Welcoming and celebrating diversity: The Uniting journey of learning on inclusive practice

Abstract

Uniting11 In September 2015 Uniting Care Ageing NSW & ACT rebranded to become Uniting. is a not-for-profit organisation that believes in taking real steps to make the world a better place. Uniting works to inspire people, enliven communities and confront injustice. The services are in the areas of aged care, disability, community services and chaplaincy. At Uniting we celebrate our diversity and welcome people regardless of lifestyle choices, ethnicity, faith, sexual orientation or gender identity. Uniting is the single provider of aged care services in NSW and the ACT with over 14,000 clients. Uniting works with people as they age, recognising their physical, emotional, spiritual, sexual, intellectual and creative dimensions. As a ministry of the Uniting Church, the organisation is deeply committed to social justice and places specific emphasis on serving people who are marginalised, disadvantaged and vulnerable, and celebrating diversity. The approach to care is underpinned by a vision that recognises that all older people should live the lives they choose. Given the organisation's inclusive culture, Uniting was ready to make the commitment to be an inclusive provider to older members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) communities. In October 2010, Alzheimer's Australia convened a session at an aged care conference on the plight of LGBTI seniors in the aged care system. The session, attended by Uniting staff, highlighted the multi-faceted discrimination faced by LGBTI seniors. Not only were LGBTI seniors excluded by fellow residents but also by their relatives and staff members. Families of choice and lifetime partners were not respected, with care decisions often made by estranged relatives rather than recognising same sex partnership status. In 2011, Uniting took steps toward developing an LGBTI Aged Care Strategy to address the needs, expectations and current service shortfalls experienced by LGBTI communities when accessing care. This approach correlated with the Commonwealth Government's National LGBTI Aged Care Strategy 1 and The Uniting Strategic Plan to deliver high quality affordable and accessible aged care services to marginalised, disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. A number of important steps have been undertaken in moving Uniting towards LGBTI inclusive practice for older people. Uniting began the journey by employing a temporary full-time LGBTI Project Officer. The Project Officer built links with the LGBTI communities, developed inter-agency connections and advised on strategic goals for the organisation. ‘These partnerships have been vital in beginning to break the barriers of concern by the LGBTI community in dealing with faith-based organisations and accessing community and health care services’, said Kellie Shields, UnitingCare LGBTI Project Officer 2. Representatives from Aids Council of NSW (ACON), a leading NSW health promotion organisation specialising in HIV and LGBTI health, were on the Steering Committee which developed the Terms of Reference for the LGBTI Project Officer role and continue to advise, promote and support efforts by Uniting to engage with LGBTI communities. I'm glad people are starting to talk about and plan for the needs of ageing LGBTI people, as I believe there is a real, unmet need. – A lesbian woman This is a complex issue which deserves considerable attention from our industry. The work Uniting is doing to promote LGBTI issues in aged care (and the wider community) is admirable. – A bisexual person Uniting will do a great job to meet the needs of this population - you certainly provided a magnificent Community Aged Care Package (CACP) to my late grandmother who was Jewish. – A lesbian woman Uniting has set up an LGBTI Working Group with delegates from every part of the organisation to drive the work of the organisation in meeting the needs of LGBTI communities in accessing high quality aged care services. The LGBTI Working Group meets monthly to implement the organisational strategy for supporting members of LGBTI Communities among staff and clients. An intranet platform SharePoint has been set up to house documents, research, resources and clippings for the Working Group, which is now available to all Uniting staff. Staff, residents, clients and other internal stakeholders are informed of the efforts of Uniting to make services accessible to LGBTI communities through a variety of regular communications. These include articles in the weekly staff newsletter, customer and supporter publications, as well as online. All communications, marketing material and promotional activity is developed with inclusive language and imagery. Admission forms are currently under review to ensure opportunities are provided to allow respectful, voluntary disclosure of sexuality, relationship, and gender identification. In late 2014, Uniting set up a staff interest group, open to all staff interested in the work Uniting is carrying out with LGBTI communities as well as providing an open forum for discussion. A significant suggestion put forward by the staff group was the request for toolbox talks about LGBTI related issues that can be facilitated at all staff meetings. Uniting is currently developing four toolbox talks per year. The first subject is related to conversations around potential issues