Delivering culturally competent and compassionate LGBTQ+ social work education

Aim of the poster. Evidence shows issues with professional conduct and discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT+) people in health and social care, continue to exist in the UK and most probably in other EU countries. This indicates the need to ensure that health and social care professional education must include exploration of LGBT+ issues, in order to enable professionals to provide culturally competent and compassionate care which is free from prejudice to this population. This poster highlights the need to develop more culturally competent and compassionate teaching tools and resources to include LGBT+ issues in the curriculum and training for the future workforce. Methodology. IENE 9, an Erasmus+ funded project, adopted a mixed-method and innovative approach for gathering and developing teaching tools and resources for a more culturally competent and compassionate LGBT+ education in health and social care curricula across Europe. Results /Outcomes. There seems to be a lack of covering in LGBT+ health needs in the health and social care curriculum. The IENE 9 project is addressing this gap in education which will improve the care provided for LGBT+ people. Discussion Specific training on LGBT+ issues may result in better knowledge and skills of the health and social care workforce, which helps to reduce inequalities and communication between providers and LGBT+ people, as well as diminishing the feelings of stigma and discrimination experienced by LGBTQ+ people (Carr & Pezzella, 2017; Sekoni, Gale, Manga- Atangana, Bhadhuri, & Jolly, 2017). Implication for social work practice Stigma towards LGBT+ individuals cannot be eradicated overnight and shifting cultural beliefs is a slow process that requires imaginative and creative methods to encourage people to learn more about LGBT+ topics. Exposure to LGBT+ issues, through awareness workshops and campaigns, could facilitate this process. Social workers are the champions overlooking vulnerable LGBT+ people and it is vital for social work practitioners and educators to join hands and provide both educational material and policies to protect LGBT+ rights