About Connexions And Abortion

Below is a list of Connexions  which United for Life is lobbying to  Make Abortion History.

However, United for Life would like to bring to your attention the extent to which the policy of killing children by abortion, as one option among several options, is being fostered in the UK Government’s drive to reduce teenage pregnancy.

According to the Government’s Teenage Pregnancy Unit document entitled:  Guidance For Youth Workers ,  about its grassroots organisation Connexions, the document asks the question,

‘What role will the Connexions Services play in providing information about and referring young people to contraception and sexual health advice services?’

The Government’s answer is that Connexions,

‘...will offer young people ...access to health information, including, ...details of local contraceptive and sexual health services.’

Connexions' own policy document entitled:  'Working Together - Connexions and teenage pregnancy'  states,

‘The Connexions Service National Unit and the Teenage Pregnancy Unit have worked with colleagues across Government, Connexions Partnerships and frontline agencies to produce this document.  It is part of a set of Guidelines about joint working aimed at Connexions Partnerships and the range of agencies supporting young people.

...Connexions Partnerships will be involved in local teenage pregnancy strategies with one of the wider cross cutting targets being to reduce by 50 per cent the rate of conceptions amongst under 18 year olds by 2010, and to establish a firm downward trend in the conception rates for the under 16s.

...To achieve these aims, it is essential that Connexions and others involved in the local teenage pregnancy strategy work closely together, providing services through a single point of contact so a young person does not need to search around for help.’

Evidence of the inter-related activities of Connexions with various local and national government and statutory organisations can be found, for example, in the  Cotswold and Vale Primary Care Trust Teenage Pregnancy Annual Report 2003/4, 8th June 2004.  These include among other bodies:

Primary Care Trusts, Sexual Health Services, School Nurses, Local Education Authorities, County Youth Services, Teenage Pregnancy Co-ordinators, County Councils and Abortionists* .

* (Those who develop, organise or perform abortions and abortion services, such as consultants.)

The Cotswold PCT report  lists 'Membership of the Teenage Pregnancy Partnership Board', which includes Connexions Gloucestershire.  The report also states that Connexions funded the Gloucestershire ‘Rough Guide’ ‘...distributed to all year 11 pupils’ .

Further evidence of the collaborative work, including the killing of children by abortion, by various organisations as quoted from the Cotswold PCT report are as follows,

‘Existing training programmes for staff delivering SRE in non-school settings offered by Social Services, the Youth Service and Sexual Health Promotion Team have been incorporated into an expanded multi - agency, molecular programme...  ...Connexions PAs have been a particular target of training this year.’ (4.4)

‘As Connexions, as an organisation, has settled into its role, the needs of the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy have taken a greater priority.’ (6.4)

‘PAs are being identified in each locality to lead on Connexions own, detailed, Teenage Pregnancy Action Plan.’ (6.4)

‘A second Consultant in Family Planning has been appointed, who will take the lead in developing the abortion service.’ (5.1)

The Teenage Pregnancy Unit’s  'Sure Start Programme' background information ,  under the heading ‘Working with Connexions’, states,

‘Sure Start Plus and Connexions are committed to working together to contribute to the overall aims of the national Teenage Pregnancy Strategy and are actively engaged in collaborative working with other local agencies.  Joint working arrangements between Sure Start Plus and Connexions have been agreed in a number of areas...’

The Government’s Teenage Pregnancy Unit  'Guidance on Delivery of Sure Start Programmes' ,  states that its aim is to reduce social exclusion and poverty from teenage pregnancy and is to be acheived,

‘In particular, by working with relevant agencies and organisations, to ensure that all teenagers, especially those who are pregnant, have access to appropriate health care, including access to contraceptive advice.

By ensuring pregnant teenagers have access to comprehensive, sensitive and appropriate advice and counselling in the early stages of pregnancy so they are able to make informed decisions, including whether to continue with the pregnancy, adoption or abortion, according to their circumstances.

By supporting teenage mothers and fathers in caring for their children to promote healthy development before and after birth.’

Connexions clearly claims to be closely involved with the delivery of this programme which include decisions ‘whether to continue with the pregnancy’ and ‘abortion’ .

Connexions own website under the heading  Sexual Heath - Pregnancy - Read Full article,  lists  ‘Terminate the pregnancy by having an abortion’,  as one of the 'options' Connexions presents.

Connexions also has a mobile unit or 'bus' service to target information at children in difficult to access locations.

An example of the type of literature published by Connexions is the Amber Valley Teenage Pregnancy Partnership leaflet entitled : Professional Pathway , designed by Connexions Derbyshire Limited.

Parents need to be aware that their details and the details of their child or children are passed onto the Connexions Service by the authorities.  For example, according to the Somerset County Council  DFES School Census/PLASC: Connexions Agreement ,  it states,

‘There is a legal requirement under the Learning & Skills Act 2000 to pass information on request to the Connexions Services for pupils in, or approaching, the Connexions age range.  The names and addresses of pupils and their parents must be provided to the Connexions Service in any event.’ (2, 2.1)

Somerset County Council has provided a disclaimer clause in the text of the above document which reads: ‘Somerset County Council cannot accept any liability for the accuracy of this information.’

United for Lif will therefore also provide a disclaimer:  United for Life cannot accept any liability for the accuracy or otherwise of the information provided on this website.  We encourage readers to look up and research the information for themselves.  Please advise us of any inaccuracies and we will do all we can to correct them.

United for Life also provides a list of  Primary Care Trusts  we are lobbying.

Below is a list of local and regional Connexions which United for Life is campaigning to  Make Abortion History .  Included in the list are other areas which may be served by regional or local Connexions, eg. Fairford - severd by Gloucestershire.

List of Connexions we are lobbying:

A

Why Abingdon Connexions (MK, OX, & Bucks)  must oppose the killing of children by abortion and must protect the right to life of human embryos

Why Accrington Connexions (Lancashire)  must oppose the killing of children by abortion and must protect the right to life of human embryos

Why Alnwick Connexions (Northumberland)  must oppose the killing of children by abortion and must protect the right to life of human embryos

Why Amersham Connexions (MK, OX, & Bucks)  must oppose the killing of children by abortion and must protect the right to life of human embryos

Why Aston Connexions (Birmingham)  must oppose the killing of children by abortion and must protect the right to life of human embryos

Why Atherstone Connexions (Coventry & Warwickshire)  must oppose the killing of children by abortion and must protect the right to life of human embryos

Why Aylesbury Connexions (MK, OX, & Bucks)  must oppose the killing of children by abortion and must protect the right to life of human embryos

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