The Teenage Pregnancy Knowledge Exchange provides advice and expertise on all aspects of teenage pregnancy and young parenthood. This includes national and international consultancy, support to local areas to review and strengthen their teenage pregnancy programmes and research collaborations. International consultancy has been provided to Mexico, Thailand, Argentina, Panama and Bogota.

To discuss your needs contact Alison Hadley at alison.hadley@beds.ac.uk

For more information and feedback, read the TPKE information leaflet [PDF]

Consultancy and support

The Teenage Pregnancy Knowledge Exchange offers expert advice and bespoke consultancy to local government and clinical commissioning groups. Options for support include:

UK

• A review of the local area's teenage pregnancy prevention and support work, with recommendations for further progress.
• Teenage Pregnancy Engagement days – 'making teenage pregnancy everyone's business' with a focus on translating evidence into practice, understanding which young people are most at risk, and clarifying roles of different agencies and practitioners. These can be used to bring together multi-disciplinary teams or tailored for specific groups. For example elected members, members of Health and Wellbeing Boards and Clinical Commissioning Groups, GPs and practice nurses, schools and FE colleges, maternity services and children's centres.

International

• Strategic advice on developing and implementing a national teenage pregnancy strategy
• Reviewing and advising on existing teenage pregnancy strategies
• Hosting visits to the UK to learn about the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy and meet those involved in local implementation.

Training

Evidence from implementing the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy shows that local progress on teenage pregnancy relies on strong multi-agency working. Harnessing the potential contribution of all relevant practitioners 'makes every contact count', strengthens early prevention and promotes joined-up care pathways between services.

To continue and sustain progress on teenage pregnancy, the learning from the last decade needs to be embedded into the practice of current and future practitioners and policy makers, through undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

The Teenage Pregnancy Knowledge Exchange provides short courses for external delivery to local areas.

Research

There has been a considerable amount of research into teenage pregnancy and teenage parenthood. The characteristics of young people at risk have been identified and the evidence on what works is well established.

Where more research is needed is in the area of service user involvement and into the social context which influences how young people and teenage parents use and benefit from services.

Developing further research, with a focus on improving young people and teenage parents' experience of services will bring new insights and strengths to the training and consultancy elements of the Teenage Pregnancy Knowledge Exchange. Alison Hadley, TPKE Director is currently involved in the following research programmes:

Positive Choices. A school-based social marketing intervention to promote sexual health in English secondary schools.

Following Young Fathers Further

New Pathways for Young Fathers