| At Caledonia Youth, we work with vulnerable, priority groups, communicating our experiences to young people who would not ordinarily come into contact with sexual health services. They often face barriers or find it difficult for one reason or another to access mainstream services.
Voluntary and statutory organisations approach us to work with those they feel may be at risk and require our specially tailored support. A key aspect of our work is developing and delivering innovative practices to capture groups of young people including those with behavioural and emotional difficulties, learning difficulties, special needs, young offenders and those from areas of socio-economic deprivation and high instances of teenage pregnancy.
Bespoke resources and education sessions have been developed specifically with each of these client groups in mind. We also train the people who work with them and in many instances work directly with parents and carers. Where required, co-facilitation of programmes and sessions with colleagues from other organisations, such as school nurses, can be arranged to offer additional support for both participants and facilitators.
We have worked with SEN schools for many years, particularly young people with poor or no literacy skills. Two booklets entitled Thinking About Sex and A Visit to Caledonia Youth were designed specifically for those with learning or literacy difficulties, using illustrations and easy to follow information to help communicate the message.
In addition to SEN schools, our specialist collaborative work includes programmes with the National Autistic Society (NAS), the Child Brain Injury Trust and the deaf/blind, where we work with the children but also, fundamentally, their parents, carers and teachers.
As we continue to implement and evaluate comprehensive sexual health education programmes for young people with specific needs, our focus is on providing access to services that are sustainable in the future.
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