Wandsworth Carers’ Centre have developed a LGBTQ+ Carer Toolkit
Carers UK estimates there to be at least 390,000 LGBTQ+ Carers in the UK. 1 in 10 people within the LGBTQ+ community are an unpaid Carer. However, the number of LGBTQ+ Carers who access services for Carers is vastly lower than would be expected. As well as facing higher rates of various health inequalities such as homelessness, domestic abuse, mental health issues and drug/alcohol dependency; the LGBTQ+ Community often experience specific discrimination and marginalisation when accessing health, social care and support services.
The aim of the ‘LGBTQ+ Carer Service Toolkit’ is to provide an increased understanding of unpaid Carers’ issues and rights, and in particular the issues faced by LGBTQ+ Carers. This toolkit will help services to identify and explore ways of supporting LGBTQ+ Carers through examining the barriers they face accessing support, models of good practice and a commitment to being LGBTQ+ inclusive.