Community care specialists

Valuing diversity, delivering

inclusive services

Overview

•Care Connect

•Organisational leadership

•Building partnerships & trust with the LGBTI

community

•LGBTI inclusive practice

•Sector leadership

•Public awareness

About Care Connect?

Care Connect is one of Australia’s leading community

care organisations

We are a not-for-profit, secular organisation that has been

providing community care since 1994

We support thousands of people to live independently at

home and in the community

We have 13 offices across NSW, QLD and VIC

We employ 300+ staff

We supported 7,300+ people in 2011-12

About Care Connect?

We provide services for children, young people, adults, older adults and carers

We specialise in aged care, disability, mental health, transitional care, preventative care, Acquired Brain Injury, dementia, Autism Spectrum Disorder and respite services.

We provide specialised support to:

• people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

• lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex seniors

• people who are financially and socially disadvantaged

Organisational leadership

• Identification of unmet need

• LGBTI seniors in south east Qld

• An organisation that values diversity

• strategic plan

• ethos – affirming not tolerating

• service delivery

• A journey of development

• LGBTI aged care packages

• LGBTI inclusion more broadly

• Senior management buy-in

• training

• change management

Organisational leadership

• Framework for inclusive & specific services

• whole of organisation – values, service model,

services

• diversity & inclusion

• specific services

• Charter of inclusion

• outline key values

• demonstrates understanding

• partnership approach

• National LGBTI Portfolio Officer

• organisational development

• investment in organisation

Building partnerships & trust

• Contributing to shared goals, not taking from community

• partnership v. consultation

• working alongside community

• Ageing Action Group

• facilitated by Healthy Communities

• understand and raise awareness of LGBTI seniors

• initiate services & support

• Memorandum of Agreements

– between Care Connect and LGBTI organisations

– statement of how work together

– formalises relationship

Building partnerships & trust

• LGBTI aged care service

• first in Australia

• partnership with Healthy Communities

• what makes an aged care service LGBTI specific

• challenging to find older LGBTI seniors

• LGBTI interagencies

• Brisbane & Sydney

• bringing together health & community service

providers with interest in LGBTI community

• chairing & secretarial support

Building partnerships & trust

• Partnering, not competing with LGBTI community

organisations

• understanding each other’s strengths and roles

• Care Connect = case management & brokerage

• LGBTI organisations = peer services

• Visible participant in LGBTI community

• attendance at community events

• speak in LGBTI and mainstream media

LGBTI inclusive practice

• Learning & development

• induction – all staff

• awareness module (online & face-to-face)

• intensive training (by LGBTI organisation)

• information page on intranet

• Policy & procedures

• intake forms & database

• inclusion in ‘generic’ policies & procedures

• human resources policies

• Consumer Voice Committee

• service model – LGBTI layer

LGBTI inclusive practice

• Marketing & communication

• inclusion in core statement

• website

• LGBTI specific

• guide to marketing to LGBTI community

• Working towards accreditation

• How 2 & Rainbow Tick

Sector leadership

• Sector journals

• Conference presentations & sponsorship

• Informal support & advice to organisations

• Work with our service providers

• survey

• training

• quality standards

• National LGBTI Health Alliance – ageing & aged care

working group

• National LGBTI Ageing & Aged Care Strategy

Public awareness

• Part of core statement

• Comment in LGBTI & mainstream media

• Visible at LGBTI community events

Summary

• Approach to LGBTI community as part of a wider

diversity framework which affirms LGBTI people.

• LGBTI inclusiveness is an ongoing journey, which needs

resourcing.

• Senior management buy-in and leadership crucial.

• Need to build trust and partnerships with LGBTI

community, being a visible participant in and supporter of

LGBTI community.

• LGBTI inclusion across the organisation – learning &

development, policy & procedures, service model,

marketing & communication.

Thank you

Contact details:

Paul Martin

pmartin@careconnect.org.au

Brisbane Region Unit 18, 67 Depot Street Banyo QLD 4014 T: (07) 3867 2200 F. (07) 3863 1288