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LGBT+ Sector Outcomes Framework

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A Common Outcomes Framework for the LGBT+ Sector.

This Framework has been produced in collaboration with a range of LGBT+ groups. It seeks to act as an initial reference point for organisations to critically reflect on what outcomes they are best placed to achieve and potential areas of collaboration with others.

In creating this Framework, Consortium aims to help LGBT+ voluntary and community sector organisations identify the difference that their everyday activities have on the people and communities they work with.

In combination with a draft reference list of suggested outcomes measures, the Framework also seeks to act as a tool to help organisations of all sizes demonstrate that they are working towards the most pressing priorities for LGBT+ people in the UK.

The framework sets out a standardised structure of five core areas of impact and associated sub-outcomes, as well as three underlying principles.

An infograph of the Outcomes Framework

Find out more about each of the outcome areas

Improved Wellbeing

Healthy living rests on multiple, interconnected dimensions of wellbeing. This includes emotional wellbeing, physical wellbeing and, critically for LGBT+ people, subjective wellbeing – life satisfaction and happiness in oneself and one’s identity.

These can be broken down as follows:

1. Improved personal wellbeing
LGBT+ people…
• Embrace who they are and feel a positive part of the community
• Feel empowered to be themselves
• Have improved expectations of what they deserve
2. Improved emotional wellbeing
LGBT+ people have…
• Improved understanding of minority stress and how it can affect individuals
• Improved self-esteem
• Improved quality of life
• Increased confidence, choice and control
Everyone has…
• Improved understanding of minority stress and how it can impact individuals
3. Improved physical wellbeing
LGBT+ people …
• Enjoy the best health and wellbeing for them
• Are supported to take control of their own and others' health

Social Connectedness

To build strong networks for LGBT+ people and those connected LGBT+ people and the wider community, physical and virtual spaces need to be created to connect individuals from all walks of life and celebrate and amplify LGBT+ stories.

These can be broken down as follows:

1. Facilitating and building capacity for communication among LGBT+ people
LGBT+ people have…
• Access to physical and virtual spaces which facilitates connections with others
• Access to skills-based and interest-based networks
• Ways to amplify their stories across various networks and platforms
• Accessible support to reduce social isolation
2. Increased discussion and understanding about LGBT+ lives
Everyone has…
• More exposure to positive messaging and celebration of LGBT+ lives, rather
than the current emphasis on issues faced
• Increased awareness of LGBT+ lives and their positive contribution across
workforce, education, cultural sectors and voluntary sectors
3. Foster diversity in local and public life
Everyone has:
• Increased exposure to a greater variety of LGBT+ people in local and public
life, including in positions of authority
• Increased representation among LGBT+ people including those from minority
identities, focusing on intersectionality
• Improved understanding of minority stress and the effects it can have

Safe, Equal Communities

Creating safe communities for LGBT+ people means that individuals have safe
online or physical spaces to go where they can access support. It also means
ensuring that LGBT+ feel not only safe, but empowered to be themselves wherever
they are.
These can be broken down as follows:
1. Individuals feel safe and supported to be open about themselves
LGBT+ people feel…
• Safe wherever they are - in public and private spaces including care homes
and sheltered housing.
• Empowered to come out at work and public forums including work and school.
• That they have allies across all life domains
Everyone…
• Challenges heteronormativity and cisnormativity in education, employment
and public places, so ‘coming out’ is no longer required
2. Improved visibility of LGBT+ issues
• More compassionate media coverage that respectfully represents stories
about LGBT+ people
3. Reduced societal homophobia/ transphobia / biphobia and reduction of
harm resulting from it
LGBT+ people have…
• Increased awareness of safe online and physical spaces for support to build
resilience and reduce harm.
4. Greater compassion and fostering of diversity within LGBT+ communities
including intersectionality and socio-economic differences
LGBT+ people have…
• Increased representation, recognition and inclusion for those within multiple
minority identities

