This case study forms part of the What Good Looks Like report on people with a learning disability and autistic people. This co-produced report was commissioned from the Building the Right Support Advisory Group, as part of the wider action plan developed by the Building the Right Support Delivery Board. It has been supported by Partners in Care and Health.
Introduction
United Pride Friends is a group service for members of the LGBTQ+ community with Autism and Learning difficulties. The primary purpose of their group is giving members a safe place to meet new people and make friends.
For people identifying as LGBTQ+, negative attitudes, including denial of sexuality and/or gender identity can feel like 'just another wall' to be faced with. In turn, this creates stressors that can contribute to worsening wellbeing, including mental distress. Life can feel isolating, when your 'whole self' is not recognised.
In part, some of this can be addressed through personalisation and educating the mainstream and those who identify as LGBTQ+. What is clear is that people can bring their different skills to the table to make like better, and they can learn together.
For families, supportive approaches that recognise the need for information and how to best support their adult children identifying as LGBTQ+ is also helpful.
The challenge
United Pride Friends was first set up in 2019 and is a service to support those who recognise as LGBTQ+ with autism and learning difficulties. Their main reason for the creation of their service is to better serve this part of the community as at present there is very little support out there.
United Pride Friends is funded through grant funding, some of which is done via wider consortium applications. In the future they are seeking to maximise funding by offering consultation/training opportunities.
The solution
Since the creation of United Pride Friends, they have built up their service and social media as well as their online community.
To achieve this, they provide services where members can meet, from fun online webinars and services where they hold fun activities, to competitions and fundraisers. They also hold group sessions, meet ups, trips and participate in many events such as Pride where they would all support each other.
United Pride Friends provides a wide and diverse range of services in a confidential and safe setting, for their group members. They are:
- Befriending service
- Online webinars
- Group talking sessions
- Facebook and social media platforms
- Safe space meet ups
- Activities and events
- Support services
- Information on other organisations
- Educational information
- Workshops
United Pride Friends is run by its members, therefore better serving their members needs and addressing issues they wish to tackle. Their support teamis there to aid and advise their members, making sure that their goals and wishes are achieved.
The primary purpose of the group is to provide a befriending service, giving members a safe place to meet new people and make friends. The group aims to build the confidence of its members through workshops and social events, as well as providing educational sessions.
Their aim is to support and tackle the many issues their community face, such as loneliness and isolation, by making new friends and social circles and supporting each other, as well as standing up to discrimination and homophobia.
The aim is to make others aware of difficulties faced due to autism and learning difficulties but yet encourage them to be treated on an equal footing as others. Their support team is trained in safeguarding procedures and able to provide different types of support to meet diverse needs.
Our goal as people with autism and learning difficulties is to be recognised by society, understand our needs but also equally see us in the same light. Showing the world that our community can have and hold down friendships and relationships without discrimination and stereotypical views. As one equal community, they are so much stronger."
Michael Chick, Founder
Using their unique experience, they intend to establish a relationship between the wider LGBTQ+ and autism and learning difficulty networks.
Their group builds the confidence of its members through workshops and social events, as well as providing educational sessions where they will discuss topics that affect this community such as safe sex, dealing with homophobia and discrimination, and coming out to friends and family.
They support members in organising events or projects through United Pride Friends, including educational pamphlets or sessions on topics of each other’s personal experiences. They will host regular trips to a range of places where all group members will be invited to participate. This will provide members with fantastic opportunities to socialise in settings outside of their usual group venue and maybe even try something new.
The project will bring members of the LGBTQ+ community with autism and learning difficulties together in a safe space that is accessible, accepting and confidential. Their team are trained in safeguarding procedures and able to provide different types of support to meet diverse needs.
By offering people the friendship and support of a group like United Pride Friends, they believe they will thrive and grow as a community.
The impact
Looking to the future it is recognised that more is needed. This is an area that is not always understood or supported nationally and would benefit from creating a stronger evidence base. This means that more funding for research is required.
In terms of 'Building the right support', matching staff who can support autistic people and people with a learning disability who identify as LGBTQ+ is important. Also recognising the protective nature of this kind of support, ensures that wellbeing is maximised, and people do not experience additional prejudice.