Researchers are recruiting older LGBTQ+ people with experience of the adult social care system to take part in a study on discrimination.

The University of Birmingham is working with the University of Manchester, the University of Bristol and charity Opening Doors to understand the experiences of older LGBTQ+ people in the adult social care system.

The LGBTQ+ Older Adult Social Care Assessment Study (LOASCA) is recruiting participants from the LGBTQ+ community who are over 60 and have experience of adult social care in England.

Dr Jason Schaub, Associate Professor in Social Work, said: “The recent news that the LGBTQ+ activist Noel Glynn, who died in 2021, suffered abuse at the hands of staff at his residential care home in Croydon is deeply concerning and highlights the need for older LGBTQ+ in social care to have their voices heard.”

Dr Schaub said there was currently little research exploring how sexuality and gender identity are  considered when assessing older LGBTQ+ people for social care. “Based on available research, the needs, visibility, and awareness of the older LGBTQ+ population are often missed in care contexts because of different factors impacting both service users and service providers,” he said. “Although not all older LGBTQ+ people will have had negative experiences in the social care system, homo/bi/trans-phobic discrimination in adult social care should not be swept under the rug, and to combat it we need to know how prevalent it is.”

To learn more contact research fellow Dr Dora Jandric or visit the project website.