Welsh Ambulance Service is supporting LGBT+ History Month
THE Welsh Ambulance Service is supporting LGBT+ History Month this February.
LGBT+ History Month is the annual month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history.
The theme for 2024 is Medicine – #UnderTheScope, which celebrates the LGBTQ+ community’s contribution to the field of medicine and healthcare.
The Welsh Ambulance Service employs an estimated 300 staff and volunteers from the LGBTQ+ community.
Kathryn Cobley, the Trust’s Head of Inclusion and Engagement, added: “We recognise the value of having a diverse workforce which includes our many LGBTQ+ staff.
“Their unique individual lived experience enables them to demonstrate compassion and understanding towards others who may feel isolated, minoritised and misunderstood in our communities.
“This skill and knowledge is very much appreciated by our LGBTQ+ service users who can often feel uneasy and anxious when accessing emergency healthcare services.
“They also extend their compassion towards other vulnerable people who face challenges and experience discrimination, helping to build trust and meet their healthcare needs.”
The Trust’s LGBTQ+ Staff & Volunteer Network launched in 2017, and now has more than 100 members.
Kathryn said: “Our LGBTQ+ staff network has played a crucial role in raising awareness amongst the wider workforce and have encouraged other staff to learn more about the challenges faced by our LGBTQ+ communities.
“The network has influenced our training materials which are being rolled out to staff across the organisation and they have provided a warm welcome to staff who have attended Pride events and LGBTQ+ conferences.
“This nurturing behaviour has helped staff to become better allies to the LGBTQ+ communities and has encouraged them to share their learning experiences with others, meaning that the support for our LGBTQ+ communities continues to grow.”
Gareth Thomas, Patient Experience and Community Involvement Manager and the network’s Chair, added: “We set up the network several years ago to support the Trust to become a more inclusive place for LGBTQ+ staff and volunteers and to offer a safe space for any concerns they had.
“We work closely with the National Ambulance LGBT+ Network, which brings together LGBTQ+ staff networks from ambulance services right across the UK.
“The national network has worked hard to develop many resources to raise awareness of the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community and to offer tools and education resources to ambulance service staff, helping them to provide informed care to people from the LGBTQ+ community.”
The Trust has been involved in a range of initiatives to promote a culture of inclusivity and understanding in the workplace and also attends Pride events across Wales.
Staff and volunteers are also encouraged to wear a ‘Rainbow Star of Life’ pin badge to identify themselves as allies of the LGBTQ+ community.
Among them is Nik Dart, Support Officer – Volunteering, based in Beacon House, who said: “I consider myself to be an ally of the LGBTQ+ community which means I am willing to stand up, support and encourage LGBTQ+ people to be their authentic selves.
“As an ally, I try to make the world a better place for people who identify as LGBTQ+ and fight for equality for everyone regardless of race, gender identity, disability or sexual preference.
“I am proud to attend Pride and other LGBTQ+ community events with my colleagues to actively support and demonstrate inclusion and acceptance.”