We are delighted to have launched our Covenant in 2022 and to have received such interest and enthusiasm from organisations across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin. Scroll down to see who is signing up to the 5 commitments ….

Information & Advice

Citizens Advice Shropshire were in right at the start, helping us to tweak and shape our template action plan. They have now started implementing their own. Their CEO talked about their commitment at the 2022 Shrewsbury LGBT+ History Festival Launch event, and their lead for the Covenant took part in our panel at the Future-proofing event we held in October 2022.

Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin have been involved with SAND from the very beginning, with their CEO being one of the founder members, as well as being on the original panel for the UK premiere of Gen Silent. SAND has worked with AgeUKSTW to develop their LGBT+ specific REACH tele-friending service, about a dozen staff have taken part in the SAND LGBT+ Awareness Training and their CEO took part in the first tranche of our Training for Facilitators. (NB Information and Advice is only one of the extensive range of services provided by AgeUK STW).

Housing

Wrekin Housing Group have written, and started implementing, their Action Plan. As part of that, they commissioned training for over 100 of their staff and SAND delivered 7 online sessions in June/July 2022. Two staff members, in Learning & Development roles took part in the Training for Facilitators programme (Sept-Dec 2022) and Wrekin kindly provided venue space for the Training programme. They have 2 members of staff engaged in the SAND Action Group, were represented on the panel at our Future-proofing event  and have also had a guest spot in one of our In the Cafe sessions.

STAR Housing have submitted their action plan and one of their team took part in the Training for Facilitators programme. They have also taken part in our LGBT+ Awareness Training.

Local authority & NHS Trusts

Shropshire Council has started work on its action plan. Being a big organisation with a whole range of different departments, it is a real challenge to find a way to ensure that this is about the whole organisation. Our contact started with Adult services, including the social work team and we have since also had engagement from Carers’ support and Leisure. The Council has expressed interest in LGBT+ Awareness Training (which SAND already delivers through the Council’s Joint Training programme) and the Carers’ Support Team Coordinator took part in the Training for Facilitators as well as our Future-proofing event in October 2022, alongside a colleague from Occupational Health. A Working Group has been formed to develop and implement their Action Plan.

Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board (ICB) – including Robert Jones Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, Shrewsbury & Telford Hospitals and more …. signed up just before the launch night of the 2022 Shrewsbury LGBT+ History Festival.

We are in discussion with them about how this (huge) ‘organisation’ can develop and implement an action plan – engaging LGBT+ staff networks, E & D group and at Board level. They have drafted a skeleton Action Plan to be worked up with their internal LGBT+ Networks and have produced a cyclical review plan aiming to engage the necessary parties to ensure the action plan is resourced and implemented. They part-funded the development of the Training for Facilitators and filled 2 places on the first tranche.

Home Care

Radfield Home Care (Shrewsbury & Oswestry) commissioned training from us for 8 staff members in May 2022. All key staff have since taken part in LGBT Awareness E-learning (this is not SAND’s training) with the idea that they will then all take part in the SAND Training once they have their own facilitators in place. To this end, 2 members of staff took part in the first EMBRACE Training for Facilitators programme and the team is working on their Action Plan. They are looking both at LGBT+ clients and at recruiting carers from LGBT+ communities aged 50+. Radfield has delivered a presentation at an In The Cafe session and were also on a panel for our Future-proofing event in October 2022.

Positive Steps Shropshire provides specialist care for adults with health and social care needs, with a particular focus on learning disabilities. They have very recently signed up to the Covenant and we are looking forward to working with them over the coming months.

Residential Care

Coverage Care has been involved with SAND since the UK premiere of Gen Silent in 2012, when their (now) CEO took part on the panel following the screening. SAND has since delivered training and facilitated discussions with Registered Managers.
Coverage is currently developing an action plan which will have an organisational/corporate overview with each home then having autonomy to create and rollout their own operational plan. They have identified 2 LGBT+ Champions for each of their homes to help with this. One of the Registered Managers took part in our first Training for Facilitators.

Counselling services

Cruse Bereavement Services (West Midlands) have developed a very doable action plan and are interested in researching any existing good practice around bereavement work with LGBT+ people. Two Cruse volunteers have taken part in our public training (June 2022) and both took part in our Training for Facilitators programme. We are in discussions about co-producing useful resources aimed specifically at LGBT+ people.

Crane Counselling, based in the same building as SAND, commissioned one of our LGBT+ Awareness courses over the Summer and have recently signed up to the Covenant. We have had our first meeting with them to develop their action plan.

The Green Oak Foundation CIC signed up on 7th October 2022 and we are looking forward to working with them in the coming months as they develop their action plan.

Hospice care

Severn Hospice has very recently signed up and we are looking forward to working with them over the coming months

Representational organisations

SPIC (Shropshire Partners in Care) is a ‘care association’ representing approximately 240 independent Nursing, Residential, Supported Living and Domiciliary Care providers in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. SPIC signed up to the Covenant in May 2022 and have submitted their Action Plan. They part funded the development of our Training for Facilitators programme and their Training Officer took part in the first tranche.

Healthwatch Shropshire is your ‘local health and social care champion’. From Whitchurch to Ludlow and everywhere in between, they make sure NHS leaders and other decision makers hear your voice and use your feedback to improve care. Healthwatch Shropshire signed up on 3rd October 2022 and we are looking forward to working with them in the coming months as they develop their action plan.

Leisure

Energize STW is a strategic organisation, working with partners to encourage people to be more active in their lives. They make strong links between activity and health & wellbeing. Energize STW  signed up on 27th September 2022 and we are looking forward to working with them in the coming months as they develop their action plan.