LGBT Network Meeting Minutes

24 September 2008

Apologies

Minutes of the Last Meeting

Stoke PCT Respect Project

Baz Kaur, the head of Diversity for Stoke on Trent PCT came to the meeting.  The PCT has become Stonewall Champions and has now launched its Respect project throughout the PCT.  The Respect project involves getting members of all communities to help the PCT become more equal in its provision of services.  A full review of equalities within the PCT had shown that the Disabled and LGBT Communities had effectively been ignored.  The Three Stage Respect program was then drawn up.

The first stage of the program was to gather people’s opinions and perceptions towards healthcare and access in order to collate issues and concerns from all communities.

To put stages 2 and 3 into operation, the PCT needs the support of the communities to get PCT staff aware of what needs to happen.

Stage 2 involves bringing PCT staff and community groups and members together in a series of workshops.  Baz is looking for members of the Network to run a series of 20 minute workshops about our community’s experience of healthcare services, together with details of where and how the LGBT community can be contacted.  The workshop needs to be run 111 times on the day for the event, the 16^th October.  There will need to be at least 2 members of the community to host the workshops and the PCT will provide a scribe to gather information from the event.  For the workshop, the PCT staff will be asked to think of actions to implement to ensure a fair and equal service – one easy and one more difficult.  There will be payment available for the people who run the workshops, although they will have to invoice the PCT.

All the themes from the event will then be collated and incorporated into the PCT’s new Single Equality Scheme and the third stage of the respect project is releasing the scheme for a public consultation, lasting 12 weeks. 

In addition, on 22 October the Network will have a chance to do a presentation of some sort at the PCT’s event to celebrate Diversity – it will be our choice as to what to do in front of an audience of 180 people from across the PCT – from the Chief Executive to cooks.  The Network will also have 20 seats at the event and space for a display about the Network and the work we do. 

These events and the Respect projects are to embed the importance of equality throughout the PCT and to enable everyone to access equality of service.

Baz is also looking to consult with the Network on the new Single Equality Scheme during the 12 week period.

Also it is hoped that the Network will be able to deliver training to the PCT on Services to the LGBT Community based on the Department of Health documents on these issues from January 2009.

Required:

16^th October – at least 2 people for the workshop delivery

22^nd October – representation at the event and also putting together and delivering our presentation

It should be noted that there is currently no equivalent to Baz in the North Staffordshire PCT, although that may change in the future.

There is education needed within the PCT about GLNS, which is part of the PCT service provision, but isn’t known about all that widely.

It should also be noted that often Trans issues are missed off of the agenda and are not accounted for, which must not be the case at the Respect events.

·         Accounts

There is currently £13,600 in the account, split between the following:

Sanctuary               -£108

Badminton               £179.75

PCT Small Grants      £4500 (Rainbow Pathfinder Project)

Network                  £1593.97

Pride                      £5224.42 (outstanding bills to pay)

KGA                       £1358.69

Age Concern            £800 (older person’s group)

There may be some potential money coming in as a funding bid for £4196 for the sports group has gone in. 

·         Rainbow Pathfinder Project

The date and location for the launch of the Rainbow Pathfinder Project recommendations have been set as 15 December 2008 between 6.30 and 9.30pm at the Race Equality Council.  Hopefully by this date we will have the aims and objectives for 2 years, recommendations and objectives for organisations and a business case for a full time case worker sorted.

NB/ has the Stoke on Trent PCT had the organisation’s questionnaire as Baz Kaur has not seen a copy of it – Claire Arthur to be asked about this.

There have also been 150 public questionnaires completed, mostly at Stoke Pride but also on outreach.  Pete Rigby to get a copy for Caroline.

Now need to set a date for us to go through the data from the questionnaires and also the Rainbow Charter and come up with our new recommendations.  The date for this will be 24^th October (an all day meeting).  Venue tbc.

