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SHV schools, disability and community team at Sexual Health Victoria has specialist disability educators who understand the importance and impact of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) for people with cognitive disability.
Sexual Health Victoria (SHV) can support your school, organisation or community in taking proactive steps towards promoting understanding of, and ability to experience healthy and respectful relationships for people with cognitive disability (CD) and neurodiversity. SHV offers a range of services to help you deliver best practice Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE).
Sexual Health Victoria offers:
- Direct delivery of RSE by our expert educators to people with CD and neurodiversity in services, schools and through our calendared sessions
- Training for professionals to be confident in delivering RSE
- Parent/carer sessions
- Professional advice and education consultations to families and care teams
- Online resources and tools for educators to use free of charge
- Youth and Community Education
- Training and Support for schools via eLearning modules to support the delivery of RSE
Our services are evidence-based and align with governmental curriculum and policy. The Victorian Department of Education mandates the delivery of RSE through the Sexuality and Consent Education Policy. Relationships and Sexuality are a focus area within the Victorian Health and Physical Education Curriculum f-10. Consent education also directly links to levels A-D of the Victorian Curriculum for students working towards foundation. In 2022 the Australian Curriculum was updated to include consent education from f-10. Victorian Child Safe Standards direct that any institution working with young people take steps to keep young people safe in their physical and online environments, including delivering sexual abuse prevention programs where appropriate. SHV is also guided by the UNESCO document International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education.
SHV programs are guided by the WHO/UNFPA Promoting the sexual and reproductive health for persons with disabilities and the NDIS practice standards and Quality Indicators to provide a rights-based approach in our services.
SHV is a trusted eSafety Provider as we provide education around sexuality which is a protective factor for people on and offline. eSafety also recommends a whole school approach for education settings, to online safety education which is integrated and addresses specific risks such as grooming, sharing sexual pictures and pornography. See eSafety Best Practice Framework.
SHV is a Rainbow Tick accredited service and is aware of the importance of representing the diversity of sex, sexuality and gender within RSE. LGBTIQA+ families and individuals can feel confident that care is taken to ensure everybody is included. This is supported in schools by the Victorian Department of Education LGBTIQA+ Student Support Policy.
SHV has an approach to RSE which is informed by evidence, ethics, intersectionality, inclusion and trauma-informed practice. We strive to deliver sex-positive, inclusive content in which all people can see themselves recognised and celebrated.
In our experience, individuals with cognitive disability have direct and explicit questions about a range of topics including sexual and reproductive anatomy, sex and sexual consent. We understand that for some parents, carers and professionals, it can be difficult to answer for a range of reasons. SHV can help with appropriate age and stage information, delivered in a developmentally appropriate way.
We encourage everyone to think more broadly about relationship education and implement a whole-of-community approach. It is SHV's firm belief that relationships and sexuality education are a shared responsibility between service/school, home, and community. Quality, comprehensive RSE is a protective factor, especially for those in vulnerable populations. RSE teaches and provides the skills, knowledge, language and understanding to engage in healthy relationships and understand their rights and responsibilities.
Disability Educators are part of the Schools, Community and Disability Team.
Find out more about our team of expert educators here.
We encourage you to explore our website and listen to the 'Doing IT'  podcast back catalogue to build confidence talking about consent, sex, and healthy relationships.
Contact us today to discuss how we can support you.
03 9257 0130 or email disability@shvic.org.au
