First South Australian aged care provider receives Rainbow Tick of approval

The Rainbow Tick accreditation recognises the commitment of an organisation to celebrating diversity and providing services for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) community.

In order to receive the accreditation, organisations must meet six national standards or inclusive practice and service delivery for LGBTI clients – a process that ECH Chief Executive David Panter says was ‘rigorous’ and reflected the organisations commitment to becoming more inclusive of clients and staff with differing backgrounds.

“Our aim is to promote self-determination to all people, including those from LGBTI, culturally and linguistically diverse and First Australian communities, to enable them to live confidently at home as they age,” he says.

“The Rainbow Tick accreditation demonstrates to our current and future clients, as well as our employees, the commitment we make to being a safe and inclusive space.

“It also recognises that ECH is at the forefront of the aged care industry in terms of celebrating and embracing diversity.”

Among some of the service improvements ECH has been making to achieve the Rainbow Tick accreditation and to provide a safe and inclusive space, ECH Diversity Manager Robyn Burton has been working on a project with a group of LGBTI community members aged 55 and over to co-design services for older LGBTI people.

“We’ve been on a year-long journey to ensure our access, service delivery and employment experience for people from LGBTI communities are positive and welcoming,” she says.

“Older people in South Australia’s LGBTI communities are strong, resilient and know what they want from an aged care provider.

“That work that we’ve done has resulted in the development of some tailored services that we’re rolling out over the next six months.”

Along with engagement with older LGBTI people, ECH has undertaken extensive staff training and work to develop new and update existing policies and procedures to guide culturally sensitive support to members of the LGBTI community.