for the transgender community. In a world where disclosure is a courageous action (particularly for older Australians), it is challenging for our LGBTI clients to participate in consultations (especially representative groups) within the organisation. Our clients would rather remain within the mainstream and not have to disclose to their peers for fear of judgement. This may change over the next five years or so, but today it poses quite a challenge for the organisation in terms of having a real sounding board in the form of client perspective. We have begun local workshops where we invite a guest from the community to share life stories; this opens up the dialogue among our residents and most have been very positive to date. We have also established a very small advisory group (four or five members) but that has taken over 18 months to establish trust. Uniting is a member of Pride in Diversity which is a not-for-profit workplace program designed to assist Australian employers with the inclusion of LGBTI employees. In 2013, Uniting was named the inaugural winner of the Pride in Diversity Not-For-Profit/Charity LGBTI Australian Workplace Equality Index Award. The organisation is currently working with Pride in Diversity and the Diversity Council to develop an integrated Diversity Strategy, which will encapsulate our commitment to employment equality across LGBTI, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Uniting has partnered with ACON and the Gender Centre to support the Transgender Awareness Training for Community Sector and Health Workers program. As of September 2015, approximately 1,200 Uniting staff members from services across NSW and the ACT have undertaken LGBTI cultural competence training. The organisation continues to offer training for all staff to encourage, support and foster individuality and diversity throughout its services, and develop skills to provide support to people of all sexual orientations. The organisation prides itself on the message of inclusivity, on welcoming all people. Sometimes this message is delivered in a way that can be confronting. For example, we have often heard staff say ‘we treat everyone the same’; and while the intention is coming from a place of equality – the fact is not everyone should be treated the same and particularly vulnerable communities. Our challenge each day is to have our people understand this fundamental difference; and to deliver a message of care and support in a specialised context. Our Inspired Care approach focuses on being person-centred and sensitive to the particular concerns of that person or group. In this case, it means overtly welcoming and appropriately supporting people who are fearful of the aged care system as a result of their life experiences of discrimination and abuse. Inspired Care is about not ‘treating everyone the same’. Strong leadership and advocacy representation has been demonstrated at national, state, regional and local levels. It is important at Uniting to be actively involved in the LGBTI space to learn, grow and implement actions; attendance totals over 20 major conferences, forums and events last year alone. At a national level, Steve Teulan, Director Ageing, Uniting, presented at both LGBTI specific Aged and Pastoral Care conferences, including the 2013 Australian Association of Gerontology National Conference and the 2014 Centre for Ageing & Pastoral Studies National Conference. Dedicated employees represent LGBTI communities in Aged Care organisations such as the National LGBTI Department of Social Services Strategy Working Group. LGBTI and mainstream media has been demonstrated, including Steve Teulan's interview with Macquarie University and ABC's online Mardi Gras article regarding the presence of a faith-based aged care provider. At a state level, Uniting has LGBTI stakeholder engagement at numerous forums both internal and external, including LGBTI Health Alliance's Health and Aged Care Roundtable. Staff members are also actively involved with advisory groups, for example the NSW Ministerial Advisory Committee on Ageing. Participation in LGBTI network groups at regional and local levels are also undertaken by a number of supportive and dedicated employees. Uniting has established credibility in the LGBTI communities by strengthening connections at various Council discussions, events, and social activities. Uniting marched for the first time in the Sydney Mardi Gras on 7 March 2015, to show support and commitment to LGBTI communities and LGBTI residents/clients in our care. Over 40 staff and supporters marched with organisational flags and banners stating: ‘We love that you love being you. Celebrating and welcoming diversity’. The participation in this event spiked social media attention, receiving the largest number of likes on the Uniting Facebook page, more than any other campaign run by the organisation, and comments from past and present staff members as well as the general community. Every comment was one of support and pride – demonstrating that our path to continuing to foster an inclusive culture is strengthened each day. Uniting is currently applying for the Rainbow Tick accreditation. The Rainbow Tick is an accreditation mechanism which consists of six standards against which services can be formally accredited to demonstrate LGBTI inclusive practice and service delivery. That is the next step in the Uniting journey to LGBTI inclusive practice.