Esteem

If you were thinking about accessing relationships and sex education (RSE) training and have come across acet UK, you might be wondering what the Esteem network is all about.

In the UK, we are getting used to new rhythms of life due to the COVID-19 situation. A significant change for many families is the closure of schools for most children. 

One of the advantages of our connected world is the ability to connect easily with people in different countries. So this week, I got the chance to speak via a video call with Vicky Walsh (find her on instagram) who is a member of acet UK’s Esteem Network of trained relationships and sex educators. 

During this Coronavirus outbreak, we will not be running any training in physical buildings but we are excited that we are still able to provide our standard RSE training, and the accreditation, by video conferencing software. We are also running teacher training courses and parents' workshops online.

acet UK's Esteem teacher training in relationships and sex education (RSE) is designed primarily for secondary school teachers wishing to improve their RSE delivery and increase their confidence in delivering this subject. The course reflects the most up-to-date information, in line with the 2019 government guidance on relationships and sex education, sex education and health education.

We welcome the opportunity to support schools, churches, youth groups and other organisations by providing bespoke training events or speaking at an organised online or in-person event. If you want us to run an online event, we can provide all the online services required to host interactive secure digital learning environments or we are happy to discuss using your own preferred services. 

Topics we have been asked to speak on in the past include:  

Gareth, our Esteem Network Director, has been working with the education team at a tier 4 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) secure inpatient unit for the past 7 years.

In the last 2 years, he has had the privilege of leading a multi-sessional pilot programme, providing weekly relationships and sex education (RSE) sessions for young people in the care of the unit.

Founded in 2011, Esteem network member, YouMatter, work with thousands of young people across Jersey every year, helping them respond thoughtfully to the pressures, choices and challenges that they face.

As well as providing high-quality, interactive and engaging workshops for young people in schools, youth clubs and other community settings, YouMatter also offer one-to-one and small-group work for young people identified as needing additional support with any of the issues covered by their key areas of work.

... with an improved box design, an extra card and new instructions.

Statistics tell us that up to 40% of teenagers are involved with sending explicit images and messages (sometimes called sexting). To help youth leaders, teachers and parents talk to young people about sexting, social media and staying safe online, we've worked with Youthscape to create a card-based resource that's been piloted and tested with young people.

Our Esteem team in Southwark provide RSE in a specialist provision school for boys with social, emotional and mental health issues. This alternative educational setting supports young men who have been excluded from mainstream school for a variety of reasons.

RSE lessons are important for these students because those who find themselves in these settings tend to be the most vulnerable. This may be due to gang membership, family breakdown, behavioural or learning difficulties, or a mixture of all of these.