By Allan Barker, Inspector, on behalf of the LGBT Charter Champion Group
The Care Inspectorate’s LGBT Charter Champion Group was founded in 2015 and works with the LGBT Youth Scotland Charter to support us as an inclusive employer by developing policies and procedures and engaging with the LGBTI community across Scotland. In March 2018, we celebrated achieving the Foundation Award from LGBT Youth Scotland and we are extremely proud of this award, especially as the Care Inspectorate is the first regulator in the UK to achieve this. Our work is about upholding the rights of the LGBTI community across the age span and we signpost our staff to the work of other organisations and initiatives such as LGBT Age and LGBT Health.
The group is continuing to support an inclusive approach in the work of the organisation and we hope to achieve Bronze level during 2019. We are raising LGBTI awareness and, most importantly, we are committed to helping ensure the best outcomes for people in the LGBTI community across Scotland who experience care.
At the Care Inspectorate, we believe that people in Scotland should experience a better quality of life as a result of accessible, excellent services that are designed and delivered to reflect their individual needs and promote their rights. We are committed to advancing equality of opportunity, eliminating unlawful discrimination and fostering good relations between all protected characteristics.
Raising awareness
We have answered a number of requests about how to support LGBTI people across the care sector and we are here to help in any way we can. For example, we host LGBTI awareness training provided for our staff by LGBT Youth Scotland and raise awareness of our work through various initiatives such as hosting information stands at Pride events. We have had a presence at various Pride events held in Glasgow, Edinburgh and most recently Dundee and Aberdeen. This has created opportunities to let people know about the work of the Care Inspectorate and to hear people’s views, their hopes and fears around experiencing care.
Our public engagement work is telling us that people can be fearful of accessing services as they do not know if they will experience discrimination, harassment or victimisation for being part of the LGBTI community. This was highlighted in Glenda Rome’s documentary, Return To The Closet?, which was premiered in Glasgow on May 1 at the launch of the 2019 Luminate festival. The film explores the experiences of older LGBTI people, some of whom have felt the need to hide their sexuality.
The Care Inspectorate’s Foundation Award from LGBT Youth Scotland is important not only to inform and reassure the public that we support inclusiveness but it has a direct impact on our regulatory role supporting anti-discriminatory practice. We have already held awareness sessions for some of our staff around the country and this work will continue. We have also made connections with a number of LGBTI rights organisations to look at issues and themes and are posting good practice guides and information on The Hub improvement website.
We have published an information leaflet Who We Are and What We Do, the LGBTI Community and distributed this in a number of services, where the response has been very positive. It has created opportunities for staff teams to think about practice, their values and principles, and it has also created much discussion within the Care Inspectorate about how we share and promote good practice. We have also produced an information postcard focusing on LGBTI issues, statistics and the promotion of the new Health and Social Care Standards, which set out what everyone should expect when using health, social care or social work services in Scotland. The implementation of these new standards is an ideal time to further develop the work the LGBT Charter Champion Group and promote the positive impact it can make for LGBTI people experiencing care.
We can make an impact within our regulatory role, and as a part of the charter group’s work we would value your views on how we can progress our work and have a positive impact in protecting people. If you have any feedback or suggestions please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Anyone with a query or concern about a care service can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us on 0345 600 9527.