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Evaluation of fpa Speakeasy
Speakeasy is a community-based educational programme run by fpa.
The aim of Speakeasy is to support and encourage parents to communicate with their children about sex, sexual health, and relationships. Around 10,000 parents have completed the course since 2002. YPF have been evaluating the impact of Speakeasy using data from 2002 to the current date, with agreements for further evaluation to 2011 (including a planned roll-out of the programme in Scotland).
There have been various designs and methods used to evaluate Speakeasy, including:
Pre- and post-course questionnaires for approximately 4,000 parents attending the course
Sub-group analysis of the questionnaire database e.g. differences by gender, ethnicity, disability and geographical location
Professionals trained to deliver Speakeasy
Exploring children’s views of the impacts of Speakeasy (whose parents attended the course) and overall parent-child communication
Longitudinal cohort interview data among a sample of 20 parents who attended the course pre 2005 and who have been interviewed on an annual basis
A control group comparison among a sample of parents who had not attended Speakeasy.
The effects of Speakeasy are very positive, with parents reporting increased learning about sex and relationships, and more open communication with their children about these and other matters.
The early results from the longitudinal data demonstrate clear examples of how this course is impacting on young people’s safer sexual behaviour, and the control group comparison illustrates further how these effects can be attributed, with greater confidence, to attending the Speakeasy course.
“I’m not frightened of whatever angle the questions come from, I know I can find an answer or give an answer” (Speakeasy parent).
July 2009