Sex and relationships education in schools - Evaluation of a pilot programme for the certification of community nurses

Objective In support of the UK Government’s teenage pregnancy and sexual health strategies, a certificated programme of professional development for school nurses and other community nurses was developed to provide support for personal, social and health education (PSHE) work, including sex and relationships education (SRE), for young people.

Design and setting This paper reports on findings from a multi-method formative evaluation of the pilot programme, which commenced in June 2003 and focused on six of the nine centres taking part: namely Sunderland, Lancashire, Birmingham, Hertfordshire, Ealing and Plymouth.

Method Face-to-face and telephone interviews took place with national officers, local leads, community nurses on the programme, their line managers, professional colleagues working with the community nurses, and national assessors. Data were collected using semi-structured interview schedules. Partial transcription of tape recordings and notes took place and a thematic analysis was carried out using constant comparative method.

Results The evaluation of the programme suggests considerable benefits for local collaborative working between health and education. In addition, nurses who undertook the programme gained in confidence and skill. Some tensions remain including concern about the need for dedicated time for nurses to complete the programme.

Conclusion Findings suggest that a well-designed scheme of the type described is likely to be well received by community nurses and facilitates cooperative working between health and education in the support of PSHE and SRE. There is a need to respect the unique contribution of the community nurse and to value the one-to-one work that she does.