National research has been carried out to gain an understanding of the issues lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGB&T) people face when accessing services and it has identified that people face discrimination when accessing services. In order to actively meet the needs of LGB&T people, service providers need to take specific steps to ensure that LGB&T people are not discriminated against and that they receive an equal service (This was taken from Putting people first: Equality and Diversity matters 1 – Providing appropriate services for lesbian, gay & bisexual and transgender people).
Adult and Local Services wanted to gain a local understanding of LGB&T issues in Cumbria. So a survey was launched "Listening to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People” to find out views on accessing services and to find out what makes this a good experience. We wanted to understand more about lives and concerns from people who are LGB&T so we can use this research to help us:-
- Improve our services
- Understand needs and priorities
- Effectively respond to these
A survey questionnaire was designed by Adult and Local Services using similar questions from surveys that have been carried out in other parts of England and Scotland so we could see if the concerns/issues were similar in different areas or if they were specific to Cumbria.
The key findings in this report are divided into the five main sections following the flow of the questionnaire.
- Profile of Respondents
- Getting Older
- The Community You Live In
- Information and Services
- Issues facing LGB&T people
28% of responses were received from people who declared themselves as heterosexual and their response is included in the analysis.
The survey was self-completion so some respondents did not answer every question; this is highlighted within the report.
Special thanks go to everyone who took the time to take part in this research and share their personal stories/ experiences.
Please find a copy of the survey findings here: -