education. Jessica stressed the importance of a flexible approach as this was essential to meet their needs both as learners and as mothers.
They talked about their appreciation of the investment made by the Council in funding YMU, including the provision of transport and childcare for their children. Ann said this investment had a double dividend in that this provision directly affected not only the mothers but their babies as well. All the girls appreciated the effort and contribution made by WHEC staff to help them re-engage with education.
Louisa talked about being a “Looked After Child” (LAC) and how her educational journey took a sharp turn when she became pregnant. Louisa is now in first year at Napier University. Demi, also a LAC, talked about how her baby daughter would not follow the same path as her as she had learned the importance of being assertive.
They gave their opinions on the prevention of teenage pregnancy, sex education and Family Nurse Partners. Justine and Ann also contributed to the discussion. The members were very interested in the complementary curriculum that Justine provides in the Unit.
Members found the session really useful and hopefully the girls’ contribution will have a direct impact on the MSPs’ lines of thinking when it comes to the Committee’s recommendations to the Government on this issue. To this end, the Committee asked if they could keep in touch and requested that when they produce their draft recommendations, they could discuss them with the girls.
All girls were a credit to YMU and WHEC.
Editor’s notes
The Young Mums’ Unit is based in Wester Hailes Education Centre (WHEC). It works in partnership with the school to offer young parents the chance to continue their education in a supportive environment. The service is offered free of charge to any girl up to age 18 (S6) who lives in Edinburgh.
You can find out more about the Young Mums’ Unit on the Council website. Also see this previous blog post from last December, highlighting the work of the unit.
