LGBT+ Staff Network

The network is chaired by Nick Flanagan, Clinical Practitioner Physiotherapist, and supported by members of our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team.

We are currently looking for more members to take up Staff Network Rep positions. To find out more or become a staff network rep for your directorate then come along to one of our meetings!

To request the papers for previous meetings not recorded on here please email stsft.lgbtplus.staffnetwork@nhs.net

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust attend Sunderland Pride every year. In 2019 we took part in the parade and hosted a stall. As always the event was extremely well attended as people lined the streets of the city to celebrate the LGBT+ community before heading to Sunniside Gardens for music performances, stall demonstrations and signposting.

Our stall was a successful way of engaging with the various communities who attended and we gathered vital feedback on the impact of our services on LGBT people and their families and allies. Colleagues from across the trust volunteered to work on the stall which allowed the public to explore the different areas that they have an interest in or wanted to give feedback on. The feedback we received was hugely positive and people commented how important it was that the trust was supporting the day.

In 2021, despite the pandemic, we organised a range of socially distanced activities for staff to support Pride. As always, we raised the Progress Pride flag at both South Tyneside District Hospital and Sunderland Royal Hospital – click here to learn more about Pride Flags. We also hosted stalls promoting the LGBT+ network and asked staff to make their own Pride Pledge and published this on social media.

This year we were delighted to be back at both Sunderland and Northern Pride in person for the first time since 2019! We took part in the marches at both Sunderland and Northern Pride and held a stall to engage with people at Sunderland Pride about the ways we can make our services more inclusive for all. Click here to read our report on Sunderland Pride 2022.

Since September 2019, we have been asking staff to sign up to the NHS Rainbow Badge Pledge – a commitment to being an ally for LGBT+ staff, visitors and patients in the trust. Once staff have made their pledge of support they are given the rainbow badge to wear with pride, sending a message that “you can talk to me.”

To complete a pledge please click here.

Here’s just a few of the pledges our staff have made…

"I believe in equality for all, and wish to visually show my support, by wearing a rainbow lanyard and badge. It would be a priviledge to also show my colleagues and service users that my employer also supports the LGBTQ+ community"

"I would like to wear the rainbow badge because I want to show my respect and support for everyone"

“I would like to wear a badge because I feel that everyone should be treated equally. I will wear this badge to show that staff/patients can confide in me for support in relation to anything."

“I would like to wear a badge becuase I believe we should be able to love whoever we want, no matter what their sex is. We at STSFT are one big family who stick together, no matter what!"

I'm LGBT+, how do I join the network?

To join the network all you need to do is to confidentially email stsft.lgbtplus.staffnetwork@nhs.net and we will send you the details of our next meeting.

I'm not LGBT+, how can I support my colleagues?

There is nothing to stop you supporting LGBT+ colleagues! Whilst our network is a safe space for LGBT+ colleagues only, there are a number of ways for you to be an active ally within our Trust:

• Why not make a Rainbow Badge pledge?
• The trust Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team are currently developing an allies network, for more information email james. higgin1@nhs.net
• It’s vital you challenge and report prejudice and incivility wherever you find it – do not leave it to your LGBT+ colleagues to tackle.

Can I join the network without attending a meeting?

Of course! By confidentially emailing stsft.lgbt.staffwork@nhs.net we can add you to our mailing list. This will give you lots of information about what’s going on in the network. You can also confidentially email any of our network team if there’s an item you would like anonymously raised at the next meeting.

When and where does the network meet?

The dates, times and locations of all future meetings will be shared via our email mailing list and also published on our calendar here in intranet page.

What does a network really achieve?

The staff network gives you a voice, the ability to influence change and promote good practice within the trust.