Agenda item

Strong in Southwark (Southwark LGBTQ+ Community Consultation 2018-19)

To receive a presentation from the Southwark LGBT Network and Healthwatch Southwark, on their joint report ‘Strong in Southwark’ which explores the needs and experiences of Southwark’s LGBT communities which has been developed with input from a variety of stakeholders.  The Network and Healthwatch wish to:

 

·  Highlight areas of concern, and the report recommendations

·  Improve community understanding of avenues to create change in Southwark

·  Explore opportunities for co-production.

Minutes:

The overview and scrutiny committee received a presentation (available on the meeting agenda page) from Nathan Lewis, Chair of the Southwark LGBT Network and Catherine Negus Healthwatch Southwark Manager on the needs and experience of the Southwark LGBT communities and on the report Southwark LGBTQ+ Community Consultation 2018/19 circulated in the agenda.

 

Areas highlighted from the report were:

 

·  LGBT concerns around inclusivity of the health service

·  Lack of awareness of LGBT specific health care services in the borough

·  Higher mental health need – loneliness and isolation playing a big part

·  Steep rise in Chem sex

·  Need for Trans specific support

 

The committee also heard from the deputy leader and cabinet member for culture, leisure, equalities and communities.

 

Following questions and discussion, the overview and scrutiny committee agreed to refer the matter onto the deputy leader and cabinet member for culture, leisure, equalities and communities to take forward the report recommendations through the appropriate decision making processes and also to refer on the recommendations relating to partner organisations for consideration.

 

Given the time that had passed since the consultation and the report being written, the chair invited both the Chair of the LGBT Network and Healthwatch manager to submit any additional comments / recommendations that were not included in the report.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the deputy leader and cabinet member for culture, leisure, equalities and communities be recommended to take forward the report recommendations through the appropriate decision making processes and also to refer on the recommendations relating to partner organisations for consideration.

Supporting documents: