- Conference
- 2013 Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 14 December 2012
- Decision
- Carried
Conference believes Stonewall is the largest LGB (lesbian, gay and bisexual) charity in the UK. Stonewall has been instrumental in LGB campaigns over the last two decades on issues such as section 28, civil partnerships, adoption rights for LGB parents and campaigns for workplace protection based on sexual orientation.
Stonewall has good communication with all mainstream political parties and a large media presence. Stonewall has produced an extensive range of publications, resources and research on discrimination faced by LGB people accessing services and discrimination faced by LGB people in the workplace.
The Stonewall campaign “some people are gay get over it” is one of the most high profile LGB campaigns that has been run in the UK. Stonewall launched its Health Champions Programme in 2012.
Health Champions Programme is an annual programme working with a different group of NHS Trusts annually. The Health Champions Programme provides a package to NHS Trusts of over £6000 worth of resources and consultancy to improve workplaces and services for LGB people.
All NHS trusts taking part in Health Champions Programme have to produce an action plan looking to improve LGB equality within services and the workplace.
Conference further believes the Stonewall Health Champions Programme aims to improve NHS workplaces and services for all LGB people in the UK. Twenty NHS trusts were selected to become Health Champions in 2012. UNISON branches should be lobbying their organisation to apply to become a Stonewall Health Champion. UNISON branches should be lobbying their NHS trust to ensure members and workplace issues are appropriately included within trusts’ Stonewall Health Champions action plans when they are part of the scheme.
Conference resolves to:
1)encourage branches to lobby their NHS trust to apply to become a Stonewall Health Champion;
2)invite Stonewall to next Health Conference to have a stall to provide information about the Health Champions programme;
3)lobby Stonewall to ensure engagement with UNISON branches is made clear and promoted within the Health Champions programme;
4)engage with Stonewall on future opportunities to work together on improving equality within healthcare organisations’ workplaces.