Improved Service Provision

There is a need to increase the quantity and improve the quality of services for
LGBT+ people – placing LGBT+ care within the heart of mainstream services and
providing appropriate training to staff. The best services are co-designed with the
individuals that they are providing services for.
These can be broken down as follows:
1. Increased amount of mainstream support available
LGBT+ people have…
• Increased provision of partnership-based LGBT+ specialist services
• Appropriately affirmative services that are linked to mainstream services
• Improved quantity and quality of provision in rural areas
• More access to services catering positively to the diverse backgrounds and
needs of LGBT+ individuals.
2. Services are confident in welcoming LGBT+ people and vice versa:
Services have…
• Improved understanding and awareness of LGBT+ needs and experiences
including those with multiple minority identities.
3. Meaningful person-centred approaches in all services and settings:
Services have…
• Been co-produced with LGBT+ people who use them.
• Improved participation of LGBT+ people within decision making processes.
• LGBT+ people have…
• Support in engaging with services, especially more vulnerable individuals who
have had previous negative experiences
4. Improved perceptions of mainstream and specialist services:
LGBT+ people feel…
• Increased confidence in seeking support and know where to go.
• Increased confidence that the challenges they face are not their fault and
services should exist to support them

Improved Policymaking

Effective policymaking requires a robust understanding of individuals needs and
what works to meet them (or otherwise).
By developing more systematic data collection around a common consensus,
LGBT+ organisations can better demonstrate the benefits of interventions.
Professional bodies and policymakers must also be supported in better
understanding LGBT+ specific issues.
These can be broken down as follows:
1. Robust evidence of need, including social and economic impact of
prejudice:
Across the sector there is…
• A more common understanding within the sector of what research and
evidence is needed.
• Increased implementation of sexual orientation and trans status monitoring.
• Improved approaches to monitoring and evaluating service use and impact
among LGBT+ organisations.
2. Professional Bodies and Policy Makers have increased understanding of
LGBT+ issues:
Across the sector there is…
• Increased provision of training that demystifies LGBT+ issues.
• More systematic, comparative analyses of LGBT+ monitoring data and
general population data.
• Increased representation of academics on LGBT+ sector boards.
3. Increased LGBT+ influence and ownership:
Across the sector there is…
• Increased variety of easy-to-access feedback routes to encourage a diversity
of LGBT+ participation.
• Improved promotion and support of community leaders' voices
• Increased representation of LGBT+ individuals, with various experiences and
backgrounds, in the public domain.
• Core principles and areas of consensus identified by the LGBT+ sector.

Download the Framework here

Why is this important?

The LGBT+ voluntary and community sector is extremely diverse, composed of a wide range of organisations that vary significantly in size, form and focus.

All of these organisations face significant service pressures in the wake of public/statutory funding reductions for their services, and increased demand as general provision and support has also been reduced for LGBT+ people.

Within this context, organisations face increased competition for resources and more limited opportunities for collaboration. Organisations also have limited resources to direct towards monitoring, evaluation and learning, creating an evidence gap around the achievements of the LGBT+ sector in the UK.

This framework seeks to act as an initial reference point for organisations to critically reflect on what outcomes they are best placed to achieve and potential areas of collaboration with others. In combination with a draft reference list of suggested outcomes measures, it also seeks to act as a tool to help organisations of all sizes demonstrate that they are working towards the most pressing priorities for LGBT+ people in the UK.

How has this been produced?

The framework was co-produced with LGBT+ sector organisation representatives. Traverse – an independent social research and evaluation consultancy – delivered an exploratory workshop in March 2019 to identify if common priorities existed across a subset of LGBT+ organisations.

They then reviewed available literature and created a draft outcomes framework, which was revised by organisations in May 2019.

This was then tested by a wider range of LGBT+ organisations, which fed into the development of the final common outcomes framework.

Consortium of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Voluntary and Community Organisations
Company Number: 3534603
Charity Number: 1105502
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