TEN STEP PROGRAMME

1. TEN STEP PROGRAMME To Becoming LGBT-Friendly

2. STEP ONE: Training • GALYIC member presentation • Core competencies, Oppression, Multi-Oppression • Definitions, Language, Causes • Effects on Homosexuals • Two Identity Models • Continued Minority Stress • Effects on Heterosexuals • Effects on Services • Developing Gay-Friendly Services

3. STEP TWO: LGBT-Friendly Having completed the above training, agencies should ensure that all staff use inclusive language (for example instead of asking your male client if he has a girlfriend say, “Do you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend?” Have positive images of LGBT people, including the GALYIC poster, displayed in waiting/communal areas.

4. STEP THREE: Zero Tolerance of Homophobia Ensure staff challenge all incidences of homophobic language and abuse. Utilise Guidelines from “Preventing Homophobic Bullying in Calderdale Schools,” available on www.galyic.org.uk

5. STEP FOUR: Information Ensure you have relevant information for LGBT young people, both targeted i.e. on coming out, sexual health, etc., as well as within mainstream publications such as Youth Fax.

6. STEP FIVE: Monitoring Look at the paper ‘Asking the Question’ and Department for Children, Schools and Families: Guidance on Monitoring Sexual Orientation, both accessible from the national CAMHS LGBT Young People web page accessible via www.dh.gov.uk/sogi to help develop successful monitoring procedures.

7. STEP SIX: Assessment Utilise following sections from Common Assessment Framework to identify LGBT issues: • Current family/home situation • Emotional and Social Development • Behavioural Development • Identity, self-esteem, self-image and social presentation • Family and social relationships • Participation in learning, education and employment • Family and environment

8. STEP SEVEN: Referral An ideal referral is one where the referring agency puts the mind of the young person at ease – maybe even shows the five minutes DVD Sixteen which features GALYIC, and tells the young person about some of the activities GALYIC members are involved in. The referrer will then complete the GALYIC referral form, contact GALYIC to discuss the referral and, if possible, arrange to bring the young person down to the drop-in and stay with them as long as necessary.

9. STEP EIGHT: PARTNERSHIP • Publicise GALYIC whenever possible. • Provide funding. • Distribute and display GALYIC publicity and publications. • Provide ‘in house’ support, e.g. information technology, publishing, design. • Discuss the possibility of joining the GALYIC Board. • Second a member of staff to spend a day working with GALYIC (attending the youth group, conducing one-to-one follow-up work, supporting young LGBT people in school). • Commission GALYIC to provide training. • If appropriate, ensure relevant face-to-face worker joins the GALYIC multi-agency case study group. • Run short courses for GALYIC members on relevant topics.

10. STEP NINE: Specialist Work In some agencies there will be a need to identify a worker who can become the LGBT specialist, this would be the case for Substance Misuse work, CAMHS and social services.

11. STEP TEN: Publicity Once all of the above is in place it is crucial that agencies ‘come out’ to potential users, i.e. publicise that their services include specialist provision for LGBT young people or are working in partnership with GALYIC.