NEWSLETTER 3 - August 2017 TRANS GENDER EDITION TRANSGENDER POLICY LAUNCH We continuously strive to promote and embed equality and diversity across the Service and the communities we serve. Senior Management Team approved a new Service Policy on Transgender equality which will now be adopted Service- wide. To celebrate and acknowledge this, on Thursday 22 June, we officially launched the Transgender Policy. This policy ensures the Service has guidelines in place, providing transgender equality for all employees and is another step towards making our Service a fully inclusive workplace that treats all individuals equally, with respect. The policy will be used in conjunction with the recently launched collaborative document “Trans Equality In The Workplace”, which is a guide for managers (continued page 2) 1 (from page 1 ) and staff of public sector organisations in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. The event was well attended with representatives from operational and support staff, as well as other partner organisations from across the region. In addition to giving presentations to Middle Managers and Supervisory Managers on the day, we were delighted that Transgender advocate and Welcome to this latest issue of campaigner, Charlie Craggs, also came to support our launch. Charlie and her the shOUT! Network Newsletter, site Nail Transphobia (www.nailtransphobia.com) have been featured across the which is a special edition, world’s media (internet, social media, TV, press and radio): focussing on transgender issues. “Craggs has emerged as an immensely popular and positive figure while breaking down stereotypes and creating allies.” Fader Magazine Over the past months, not only have we launched our Service- “Charlie Craggs is a radical social innovator working across the UK, making a real wide Transgender Policy, but difference to society.” The Guardian we have also worked collaboratively to produce a Transgender Equality Guidance document for all staff. The launch event was attended by our new friend and ally, Charlie Craggs, an international transgender-activist who also gave insight to middle and supervisory managers during her visit to LFRS. In April, Andy Parkin attended a conference in London organised by Stonewall with “acceptance without exception for Transgender people” as its subject. You can read about this conference elsewhere. We are proud to introduce our Equalities Champion on the Combined Fire Authority and there is roundup of 2017 Pride Charlie was a guest speaker and took time to explain her personal experiences events, as well as a timely and why there is a need for policies such as this. She said: “It was an honour to report of how mental health speak at the launch of Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service’s Transgender impacts LGBT people Policy. It’s such an important document that signifies how far the Service has disproportionately to the come and how far we have come as a society. This was reiterated by how many national population. There is people came up to speak with me after my talk and messaged me to say that I plenty more in the pipeline too, helped them understand transgender issues a bit better, and that they’d left with as the network continues to a different perspective. The fact that at least one person went away from the day support our LGBT+ workforce as an ally means that the day was a total success for me.” and communities, ensuring “I’ve always had so much respect for the fire and rescue services and the there is equality, acceptance honourable work you brave men and women do for society, but I’ve got even and respect for all. more respect for you all now seeing how open you are to learning and changing.” Steve Ballinger Rick Taylor, Assistant Chief Fire and Rescue Office and Lead on Equalities at Chair – shOUT! Network Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We are proud to have a supportive, inclusive working environment at Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service that makes everyone feel welcome.” “Equality and diversity lie at the heart of all our work and we strive to improve on this every year. We hope that by launching our very own Transgender Policy, it enables us to improve the work we have been doing in partnership with Stonewall further.” “We want a Service where everyone is able to be themselves in the workplace, which actually benefits the organisation.” 2 OUR CFA EQUALITIES CHAMPION EVERYBODY EQUAL? Councillor Betty Newton Supporting LGBT People I would like to introduce myself and share some thoughts around my new role as the Combined Fire Authority (CFA) Equalities Champion. Public Service is important to me and serving the public is an opportunity that I have humbly embraced for many years. I have been a County Councillor representing Loughborough North since May 2005. I have also been a member of the CFA for seven years now and therefore I have a good understanding of the history of the Service and where we are going. How to support LGBT+ people to live well in Lincolnshire Equality and inclusion is deeply important to me Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust – 9th February 2017 personally and in my role as an elected representative. I have seen many changes in the makeup of our I attended the above LGBTHM17 event (as I did last year) communities with people living longer and the arrival of because the event content is relevant to the Service. LFRS new communities settling in our area of service. Over the meet the same people that the NHS meet, but usually in years, I have also seen huge changes in our attitudes different circumstances – home safety visits, community and behaviours towards differences that define individuals events or operational incidents, and we all need to learn and communities. People of different faiths are able to about the difficulties, prejudices and challenges that come together and celebrate the existence of multi-faiths Transgender people face. in our communities. Attitudes towards lesbian, gay and bi-sexual communities have become increasingly The event is now in its third year, and the attendance has positive. But, despite the positive trends, I also recognise increased from approx. 35 delegates in 2015, 100 delegates that there is more to be done in order to achieve further in 2016, to 200 delegates in 2017. What a fantastic improvements in promoting equality for all including achievement for the three NHS Trusts that collaborate to put areas such as Transgender equality. on the event and indeed their position on the Stonewall WEI reflects all of this effort. They are also mentoring other I am aware that as the Equalities Champion I need to agencies (including Notts Fire and Rescue Service) on good have a good understanding of issues that affect the practise and their Stonewall WEI submission. different communities in our area of service. I also need to understand issues affecting employees within One of the strong and constant messages from speakers Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service. I will therefore (and Transgender people) at the event is that Transgender work closely with Senior Managers and the Equalities people are not always comfortable with telling other people Forum in engaging with communities and staff in order that they are Transgender, and this fear often leads to late to inform the CFA and keep equalities on the agenda. requests for help from the very services that are there to That way we will keep on track in making things better provide it. Poor mental health is also extremely prevalent for everyone in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. amongst Transgender people as they struggle with their inner-turmoil, before, during and after transitioning, and the I have asked that we encourage fire and rescue stations reaction of other people to their transition. Knowing about to host Equality Forum meetings so that everyone in the these fears will enable us to better understand (and deliver) Service is given the opportunity to engage in equality the needs of Transgender individuals and community. related discussions that affect our staff and the communities we serve. This will go some way in raising There is always so much to learn from attending these events, the necessary awareness among staff. and the networking opportunities for building up invaluable I have also asked that we increase our contacts are fantastic. I was told by a couple of people from attendance at community events different NHS that came to talk to me (after the workshops) including events in local parishes and that LFRS do appear to be very proactive in learning about districts so that we talk to members of Transgender people and their needs, and indeed LGBT the public and learn more about what matters generally, and from what I can see, we are they would like from us as a fire and progressing well with our acquisition of knowledge around rescue service. LGB and Transgender, but we still need to improve how we share that information with our personnel. After all, the more It is my sincere hope that understanding that we have, the better we will understand everyone will support the the people (and their needs) that we are dealing with. drive to improve our equality for all. Andy Parkin 3 TTHHEERREE’’SS NNOO SSUUCCHH TTHHIINNGG AASS TTOOOO MMUUCCHH PPRRIIDDEE!! 4 Oxford Pride 3 June 2017 London Pride 8 July 2017 I attended Oxford Pride following an invitation from Charlotte Stacey, who is the London Pride started with an early Emergency Planning Officer for Oxfordshire County Council, and marched with meeting in Leicester Square with our County Council group and Oxfordshire Fire Service (who are under the umbrella Stonewall Client Manager Maria of the County Council). Charlotte is a Transgender woman who I met at London Martins and her wife Morgan, we were Pride last year, and she is setting up an LGBT+ Network in Oxfordshire.