Major National Conference Addresses Health And Social Care Needs Of Older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual And Trans People
Pride in Care is a major national conference focusing on the health and wellbeing of older LGBT+ people. Taking place at University College London on 13 June 2018, the conference is organised by Opening Doors London, Britain’s leading provider of information and support services for older LGBT+ people. It addresses key concerns about the accessibility, safety and inclusiveness of health and social care services and housing. The conference also identifies and supports the work of health and social care champions who are doing innovative work.
Pride in Care provides a unique opportunity for health and social care providers to consider how services can be personalised to better address the needs of the older LGBT community, including the particular needs of older trans, bisexual and Black and Minority Ethnic people. It will also discuss the challenge of building consensus for organisational change within the NHS, Social Services and in housing and care and support services.
There have been significant advances in legislation and human rights for LGBT older people, yet health, social care and housing providers often struggle to understand and meet their needs. Pride in Care offers an opportunity for service providers to think differently about how services are commissioned, provided and managed in order to achieve equality.
Key issues include:
- Achieving greater staff awareness of older LGBT+ people’s needs
- Implementing mechanisms to manage the ‘service quality’ of inclusion
- Compliance with the Equalities Act 2010
“In all the celebration of the formal achievement of legal equality over the last year it’s easy to forget the needs of older LGBT people who helped make equal citizenship possible. Yet research shows that as a group they still suffer the scars of earlier prejudice and discrimination, and often have particular social and care needs. Opening Doors London is Britain’s leading charity of and for older LGBT people. Drawing on the experiences of our members, and the latest community-base and academic research, the Pride in Care conference will assess where we are now, and explore the exciting and challenging initiatives that could change the lives of older LGBT people.”
Professor Jeffrey Weeks OBE, Chair of Trustees, Opening Doors London
