Safe and Sound is a welcome addition to the resources available for working with young people in sex and relationships education in both formal and informal settings.

It provides a synopsis of the current research, guidance for training workshops to help workers deliver SRE and 130 activities for use with young people; help on working with parentsgovernors and managers. While the pack certainly benefits from being comprehensive, it can be difficult to navigate a clear path through so much information.

It is also disappointing that the resource makes no reference to new national initiatives such as the PSHE framework, the National Healthy School Standard and the new SRE guidance.

The activities cover a broad range of issues ranging from puberty, sexuality, contraception, saying no and managing conflict. They cover information,skills and attitude objectives and many will be familiar to those who already use active learning methods. Some examples of activities that could be used in one off sessions or a series of sessions would also have been helpful.

Safe and Sound is mindful of the needs of particular groups and pays attention to the different needs of boys and girls, lesbians and gays, and those who have a different faith or culture.

There is useful guidance on managing sex-related issues when working with young people, and how to talk with them. Workers are advised to deal sensitively with certain issues, but it would have been useful to provide advice and suggestions on how to do this.

This resource will be useful for planning and delivering SRE. Healthwise provide training, which would be helpful for the less experienced.

Simon Blake is director of the Sex Education Forum. Healthwise, First Floor, Cavern Street, 8 Mathew Street, Liverpool L2 6RE