The information on this page helps service providers to discuss and identify how inclusion manifests within organisations and what it means in practical terms, to staff and to older and old LGBT+ people.

It articulates ‘inclusion’ in a way which can make it much more tangible and can help organisations to recognise the gaps in their own practice and plan for action to be more inclusive.

Once you have considered the information on this page, you may want to look at further suggestions on the Better Conversations webpage.

Questions for Service Providers

You can use the questions below to assess your current engagement with older and old LGBT+ people and to help you identify what you need to do to increase that engagement. As with many of our resources, these questions could be asked more generically about more marginalised or less represented communities.

  • Does your service delivery reflect – or is reinforced by – input from LGBT+ communities?
  • Do staff feel supported by your organisation to be ‘out’ themselves?
  • Do staff have dialogue with LGBT+ communities around priorities, possibilities and progress under the EMBRACE Covenant?
  • Does your organisation provide strong accountability mechanisms so that people can see how decision-makers have acted on their priorities?
  • Is your organisation aware of who is excluded and marginalised from the ‘conversation’ – for whatever reason – physically, culturally, economically?
  • Does your organisation provide or support  spaces where older and old LGBT+ people and groups can meet and participate in discussions on their own terms – not just in ‘invited’ spaces
Questions for the LGBT+ Community

Do people from LGBT+ communities and groups experience the value of being engaged with your group/organisation/department?

Do they:

  • Feel they can influence things?
  • Know the routes to influence?
  • Feel consulted and asked their opinions?
  • Take part in the process of shaping priorities and joint decision making?
  • Know the results of their influence?
  • See the link between their input and the result?
  • Feel confident that they have been heard?
  • Understand why things change – or not?
  • Understand different views and perspectives?
  • Know the routes to ‘complain’ when they feel discriminated against

These questions have been extracted from “echo”, a framework developed as part of the Axis of Influence series in 2009. Echo specifically explores how public agencies can assess and improve their openness and ability to respond to community influence. Originally researched in Dudley in collaboration with Dudley Community Partnership; Dudley Primary Care Trust; West Midlands Police and Dudley MBC Directorates for Urban Environment; Adult, Community & Housing Services; Children’s Services ; Chief Execs Directorate as well as Neighbourhood Management and Community Safety Team – Echo was later put forward as the Non-statutory guidance for the Government’s Duty to Involve, and delivered across the country by 2 of SAND’s Directors and their colleague, operating as www.changesuk.net

These questions are extracted from “Voice”, the first framework developed as part of the Axis of Influence series, in 2007. Voice specifically explores how community groups and networks can assess and improve their influence on service providers. Originally researched and developed in Dudley, with members of Dudley’s Community Empowerment Network, Voice was later the focus for the Community Development Journal and presentation at the International Association of Community Development Conference, in 2012. Voice has been delivered across the country by 2 of SAND’s Directors and their colleague, operating as www.changesuk.net

Better Conversations webpage