THE Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is seeking participants for a survey after being selected to take part in the second phase of the Rainbow Badge initiative.
The trust encourages patients, staff, and other users of their services to give feedback which will help it continue to develop its LGBTQ+ support.
It joined the Rainbow Badge scheme in 2019, with staff wearing the badge to pledge inclusion and support for members of the LGBTQ+ community within healthcare.
The new phase will continue the work of the initiative, which seeks to promote a message of inclusion and equality for both staff and patients within the NHS, and extend the initiative to a national level.
Commissioned by the NHS, trusts will work with the LGBTQ+ charities and advocacy groups such as Stonewall and GLADD to develop the pledges made by the original scheme.
The scheme will develop into a three-tiered awards system, bronze, silver, and gold, which highlights the levels of use of inclusive practises, support, and training.
The new phase also included training and access to resources to further aid inclusion and the creation of safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people, and has been adopted by more than 150 NHS Trusts since its inception in 2018.
The second phase will see Trusts’ levels of inclusion assessed, including surveying patients and service users for improvements, and awarded based on inclusivity and training goals.
To complete the survey, visit: www.smartsurvey.co.uk
