Barford Court staff strengthen support for older LGBTQ+ residents

Above: Barford Court’s Home Manager, Gavin Kingham, and Activities Coordinator Godwin proudly hold up their CIRCLE certificate, which recognises the Home’s commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ residents.

There are still very few LGBTQ-friendly care homes in the UK. These Homes provide a safe and inclusive space for older people to express their identities and orientations, and where people’s differences are valued and celebrated. To tackle discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Barford Court, in Hove, has joined the CIRCLE project, which aims to support residential care providers for older people to be more inclusive for the LGBTQ+ population.

An estimated 1 million people in England and Wales are over 50 and identify as LGBTQ+. They have lived through many discriminatory policies and laws, and several recent reports demonstrate that care services are lacking in their LGBTQ+ inclusive care provision. After all, homosexuality was a criminal offence in England until 1967, and this was even later for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Circle project (‘Creating Inclusive Care for LGBTQ+ Elders’) offers training sessions and resources for staff members to develop strategies to better support LGBTQ+ inclusion. These resources include guidance on how to manage difficult conversations, combat homophobic and transphobic bullying, and welcome and support diversity.

Steve Stace, member of the management team at Barford Court, highlights the importance of becoming a CIRCLE-recognised care home. He says:

We learned that at least 30 per cent of older LGBTQ+ people have experienced prejudice in regard to their sexuality by formal carers, so we wanted to make sure that we do everything we can to avoid this sort of discrimination in our care home.

Gavin Kingham, Home Manager at Barford Court, adds:

We wanted to show a strong commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion. Now, we proudly display our CIRCLE certificate at the Home.

The CIRCLE project
This inclusion programme helps organisations to improve their quality of care and support for older LGBTQ+ people. Led by the University of Kent, a team of researchers is studying whether the inclusion programme works well in care homes, and what challenges care homes face when they go through the programme. The study is important, because older LGBTQ+ people and their circle of support often struggle to find a care home that is welcoming and inclusive.

[Summary: The UK has a shortage of LGBTQ-friendly care homes, which are crucial for providing safe environments where older individuals can express their identities. To combat discrimination, RMBI Care Co. Home Barford Court, in Hove, has joined the CIRCLE project, aimed at enhancing inclusivity for older LGBTQ+ residents.]