Aberdeen Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Action Plan - Involving LGBT People
Agencies involved:
Techniques used:
Relevant Publications:
Good practice guidance: consultation with equalities groups, Including LGBT young people, Making community participation meaningful
Background
In 2001, Aberdeen City Council developed a ‘Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Action Plan’. This plan was developed for two main reasons. Firstly, through production and publication of a formal written document, Aberdeen City Council aimed to increase confidence within the LGBT community that the local authority is committed to eliminating discrimination and promoting equal opportunities. Secondly, the plan was to provide focus for the local authority in developing provision of better and more relevant services for LGBT people.
This activity is part of a wider programme to develop community engagement in the city, which involves supporting a range of consultative forums for communities of interest that face inequality and discrimination.
Involving LGBT people
Aberdeen City Council believed that it was imperative to ensure that the Action Plan was driven by LGBT communities in Aberdeen. A working group was established which involved representatives from LGBT organisations and groups, elected members and council officers. In order to ensure that the working group was informed by the views of the wider LGBT community, the Convenor of the Grampian LesBiGay Switchboard agreed to work with Council officers to host and facilitate meetings of LGBT community representatives to discuss key issues of importance, and ways in which these should be presented to the working group.
The local authority also wished to ensure that following on from involvement in developing the action plan, LGBT people saw real change in the services provided. Assistance was therefore given to establish the ‘Pride in Aberdeen’ LGBT Forum. This Forum is incorporated as a company limited by guarantee and aims to:
• Provide opportunities for LGBT individuals and communities in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to get together
• Provide advice and education for LGBT communities and the wider public on health and well being
• Educate and raise awareness of the issues that affect LGBT communities
The Forum agreed to assist and advise service providers and act as a monitoring body for progress on the LGBT action plan. The Forum receives regular feedback on the progress of departments within Aberdeen City Council in implementing the action plan. Written reports are provided from each department, and officers from different departments have attended to report on progress and build relationships between LGBT communities and service providers.
Achievements
Aberdeen was the first local authority in Scotland to launch a LGBT action plan and this approach was welcomed by local and national LGBT organisations. The involvement of LGBT communities in the establishment of the action plan ensured that Aberdeen City Council focussed its activities on the core areas which were identified as important to LGBT people within the city.
Many of the actions identified in the action plan have been completed, and regular feedback to the LGBT Forum helped to build relationships between LGBT communities and service providers. External monitoring of progress by the LGBT Forum helped to ensure that service providers were continually kept aware of the key issues for LGBT communities in Aberdeen, and provided evidence that the local authority was attempting to take forward the activities identified in the action plan.
Lessons learned
In early 2003, with the action plan having been in place for one full financial year, it became evident that there was a lack of robust equalities monitoring and evaluation systems, making it difficult to assess the implementation of the plan. Despite requesting further information from the local authority by September 2003, the LGBT Forum became increasingly frustrated in the lack of evidence of progress.
One of the key reasons for this was that although the LGBT Forum monitored progress, there was no group or individual driving the implementation of the action plan within the Council. Following a review of the action plan in 2004, concluding while much had been achieved there was a clear need for improved monitoring, the LGBT Forum and Aberdeen City Council agreed that it was necessary for an internal local authority group to drive implementation of the strategy.
This has been addressed through agreement that the Equalities Action Network – which drives equalities developments within Aberdeen Council – will take responsibility for ensuring the effective delivery of service improvements for LGBT people in the city. This Network includes representation of all Council services at Director level, and focuses on ensuring that communities of interest agendas are mainstreamed.
Contact
For further information about the development of the LGBT action plan or the Pride in Aberdeen LGBT Forum, please contact:
Community Development
Office of Chief Executive
Aberdeen City Council
Tel: 01224 522 831
