It has been 18 months of learning and development with a renewed focus on ensuring all LGBTQ+ service users and staff feel safe, supported and included. Key achievements include the delivery of events at Pride Edinburgh and the development of a new Trans Inclusion Policy.
This is not the end of our work ensuring a safe and inclusive environment. Some of our ongoing actions include:
Thank you to all those who have engaged with us and supported us to get to this point, and we look forward to continuing our journey!
Since early 2023, The Junction has been working towards a Gold level LGBT Charter Award. The LGBT Charter, developed by LGBT Youth Scotland, supports The Junction to proactively support our staff and volunteers and to provide high quality services for LGBTQ+ young people. In 2019, we achieved a Silver Award and developed many inclusive practices which we maintained. However, we decided we were ready to push ourselves, to go the extra mile and go for Gold!
Danni Szerszynska (Project Work Team Lead) said:
“At the Junction, we value inclusivity, and we work with a significant number of young people who identify under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. We feel it is vital that we ensure that our service does everything it can to welcome and include those who identify as LGBTQ+. The journey has been challenging and rewarding in equal measure. The programme expects a high standard, and rightly so – that means there has been some hard work and reflection involved.
We have appreciated the additional push to connect with partners in the sector, consult young people in more depth, put extra energy into celebrating LGBT History Month and key calendar dates, and to update our policies and guidance.”
We hope that the additional inclusive practices and resources we have developed will help to ensure LGBTQ+ young people, staff and volunteers feel the Junction is a safe and welcoming place.