Level 1 and 2 sexual health

The nurses are really nice; they don't speak down to you and treat you with the respect you want from them. They don't judge you and they listen to everything you have to say to them.” Brook service user

We provide services for young people up to the age of 25.

Brook is most often the first service young people contact about their health independent of their parents. There are many reasons for this and one is certainly the quality and range of services we provide. Young people discover that we can support them to help themselves through self-managed care, and through level 1 and 2 provision; basic and Intermediate care.

Brook is a great place for young people because they respect your privacy and they don't make things uncomfortable for you. I don't know if I would be comfortable going anywhere else.”
Brook Young Volunteer

Brook is the only charity working across the UK and Channel Islands that specialises in working with young people to promote their sexual health in the wider context of health and wellbeing.  

Brook delivers innovative services designed with the help of young people and we operate in over 188 locations across the UK, Channel Islands and Jersey and undertake educational work in locations nationwide.

If you would like us to deliver a new service, please contact us.

I’ve always felt very safe, protected and welcomed by staff here.  10/10 perfect service really.  Staff always polite, obliging, putting 100% into helping everyone.” Birmingham service user

When young people need more than self-managed care, we offer quality level 1 and 2 clinical services. We provide ‘one stop shop’ nurse-led services on an open-access basis to ensure flexibility.

Clients are supported by a multi-disciplinary team comprising experienced client support workers (prioritising health promotion interventions), nurses, Health and Wellbeing workers and counsellors.

These services include easy access to a choice of effective contraception, including LARC, via Patient Group Directions (PGDs), IUDs, as well as emergency contraception, pregnancy testing and support, TOP/antenatal referral and follow-up, STI screening and treatment including Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and HIV with clear pathways to level 3, adult and specialist/support services.

Brook provides open access clinical sessions at times and within venues that are accessible and acceptable to young people. Clients will be made aware of information regarding all methods of contraception, including emergency contraception and Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) methods to ensure they are able to make an informed choice about their contraceptive method. Support for pregnancy choices and referral to services for abortion are offered. Where services are not available at Brook, clear referral pathways will be in place.

Our services are delivered by competent staff qualified to deliver specific elements of care. They provide high quality professional clinical consultations which present the risks and benefits of contraception and sexual health screening to develop the client’s knowledge and autonomy to come to informed decisions.

Staff work to series of supporting Procedures to ensure all Brook services take a consistent, high-quality approach to clinical delivery. Brook has in depth, comprehensive set of policies and procedures covering:

• Medicine management
• Infection control
• Clinical delivery (including consent to treatment)
• Clinical supervision, appraisal and professional development
• Clinical risk
• Clinical audit

The service has an excellent reputation for service delivery, so much so that we find that a fair portion of their users travel into the city from outside of the area to use the wide-range of services that are on offer. They take a holistic approach to service delivery incorporating not just advice on relationships and sexual health but also advice on healthy lifestyles. The service always puts the user at the centre of its service delivery and is always looking to work with commissioners to see how things can be done more effectively and will often make suggestions as to how things can be improved for better outcomes.” Liverpool Primary Care Trust

Quality clinical services are a top priority for Brook. We work within the law, regulatory requirements and best practice guidance to ensure our standards. We comply with the standards of the Care Quality Commission, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority for Northern Ireland.

All staff work in accordance with the codes of conduct of their professional bodies and the Department of Health’s Best practice guidance for doctors and other health professionals on the provision of advice and treatment to young people under 16 on contraception, sexual and reproductive health.

Further reasons to choose Brook include:

• Department of Health National Strategy Level 1&2 services will be underpinned by FSRH Quality Standard for Sexual Health Services
• Our approach is empowering to young people; we provide the support, they make the decisions
• Because we put young people in charge of their own health, they are more committed to the decisions they make
• We are a national organisation but with a local presence throughout the UK. The networks and partnerships we have developed enable us to support young people comprehensively
• We are members of local and national strategic groups and forums; this gives us a voice which is not only listened to but actively sought and commissioned, by organisation such as the Department of Health, Healthwatch and the BASHH.

Page updated: May 2016
Next review due: May 2017