Case Study

Insights from the LGBTQ+ community to shape inclusive policies
Developing ‘Principles of Engagement’ for NIHR BioResource to improve their engagement with the LGBTQ+ community in the UK

Overview

NIHR BioResource are working to increase diversity, equality, and inclusion in health research, and by consequence, address health inequalities and improve health outcomes for communities across the UK currently under-served by health research. The LGBTQ+ community has been identified as one of the communities under-served and under-represented in health research.

Considering this, this partnership was aimed at engaging members of the LGBTQ+ community to better understand their concerns and barriers regarding participation in health research. Egality facilitated an insightful focus group discussion with representatives from 5 community organisations working for the LGBTQ+ community in the UK. These insights were integrated to form a set of ‘Principles of Engagement’ for the BioResource.

Through these principles, the BioResource acknowledges the historical injustices towards the LGBTQ+ community and commits to improving their ways of working with the community focusing on making people feel included, safe, and respected. By adopting these principles and ways of working, the BioResource aims to encourage members of the community to participate in health research.

An image of a JamBoard showing the collaborative nature of the research and the outcomes of the focus groups.

Partners

Gendered Intelligence
Sparkle UK
Trade Sexual Health
Bahaghari UK
LGBT Foundation

Outcomes

  • Insights from 5 community organisations working specifically with the LGBTQ+ community in the UK
  • Enhanced understanding of barriers and concerns about participation in health research for the community
  • A co-designed set of ‘Principles of Engagement’ with actionable ways of embedding the commitments in everyday behaviour
“It was a pleasure to participate in the focus group and wider consultation that Egality convened for the NIHR BioResource. Egality facilitated the focus group in a way that allowed participants to be honest, thoughtful, and critical. I believe this enriched the findings of the research, and I certainly learned a lot from the perspectives of the other participants.”
Gavin Brown
CEO, Trade Sexual Health

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