WOMEN are the key users of health and education services, whether they are accessing them for themselves or their children, according to Barbara Roche, minister for women.

In a recent report, "Better Services, Better Working Lives", the Minister states that while the Government is on the right track in delivering its reform of public services, the provision of health and education services is structured along the model of mothers staying at home, which is no longer true for most families.

Ms Roche believes that the Government needs to see these services, and the way they are being reformed, through the eyes of the women who use them and deliver them.

"If our services are delivering for women, then everyone will benefit. Better for women, better for all", she states.

Research has shown that the "overall message has been that we are very much on the right track, but we have further to go", says Ms Roche. The Warrington Guardian asked women in the town what they liked about existing health and education provisions and what they would like to see in the future.

More provisions for young teenagers are high on the list of priorities for Janet Clark, whose daughter, Amy, 13, is a pupil at William Beamont High School, Warrington.

Janet is hoping to return to work and has recently done various courses in the hope of finding herself a job, preferably in the soft furnishings field.

Her concern is that at Amy's age, she is too old for a child minder or after school club, but Janet feels that she is too young to be left totally on her own. School holidays particularly would be a worry if Janet hadn't fixed up some plans for Amy.

She would like there to be some focal point where Amy could go, not necessarily all the time, and not necessarily for supervision, but something to bridge the time gap in her mother's absence. Janet would also like to see more leisure time provision for young teenagers in general.

Janet's other concerns are the length of time she is having to wait to get an appointment with a consultant for a suspected hernia (from last October to February), at Warrington Hospital and having to wait six hours in A and E when she broke her finger.

What does Janet like about health and education services?

She thinks it would be easy to get access to teachers at Amy's school if she needed to. She likes the fact that the school would ring parents if their children didn't show up. She also likes the range of services at the Eric Moore Medical Centre, which includes chiropody, ante-natal and well woman provisions.

Ann Danaher of Stockton Heath, who has three children, also wants more provisions for teenagers who are below driving age. Her other wish would be for faster GP appointments. Ann said she and her family didn't go to the doctor very often, but when they had, they had had to wait till the following day with problems such as colds and viruses. She thought that a case for an emergency would have to be made for a same day appointment. On the school front, Ann is happy with everything at her children's schools. Daughter Gaby, 17, attends Appleton College, elder son Barclay, 15, is at Bridgewater High School and younger son, Elliott is at Broomfield County Junior.

Anne Wilcock, who runs a mums and toddlers group at St Margaret's Community Centre with the backing of the Westy Sure Start Project, said she would like to see the government make more financial provision for groups such as hers. The group raises money through events, selling refreshments, and fees. The Westy Sure Start project, which is government funded, and supports families and children up to age four with a range of services, pays the group's rent for a year and provides one staff member, which Ann appreciates. She also likes the support the group receives from Warrington Borough Council and the Community Development Team, and the help provided in the past through lottery funding and the Community Chest.

"More financial help from the Government would enable us to organise trips and buy better toys", said Anne, who has two children of her own, Adam, five and Sarah, seven.

Tina Cross, play and children's services officer with Warrington Borough Council, has two teenage sons, Peter, 16 and Andrew, 17. Among the provisions which have impressed her on the health scene was accident and emergency at Warrington Hospital when her son had a sporting accident and subsequently needed major surgery for a compressed cheek bone.

"Everything was top notch", said Tina. She also likes provisions at the Guardian Medical Centre, Westbrook, which include maternity care, a baby clinic and a range of support services.

Tina liked being able to see teachers easily when her children were at Callands County Primary. "You loose that informality at secondary level", she said. Appointments have to be made at Penketh High School, but Tina said this always works out. Like other women in the town, Tina wants more for young teenagers. "We need more activities and more training for things like cooking, first aid, answering the phone and the door, and generally looking after themselves and being safe if they are on their own." Tina thinks this is something that could perhaps be done through schools.