from YAPRap November 2003
by Katerina Tahija & Vesna Kapetanovic
GLBT = Gay, Lesbian Bisexual & Transgender
Barriers to young people of diverse sexualities and access to generalist services has been an issue that organisations and groups across the Nepean region have recognised and worked on for some time. A regional committee that prioritised this issue has been the Nepean Consultative Committee, (NCC). The NCC is a regional committee with local representatives from Penrith, Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury that consult with Department of Community Services (DoCS) on relevant community and departmental issues on a monthly basis. A number of NCC representatives from across the region, further emphasised the need for some work to be done on this issue with a regional perspective. A discussion paper was formulated with a number of recommendations that required further action. To progress this work, a sub committee of the NCC was formed with the task to work on strategies to support the recommendations.
This subcommittee, named the Young People from Diverse Sexuality Working Party (YPFDSWP), extended membership to relevant stakeholders to work on these issues. The stakeholders include South Penrith Youth & Neighbourhood Services Inc (SPYNS), Penrith City Council, Western Sydney Community Forum, Blue Mountains Family Support Services and the Department of Community Services Nepean Network Office.
Strategies that were employed included 2 mailouts that gave community organisations the chance to explore possible barriers to young people of diverse sexuality accessing their particular service. The packages included information, surveys and questionnaires that organisations, via Management committees, were asked to explore, discuss and respond to. Responses were then collated and helped form the continuing work of the sub committee. A further strategy also included follow up interviews with individual workers that requested further discussions. The connection to the NCC was maintained by reporting to and feedback from the NCC.
After some months working on the issues and with the support of South Penrith Youth & Neighbourhood Services Inc. (SPYNS) as the auspice, the YPFDS working party saw the need for a project to be set up to further work with organisations on the issues of service access for young people of diverse sexualities. Subsequently a WSAAS application for a 4-year project was submitted in 2001, but was not successful
Following this, SPYNS with the assistance of the YPFDS working party submitted an application to DoCS for slippage money to fund a short project. The aim of this project was to further explore issues of diverse sexuality and young people with organisations across Nepean. This submission was successful and the YPFDS working party appointed a consultant, Dr Kerry Robinson from the University of Western Sydney, to work on this project. This project was auspiced by SPYNS, however, the YPFDS working party operated as reference/steering group for this project
The major focus of the above project was the organisation of two forums, which were conducted in April 2003, one in Springwood in the Blue Mountains and the other in Penrith. Dr Kerry Robinson, who was also responsible for collating, analysing and reporting their outcomes, facilitated the forums.
The forums explored the equity and access issues facing young people from diverse sexualities in these regions, as identified by service providers working in a range of relevant Youth Services and Organisations from government and non-government organisations in the region, including: those representing Youth, Family, Accommodation and Women's services from Hawkesbury, Penrith and the Blue Mountains.
Furthermore, the forums also aimed to identify initiatives and strategies that could be employed within organisations to overcome some of the barriers to equity and access faced by YPFDS. There also was a focus on the role of the Department of Community Services in supporting this work on local and regional levels.
Barriers identified by service providers in the forums
- Difficulties Accessing Appropriate Information About Non-Heterosexual Cultures
- A Lack Of Knowledge About Existing Services - Are They Gay, Lesbian Bisexual And Transgender (GLBT) Friendly?
- A Lack Of Awareness Amongst Workers Of The Issues Facing YPFDS
- Heterosexism and Homophobia in Services
- Management Bodies
- Policy, Practice and Funding Priorities in Organisations
The identification of these barriers led to the development of a set of recommendations from the Forums:
- Training
- Access to information
- Community education
- Leadership and support
- Development of policies and procedures
- Enhancing communication links
- Funding
- Promoting further research
These recommendations developed a basis from which the YPFDS Working Party continue to address the manifold A&E issues that face young people of diverse sexualities. We are excited to say that in the 2002 WSAAS round, SPYNS were successful in securing 4 years funding for a Diverse Sexualities Access Project. This innovative new project will work to increase the access to general youth services for GLBT young people in the Nepean area by establishing effective partnerships between GLBT young people, local general community and youth services, peak services and governing bodies around the provision of accessible and effective services for young GLBT people in their local communities. We are currently in the process of recruiting a suitable worker for this project.
more information
the report
Access and Equity Issues Facing Young People from Diverse Sexualities: Perspectives from Youth Service Providers in Western Sydney (PDF) www.spyns.org.au
information
South Penrith Youth Services
02 4721 5024
background
GLBT: More than a club sandwich! Working with Young People from Diverse Sexualities workshop was delivered at the YAPA Conference 2003 by Katerina Tahija (Youth Development Officer, Penrith City Council) and Vesna Kapetanovic (Youth Resource & Development Worker, South Penrith Youth Services Project). This workshop included discussion of issues affecting young people of diverse sexualities and their access to services and a presentation on work undertaken by various stakeholders in the Nepean area (Hawkesbury, Blue Mountains and Penrith) to address these access barriers.
