Healthy Relationships Programme
The Healthy Relationships Project has a vision to see all young people’s lives benefit from having healthy relationships, and see reduced instances of gender-based violence, dating and relationship violence, sexual violence and gender inequality among young people.
Our mission is:
- To promote young people’s self esteem and well-being.
- To prevent gender-based violence, dating and relationship violence, sexual violence and gender equality.
- To provide education and support to whole school communities; pupils, staff and parents.
We achieve this through:
- Relationship workshops in primary and secondary schools, but mostly to Year 5 and 6 pupils in primary addressing issues including but not limited to: healthy relationships, unhealthy behaviours in relationships, stereotypes, domestic abuse, communication, conflict resolution, online safety, online and media pressures, and valuing individual identity.
- Training for school and staff on how to support young people to develop healthy relationships.
- Resources, created by our project, for school and home use, to engage young people in conversations about issues affecting relationships.
- Sessions, webinars and social media content for schools to engage parents in supporting their children with the topics covered.
Research shows that the most positive outcomes for young people are seen when schools take on a whole school approach. This is why we tailor our work for the whole school community.
More About Our Project…
Our work began in secondary schools, and we still host sessions in some secondary schools across Southampton and Hampshire. Topics that we cover include unplanned pregnancy and options, STIs and contraception, healthy and unhealthy relationships including domestic abuse, consent, and pornography.
However, we now focus most of our work in primary schools with year 5 and 6. We saw first-hand that the topics we were covering in secondary schools were already problematic for many pupils and we recognised the gap in provision for primary aged pupils. We developed age-appropriate workshops and resources to use and deliver in primary schools. Research shows how important it is to develop skills such as critical thinking, empathy and communication skills from an early age to enable young people to build healthy relationships. Young people form their beliefs around relationships from an early age and, with the rise in use of phones, tablets and computers from an early age, it is crucial that we support children to challenge unhealthy messages and develop the skills they need for their own relationships. We encourage pupils to think critically about aspects such as stereotypes present in our society and media and songs that they may see and hear. What messages are they communicating? Are they helpful or harmful? How do they affect our behaviour in relationships?
We deliver three packages of workshops to Year 5 and 6 pupils:
- Healthy & Unhealthy Relationships including an introduction to domestic abuse and how media, songs and stereotypes can contribute to unhealthy attitudes in relationships.
- Online Pressures & Safety looking at the impact of photoshop, filters, social media, bad pictures (pornography), and risks present online, and how children can ensure that their online use has a positive impact on themselves and their relationships.
- Communication, Dealing with Conflict & Developing Empathy to build essential skills for healthy relationships.
All the above packages are delivered over 4 1-hour workshops. We are also happy to tailor sessions and packages to address specific needs arising in schools.
We recognise that our workshops are just a small piece of the puzzle when it comes to tackling relationships education and evidence shows that pupils benefit the most when a whole school approach is adopted. For this reason, we offer support and education to the who school community, whether it’s parent engagement or staff support and training.
What People Say About Us
“I thought the sessions were brilliant! Carefully and sensitively delivered, interactive and engaging. I thought the domestic abuse workshops especially was really important and done in a child-appropriate way. I think this should be delivered in all primary schools.”
Year 6 Teacher
“I loved when Debs came in and taught us. I now know things I never knew before. I love it that she always has something fun for us to do every lesson.”
Year 6 Pupil
Get in Touch
If you would like more information, or to book our services in your school/group, please email the Project Lead: debs@aldertrust.org.uk
If you would like to volunteer with The Healthy Relationships Project, please contact us. All volunteers are trained and are DBS Checked through Alder Trust before entering schools.