LGBT Service Users

Your application for Freedom of Information has been received.

Your application reference is 101000293517

Lord McDowall
[email address]

17 November 2008

Dear Sir

Freedom of Information Request: 101000293517

I am in receipt of your request dated 15 November 2008 for information
held by Devon County Council about training and advice for staff dealing
with LGBT service users.

You are entitled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to be informed
whether or not the information you have requested is held by Devon County
Council and if so to be given access to that information within 20 working
days (subject to any exemptions).

You will receive a response to your request by 12 December
2008

Yours sincerely

Sue Block
Information Management Support Officer
Devon County Council
Room L10
County Hall
Topsham Road
Exeter EX2 4QD
Tel: 01392 384678
[email address]
Disclaimer: [1]http://www.devon.gov.uk/email.shtml
"Devon County Council accepts no legal responsibility for the contents of
this message.
The views expressed do not reflect those of Devon County Council"

References

Visible links
1. http://www.devon.gov.uk/email.shtml

Dear Lord McDowell

Information Request REF: 101000293517

Thank you for your email. In reply to your request for information
held by Devon County Council in connection with Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender/Transsexual (LGBT) awareness.

The information you are entitled to under the Freedom of Information
Act is below.

Please provide full details of the following:

(1) A copy of the Social Work policy relating to LGBT service users
and their needs,
Answer (1): Adult & Community Services doesn't have a specific
social work policy relating to LGBT service users. Social Work and
other social care staff are subject to Devon County Council's
corporate equalities policy. The Equality Policy is a public document
found online: [1]http://www.devon.gov.uk/equality_policy_...

(2) Confirmation on the training that appointees within the Social
Work department, undertake to ensure that the needs of LGBT persons
are being met,

Answer (2): At Devon County Council (DCC) our staff training in
'Sexual Orientation and Transgender Awareness' is provided by courses
run by Intercom Trust
([2]http://www.intercomtrust.org.uk/training...). And the
course 'Introduction to Equality' is provided to staff by the Zebra
Collective ([3]http://www.zebra.coop). The 'Introduction to Equality'
course is targeted at new staff.

Social Work Students undertake a period of 200 days practice learning
in a variety of settings, during which they are assessed against the
National Occupational Standards for Social Work
([4]http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/developi...(NOS)_introduction.aspx)
and General Social Care Council (GSCC) Code of Practice. Individual
Universities determine how this takes place and details would be
found in their individual course documentation.

DCC support qualified Social Workers to undertake Post Qualifying
awards, again these are regulated by the GSCC. Currently we use
Bournemouth University; details of course content will be in the
University's course documentation.

(3) Details of groups and organisations that provide advice and
guidance to the council regarding the needs of LGBT service users.

Answer (3): At Devon County Council we work very closely and support
the Intercom Trust, a regional LGBT support and advisory agency who
are based in Exeter. The Intercom Trust are members of our Equality
Reference Group
(ERG)([5]http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/democracyc...)
and Equality Strategy and Scrutiny Group (ESSG). The ERG act as
critical friends to Devon County Council and the ESSG as critical
friends to the Devon Strategic Partnership
([6]http://www.devonsp.org.uk/) and are made up of equality interest
organisations such as the Racial Equality Council, disability,
Interfaith etc.

We also have an LGBT staff network and consult with them on policy
matters.

I hope this information is of assistance to you.

Your right to complain

If for any reason you are not satisfied with how your request has
been handled, please write to Devon County Council's Freedom of
Information Office, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QJ or
complete the on-line complaint form that can be found at
[7]www.devon.gov.uk.

If your complaint is not resolved to your complete satisfaction, you
have the right to refer the matter to the Information Commissioner's
Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Re-use of information

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are free to use it for
your own purposes, including any non-commercial research you are
doing and for the purposes of news reporting. Any other re-use, for
example commercial publication, would require the permission of the
copyright holder. Most documents supplied by Devon County Council
will have been produced by local officials and will be our copyright.
If you would like to re-use any of the information which has been
supplied to you, please contact us.

Information you receive which is not subject to our copyright
continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or
organisation, from which the information originated. You must ensure
that you gain their permission before reproducing any information.

Regards from

Peter Hoskin
Corporate Information Governance Manager
Strategic Intelligence
Devon County Council
County Hall
Exeter

01392 384679
[mobile number]

Please remember that all information is sensitive to someone. Handle all
information the way you would like your information to be handled - with
care and respect for its confidentiality.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.devon.gov.uk/equality_policy_...
2. http://www.intercomtrust.org.uk/training...
3. http://www.zebra.coop/
4. http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/developi...(NOS)_introduction.aspx
5. http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/democracyc...
6. http://www.devonsp.org.uk/
7. http://www.devon.gov.uk/