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Clinical Services
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At Caledonia Youth, clients can access our services in a ‘one-stop shop’. Clinics are offered on an open access basis and at times that we know suit young people. Services are tailored to client needs, allowing a more streamlined approach and ensuring continuity of care. Above all, we give them time.

In developing services, we ensure staff have the expertise to give clients time to express their concerns in a non-threatening, non-judgemental environment. Appointments can last 45 minutes to ensure that we deal fully with everyone’s very individual needs. During this time staff encourage clients to look at ways of maintaining their safety in relation to sexual health.

Our staff explore problems they have faced accessing information and advice surrounding safe sex, parental consent (with under 16’s), rights and responsibilities in a sexual relationship, risk taking behaviour, negotiation skills, contraception and many other relationship issues.

Services, which form the core element of our clinical work and support the extension of nurse-led services, include:

  • Sexual health advice
  • Relationship counselling
  • Emergency contraception
  • Contraception
  • Free condoms
  • Pregnancy testing
  • Counselling for the under 16’s
  • Pregnancy counselling
  • Abortion referral

(This following section has been lifted from the More information for Professionals, etc, and slightly reworded)

Confidentiality
We are always available to provide advice and information about sexual health issues. However, we will not discuss individual clients with professionals including GPs without the client’s permission. We do encourage our clients to allow GP contact especially with regard to sending results of investigations such as cervical smears.

We are happy to see any young person with a parent, guardian, youth worker or carer, provided this is the express wish of the client.

With regards to clients under the age of 16, we work within the guidelines of the Legal Age of Capacity (Scotland) Act 1991. This states that:

A person under the age of 16 years shall have the legal capacity to consent on his own behalf to any surgical, medical or dental procedure or treatment where, in the opinion of a qualified medical practitioner attending him, he is capable of understanding the nature and possible consequences of the procedure or treatment.

This means that provided staff are satisfied a young person understands the implications of their actions and treatment, then they can be treated without the permission of a parent or guardian.
We are not obliged to report a person under the age of 16 involved in a sexual relationship. However if the young person is at risk of serious harm then we will always act to protect that person.

We consider the following points

  • Does the young person understand the potential risks and benefits of the treatment and the advice given?
  • Can the young person be persuaded to inform their parents, guardians or carers of the consultation? If he/she is unwilling to do so, the reasons for this should be explored and the value of parental support emphasised.
  • Is the young person likely to begin or to continue having sexual intercourse without contraception?
  • Is the young person's physical and/or mental health likely to suffer if they do not receive contraceptive supplies?
  • Is it in the best interests of the young person that contraceptive advice and/or treatment are given without parental consent?

Safety, rights and responsibility
Our staff encourage clients to look at ways of maintaining their safety in relation to sexual health. We explore issues concerning access to information and advice surrounding -

Safer sex - avoiding pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

Parental Consent (with under 16s)

  • Encouraging clients to discuss their relationships and visit to Caledonia Youth with their parents, guardians or carers.
  • Making clients aware of the legal implications of sex under the age of 16.

Rights and Responsibilities in a Sexual Relationship

  • The right to say "no" to sex even if sex has already taken place within the relationship.
  • The right to insist on condom use and to refuse to have sex if condoms are not used.
  • Both partners being responsible for condom use and not assuming that one partner is using contraception without asking first.

Risk taking Behaviour

  • Avoiding potentially dangerous situations especially in relation to alcohol.
  • Encouraging clients to look at their behaviour and getting them to make changes e.g. avoiding episodes of sex without contraception use.

Negotiation skills

  • Looking at ways of developing confidence so that clients feel able to insist on condom use.

Contraception

  • Teaching clients about contraception so that they can make an informed choice about which method to use.
  • Supporting clients while they use contraception so that they can feel confident about the method of their choice.
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