·         Stoke Pride

Can Staffordshire County Council get some photos of the event, as they are doing a write-up of the Registrars team that came to the event.  Photos are on a disc that Fi has.

The date for Pride 2009 has been set as 08/08/2009.  We need to register with United Prides – national organisation of Pride Organisers who meet to discuss issues around Prides.  Vikki to contact them. 

Pride Debrief Tuesday 07/10/08, 6.30pm at the Piccadilly Project.

·         Aspire Housing

Aspire Housing approach Aaron Cogle at GLNS for training regarding LGBT issues and housing.  This training is similar to the training that GLNS have for new Police Officers at Staffordshire Police, but there are some aspects of it that need to be developed, particularly around the housing issues.  Costings would be about £600 per instance of training.

Is this training something that the Network can deliver?  We have got the skills base to do so, but the housing side would need to be developed.  It would also depend on dates as Sandie Hope Forest is unable to deliver any of this training before Christmas.

Aaron will submit the quote to Aspire.

·         Charitable Status

As we now have an income of over £6000 per year, we have to apply for Charitable Status.  Vikki has the forms for this which we need to complete.  We may be able to get help with the application from Claire Arthur at VAST or from Gill from Moorlands Voluntary Action.

·         Members’ round up

1.      Sam has had positive information from Staffordshire Moorlands District Council – they are willing to host Network meetings and engage with the Network.  SMDC have a shared Equalities Officer with High Peak District Council.

2.      North Staffordshire Division of Staffordshire Police.  Last year there were 15 homophobic and 2 transphobic incidents reported in the North Staffordshire Division.  This year only 5 homophobic and 2 transphobic incidents have been reported.  There is a 50% detection rate for homophobic incidents.  It is not sure why there are less incidents being reported – is it that there are fewer incidents occurring, or if it is just that less of them are being reported.  It does appear that there is a feeling among the LGBT Community that homophobia that comes from other minority groups is not treated the same as homophobia from non-minority communities.

3.      City Centre Division of Staffordshire Police.  The division are very happy about Stoke Pride and the fact that there will be another event next year.  Pete Rigby asked that the issue of the CCTV camera outside the Club be chased up.  Apparently the camera policy for that particular camera is to face the parking machine on the car park and not to do sweeps of the whole area, including the Club.

4.      Jane Sawyer from Staffordshire Police – David Picken and Angie Bunn will be meeting with her soon to talk about the Hate Crime Officers in Staffordshire Police.

5.      David Picken recommended that the Network join the LGBT Consortium, which is a network of other area LGBT Networks across the country.  We are already a member of the Consortium.

6.      The Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement are interested in having an information page on our website – they have sent some information to us, but it needs a bit of clarification before it can be put on the site.  Their new year’s program is ready and their next meeting is this Sunday.

7.      A PCSO has been attending the Saturday morning groups at the Piccadilly Project and has now got some good links with the attendees.  There has also been some good feedback from their members.  They will now try to go along to Sanctuary Stoke meetings and also possibly to attend Staffordshire Buddies meetings.

8.      A member of the Badminton Club went to the Manchester Pride Games and came back with a Silver Medal.  Also the Badminton page on the website needs to be updated – James to send the amendments to Pete Rigby.  The Badminton Club will be going for a meal on Saturday and they are now using three courts on a regular basis.  A list of various sporting activities available in the North West is now up in the Three Tuns.

9.      Good news for the GLNS Outreach team as they have been shortlisted for Team of the Year in the PCT awards.  This is very good for the team as they put in a lot of work towards Stoke Pride.  They are up against competition from the B Clear Chlamydia testing team.  The awards ceremony will be next month.

10.  Pink Link has made a link with a women’s group in Wolverhampton and are planning a Stoke vs Wolverhampton quiz, which will possibly be held in Stafford.

We now have bought a trailer for the Network marquees.

Location for the meetings – we will be staying at the Observatory.

GLNS went to the Staffordshire University Freshers’ Fair, where they drummed up support for the Network.