Abstract
Older LGBTQ+ people often have higher levels of need for social care but often have poor experiences within social care settings, impacting on their engagement with support. Older generations of the LGBTQ+ community are ageing alongside a history of discrimination and prejudice, with the impact of this having a cumulative effect.
This study considered the experiences of older LGBTQ+ people and those who work or volunteer in social care services to understand how inclusivity and cultural competence were or were not features of the support received. Consideration was given to the ways in which sexual identity was recognised and valued, and the actions that can signify inclusivity within community based social care settings.
There were differences between the importance of identity for people who used services and those who ran them. Most providers did not collect sexual identity information and many were unclear about the value of doing so, despite recognising that having that information might alter the ways they approached delivering support. This had a direct effect on people's feelings of value, through feeling a relevant part of who they were was effectively ignored.
There were a range of actions identified by both groups that could foster a more inclusive environment, but again, many of these were not in place. There was a belief that staff training and raising awareness of LGBTQ+ lives was vital to changing experiences, and many felt that people telling stories about their lived experiences was the most meaningful way to do this. However, there were no mechanisms in place to encourage this or support frameworks for people who were expected to retell traumatic experiences as part of a training offer. There is also little evidence that this type of training delivers long term changes to the delivery of support.
There were a lack of drivers for providers to make changes, even though many were felt to be manageable and impactful. Older LGBTQ+ people felt that even small efforts to demonstrate inclusivity impacted on their willingness to engage with services and their experiences of those services, as well as feeling that these would eventually lead to more embedded cultural shifts.
Value was felt to come for both older people and providers from making links to local LGBTQ+ networks and groups. Systems and processes that perpetuated heteronormativity needed to be addressed to ensure that impactful changes could be made to the delivery of support for this group.
This study considered the experiences of older LGBTQ+ people and those who work or volunteer in social care services to understand how inclusivity and cultural competence were or were not features of the support received. Consideration was given to the ways in which sexual identity was recognised and valued, and the actions that can signify inclusivity within community based social care settings.
There were differences between the importance of identity for people who used services and those who ran them. Most providers did not collect sexual identity information and many were unclear about the value of doing so, despite recognising that having that information might alter the ways they approached delivering support. This had a direct effect on people's feelings of value, through feeling a relevant part of who they were was effectively ignored.
There were a range of actions identified by both groups that could foster a more inclusive environment, but again, many of these were not in place. There was a belief that staff training and raising awareness of LGBTQ+ lives was vital to changing experiences, and many felt that people telling stories about their lived experiences was the most meaningful way to do this. However, there were no mechanisms in place to encourage this or support frameworks for people who were expected to retell traumatic experiences as part of a training offer. There is also little evidence that this type of training delivers long term changes to the delivery of support.
There were a lack of drivers for providers to make changes, even though many were felt to be manageable and impactful. Older LGBTQ+ people felt that even small efforts to demonstrate inclusivity impacted on their willingness to engage with services and their experiences of those services, as well as feeling that these would eventually lead to more embedded cultural shifts.
Value was felt to come for both older people and providers from making links to local LGBTQ+ networks and groups. Systems and processes that perpetuated heteronormativity needed to be addressed to ensure that impactful changes could be made to the delivery of support for this group.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Conference Proceedings |
| Pages | 3 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 24 Apr 2024 |
| Event | NIHR SSCR Annual Conference 2024 - Edgbaston Park Hotel & Conference Centre, Birmingham, United Kingdom Duration: 24 Apr 2024 → 25 Apr 2024 |
Conference
| Conference | NIHR SSCR Annual Conference 2024 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| City | Birmingham |
| Period | 24/04/24 → 25/04/24 |