The CIRCLE Care Home Guide: A Co-Designed Resource on LGBTQ+ Inclusion for Care Homes

Area of Science:

• Social Care Research
• Gerontology
• Inclusion Studies

Background:

• Older LGBTQ+ individuals face discrimination and inadequate care in residential settings.
• Care home staff often lack sufficient knowledge for providing LGBTQ+ inclusive care.
• Existing LGBTQ+ inclusion resources are underutilized in UK social care practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To co-design a novel, practical resource for LGBTQ+ inclusion in care homes.
• To develop a resource that is usable and relevant within a care home context.
• To address the gap in LGBTQ+ inclusive practices in social care.

Main Methods:

• An adapted experience-based co-design process was employed.
• Five older LGBTQ+ individuals, four care home staff, and three researchers participated in online co-design meetings.
• Data were collected through recorded co-design sessions and a subsequent online focus group.

Main Results:

• A novel resource was successfully developed through inclusive co-design.
• The resource prioritizes actionable steps for care staff throughout a resident's care journey.
• Lived experiences of both older LGBTQ+ individuals and care staff were integrated into the final resource, enhancing its practical applicability.

Conclusions:

• An inclusive co-design approach yielded a valuable resource for enhancing LGBTQ+ inclusive practices in care homes.
• Collaboration between older LGBTQ+ people and care home staff is crucial for developing effective inclusive resources.
• The resource has been launched, with future research planned to evaluate its practical impact.