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Those of us still able to remember our youth will know that the last person young people want to talk to about sex and relationships is an adult or authority figure.

The Hearsex project, which last year won the Community Care award in the children and families category, has found an effective way to enable young people to discuss personal relationships and sexual health by harnessing the enthusiasm and experiences of their peers.

The project is based in Birmingham Council's aftercare service, and is a joint initiative run by the HIV team and social services. Overseen by project co-ordinator Gayner Miller, Hearsex is a small group of peer educators who have lived in either residential or foster care and have taken part in peer education training on personal relationships and sexual health.

It started in 2001 after the department found out about the introduction of a BTEC award in peer education and felt this offered an ideal opportunity to engage its target group of young people who were not in training or employment. The training includes planning activities, support and impact evaluation, sexual health services, confidentiality and working with others.

"The whole course is underpinning that peer education is about giving information in an informal and relaxed way," Miller says.

After training, the peer educators go into a residential unit where they run eight one-hour sessions to help young people talk about sexual health and issues that might concern them. Miller oversees these sessions, which are run by two peer educators, although she emphasises her back-seat role. "The beauty of Hearsex is that it's young-people led," she says.

The issues raised depend on the experiences of the young people in the unit. Miller says: "We draw up ground rules at the start and make it clear that, unless we feel they are at risk, what is said will not leave the room. It's really up to the group to define what's acceptable and what's not."

An evaluation at the end of each session gives the young people a chance to offer their views and allows the peer educators to plan future sessions. Miller says the feedback is usually positive and allows young people to say what they want in a language that other young people can understand.

Peer educators have to be adaptable and prepared. "Some young people know everything while some are very uninformed," Miller says. "When you are just living with other young people, you can hear a lot of myths and prejudices. When we did World Aids Day we found there were still young people who thought Aids was just a gay issue, just as there are still young people who have no idea what a sexually transmitted disease is."


Miller stresses, however, that whatever their level of knowledge they are never made to feel silly. "It is okay to be misinformed as long as you get the information you need at the end of the session - that's what the project is all about."

Winning the Community Care award was "fantastic and completely unexpected", says Miller. "We were able to bring two of the young peer educators with us [to the ceremony], and those that couldn't come were also delighted. It's nice to be recognised."

Hearsex has had a positive effect on the young people involved. The project is working with its third group of peer educators, many of whose predecessors have achieved the BTEC award.

Peer educator Chantelle Gordon says: "I feel this BTEC is a stepping stone to bigger and better things - I feel positive about the future."

Miller plans to spend the award money on a television, video recorder and a video camera, all of which will improve the young people's training facilities. Further into the future are plans to extend its service to peer education training on drugs, and Miller is waiting to hear whether a funding bid to the drug action team has been successful before moving ahead with this.

Miller says: "This work isn't easy, and the best part of my job is seeing how the young people develop and grow as a result of being involved in the project."

- The children and families category was sponsored by Five Rivers