Shining a light on LGBTQ

Promoting choice is one of Accurocare’s three pillars of care. We respect each individual’s dignity and lifestyle choices. It’s what makes our care homes such warm and welcoming places to live and work.

It’s our ambition for Accurocare to be a leader for equality and inclusion in the health and social care sector. With solid foundations in place, we’re taking steps to broaden our culture of dignity and respect to include people of all backgrounds, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Introducing Samuel Davies, our LGBTQ+ Ambassador

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Samuel Davies as Group LGBTQ+ Ambassador. Samuel will lead on creating our LGBTQ+ strategy to ensure we meet the needs of all LGBTQ+ people who live or work at an Accurocare home.

Samuel has been part of the Zoar Care Home family since 2011 and has been Deputy Care Home Manager there since 2014. Zoar Care Home in Tonypandy, South Wales, is the newest addition to the Accurocare group, joining us in May 2021.

Stonewall Diversity Champions

As an organisation we are signing up to become a Stonewall Diversity Champion and recruiting a network of Champions across our care services, with Samuel as their Chair. Our Champions will be trained to advise on equality and inclusion issues and educate staff to help us become a diverse and inclusive care provider and workplace.

Here’s what Samuel had to say about his new role…

What does becoming Accurocare’s LGBTQ+ Ambassador mean to you?

I’m so proud to be an Ambassador for the community! For me, my role is about creating a welcoming, supportive and inclusive place to live and work, where every resident and staff member can be their true self. It shows that we welcome and respect people regardless of their faith, background, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. I want residents and staff to feel they can be open about their sexuality and gender identity without fear, shame or discrimination.

Why is inclusivity so important in the health and social care sector?

With more and more people openly living their lives as LGBTQ+, the population from this community entering care homes is rising. Research by Stonewall found that older LGBTQ+ people are worried about accessing care home services and how this will affect them in later life. They fear having to hide their sexuality or live in a place where they won’t be accepted or respected for who they are.

It’s time for the health and social care sector to show that we welcome diversity and make sure people of any sexual orientation feel comfortable in our care.

Tell us about the Equality and Inclusion policy

This is my first project as Group LGBTQ+ Ambassador and will be launched later this year. Our Equality and Inclusion policy will be specific to the LGBTQ+ community, covering both staff and residents. It will ensure that the ethos of Accurocare continues to be based on fairness, respect and diversity of choice, making sure we represent all views and backgrounds.

How will our new strategy change the way we do things at Accurocare?

The strategy will set out our commitment to LGBTQ+ equality and encourage discussion amongst staff and residents.

All staff will receive training on how to approach and care for older people from the LGBTQ+ community. This will help everyone to understand the barriers they face and encourage more open conversations between staff and LGBTQ+ residents. Staff will also receive guidance on how to talk about LGBTQ+ issues in a non-judgemental way.

We’ll also be adding events to celebrate diversity, such as Pride month, to our social calendar, which I’m really excited about.

It’s important that staff have someone they can talk to other than their manager if they encounter bullying or harassment. The diversity champions network will be a support system that acts in solidarity with members of the LGBTQ+ community.

We want to create an environment where every employee can perform at their best and reach their full potential. When recruiting staff and assessing new residents, our process will encourage people to be open about their race, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Finally, what do you hope to achieve in your role?
I want to improve the experiences of LGBTQ+ staff and residents and build solidarity so that members of the LGBTQ+ community at Accurocare feel empowered and never isolated.

Thank you Samuel!

If you would like to know more about Accurocare’s approach to equality and inclusion, you can contact Samuel on Samuel@accurocare.co.uk.