GREATER MANCHESTER PARTNERSHIPS SUPPORTING THE LGBTQI+ COMMUNITY

Our aims

The aim of the project was to scope out opportunities for people affected by dementia, from the LGBTQI+ community, to be able to share their experiences. These experiences and feedback would then inform and drive improvements in the quality of services, information, and support available.

The dementia LGBTQI+ Steering Group was established in 2020, building on partnerships across Greater Manchester, including the involvement of people affected by dementia from the LGBTQI+ community.

The focus for the steering group was to ensure that key stakeholders, commissioners, service providers and the wider system were able to learn from the lived experiences of people affected by dementia from the LGBTQI+ community.

Why this matters

Evidence has shown that people from the LGBTQI+ community affected by dementia experience specific challenges such as;

  • Being unable to ‘come out’ about sexual orientation, gender identity and trans status for fear of discrimination from care, housing or other service providers
  • Being less likely to have wider family support, and therefore they may rely more on their “chosen family” (friends rather than blood relations)

Highlighted within the links below:

16% of people who identified themselves in the recent census, as LGBTQI+, also identified as a carer. Carers from the LGBTQI+ community face specific challenges such as caring for a family member who may not be aware of their LGBTQI+ identity, or who has rejected them because of their LGBTQI+ identity.

Research from the Universities of Nottingham and Manchester found that 78% of care home staff had not had any LGBTQI+ specific training in their current workplace Survey reveals plight of LGBT elderly in care homes (manchester.ac.uk)

What we’ve achieved so far

The Steering Group partnerships widened to include voluntary sector and providers from across all ten localities. These localities came together to host and support the first GM wide monthly Dementia Online Support Group for people from the LGBTQI+ community.

This evaluation identified that organisations that support those affected by dementia, needed further awareness of the unique experiences of the LGBTQI+ community.

  • Dementia United commissioned one-off training from LGBT Foundation in the summer of 2023; as a result of the evaluation report recommendations. This training was delivered to health and care staff from across all dementia services and wider Greater Manchester providers from all ten localities. Over 200 staff attended the training, which was very positively received and evaluated. Greater Manchester LGBTQ+ dementia online training evaluation report

The partnership between Dementia United and LGBT Foundation has gone from strength to strength and working with partners across the Greater Manchester footprint has enabled this work to be delivered to a high quality and at pace. Understanding how dementia affects the LGBTQ+ community sets out the need for training and awareness across the whole of GM, co-terminus with the reach of Dementia United… It’s so important that health and social care professionals understand the particular needs of the LGBTQ+ community affected by Dementia to inform their practice and strategic plans. I would highly recommend the training and ongoing support to continue this vital service. Zoe Robertson, Assistant Director – Commissioning, Manchester Local Care Organisation.

What’s next

The commissioned Greater Manchester dementia online group support is on hold pending confirmation of continued resource to secure a long term commitment. The Dementia LGBTQI+ steering group continue to use strategic partnerships, to seek funding and networking opportunities for supporting people from the LGBTQI+ community affected by dementia. This includes continued alignment with the active inclusion of marginalised communities as per Dementia United’s programme https://dementia-united.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/09/Dementia-and-Brain-Health-Delivery-Plan-2023-to-2025.pdf

Contacts for support and further information

For anyone seeking support or further information, we have provided links and contact details below from LGBT Foundation.

LGBTQ+ & Dementia Further Information & Support

If you are interested in finding out more about our overall project or the innovative model that underpinned our partnership offer from across all ten localities, please contact Dementia United via our email or access information from our webpages. Email: gmhscp.dementiaunited@nhs.net  Website: Dementia United | GMHSC (dementia-united.org.uk)