We have been featured in Camden Council Proud Stories!

 

Alternative Care Services and our Managing Director Ramses, have been featured on the Camden Council Proud Stories series.

Marking the London borough’s vibrant and diverse LGBT+ communities, the local authority is sharing stories from some of the people that help to make Camden a diverse and accepting place to live.

Our MD, Ramses took the time to explain why it’s important to be open and inclusive, and why LGBT support is vital for our community.

You can read more about Camden’s Proud Stories series here:

https://www.camden.gov.uk/we-make-camden-proud-stories

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Dignity in care: we understand more than most why it’s important

Alternative Care Services is a care agency providing support and social care for older LGBT people in their own homes.

Founded by Ramses Underhill-Smith, the company was created after Ramses saw a HIV-positive friend risk his health by rejecting care in his own home, over concern that the care workers might be homophobic.

Some of our staff are trans, gay, bisexual, and from the LGBT community, some aren’t, but all get training in treating patients with dignity.

“If you’ve had surgery and you’ve got scars, you don’t want people looking at them in a certain way. We’re so used to it in the LGBT community – it’s not even the words people say, but the fact that everybody stares. You don’t want to have to explain when you get undressed for personal care.”

Ramses Underhill-Smith: ‘People refuse to accept it when you’re older.’ Photograph: Fabio De Paola for the Guardian

“It’s about knowing that whoever comes to your door is going to understand who you are, that in conversation you’re going to be able to say things openly.” Some frail older people, he points out, barely see anyone but health professionals; if they can’t talk to them honestly, they are completely isolated.”

We are proud that we help provide dignity, support and comfort to our clients and thrilled that our work has been featured in The Guardian.

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National Coming Out Day!

Today (Thursday October 11th) is National Coming out day.  It’s a day when people of the LGBTQI community can celebrate the occasion they told their family, friends and the world about who they are.

It’s a day many celebrate with pride and happiness, being able to be open and honest with all.  But it’s also a day to show solidarity and support to others who may not have had the chance or the courage to come out.

And we at Alternative Care Services want to say, to all far and wide, we hope you are proud to be who you are, and live your life the way you want to.

We want you to know that you are worthy, valid and deserve happiness.  Happpy #NationalComingOutDay

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Discussing LGBTQI+ care with Opening Doors London

We work with many fantastic organisations and charities at Alternative Care Services.

One of our favourites is Opening Doors London (ODL), the UK’s biggest information and support charity older LGBTQI+ people.

On June 13th ODL will host a national ‘Pride in Care’ conference, which aims to bring together leading organisations and members of the LGBTQI+ community to discuss how improvements in the social care industry can be made.

 

Who will be speaking at the ODL Pride in Care conference?

So we are excited and thrilled that our Managing Director Ramses Underhill-Smith will be guest speaker at the event.

Ramses will be speaking alongside the esteemed Dr Rebecca Jones (Senior Lecturer in Health at The Open University) and Dr Jane Traies (Oral Historian) on LGBTQI+ identities ageing in the social care system.

Alternative Care Services Managing Director RamsesWhat will be discussed at the Pride in Care event?

Throughout the day there will be numerous talks on various subjects ranging from Dementia and cancer within the LGBT community, housing advice, improving mental health, living longer with HIV and how best to cope with social isolation.

Other speakers on the day will include Alice Wallace, Director of Opening Doors London, Dr Ben Thomas, Professor of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities in the School of Health and Social Care at London South Bank University and Anna Kear, CEO of Tonic Housing.

 

When is the ODL Pride in Care Conference?

Pride in Care conference will kick-off on June 13th at 9:30am and is an all-day event, there are still tickets available if you’d like to go along to take part in any of these fascinating discussions.

 

Where is it being held?

The event is being held at the Roberts Building, University College London, Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7JE.

For more information on the Opening Doors London Pride in Care conference, click here.

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The NHS turns 70 years old

Caring can make such a huge impact

The care and health industry is a challenge to say the least, and at the end of a never-ending day, you sigh in relief when you get one more thing done because you care.

We know how hectic running a health and social service business can be, but imagine if you were the 5th largest employer in the world with 1.2 million staff.

Really caring can make all the difference.

So as the NHS turns 70 years old, everyone at Alternative Care Services wants to thank the staff (past, present and future) for their tireless hard work and dedication to keeping us all healthy, for free!

Thanks to the thousands of people who give their all every day, and who make all of our care services fantastic services, you know who you are.

Pride, No Shame – Ramses

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Focus on LGBTQI+ identities in the social care system

On June 13th Opening Doors London (ODL) hosted a national ‘Pride in Care’ conference.

ODL (the UK’s biggest charity supporting the older LGBTQI+ population) brought together leading experts and members of the LGBTQI+ community to discuss how improvements in the social care industry.

Our Managing Director Ramses spoke alongside Senior Lecturer in Health at The Open University, Dr Rebecca Jones and Oral Historian Dr Jane Traies on LGBTQI+ identities ageing in the social care system.

Ramses at Pride in Care

Alternative Care Services Managing Director Ramses speaking at the Pride in Care ConferenceThroughout the day there were numerous fantastic talks on various subjects ranging from Dementia and cancer within the LGBT community, housing advice, improving mental health, living longer with HIV and how best to cope with social isolation.

Other speakers on the day included Alice Wallace, Director of Opening Doors London, Dr Ben Thomas, Professor of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities in the School of Health and Social Care at London South Bank University and Anna Kear, CEO of Tonic Housing.

This entire event was fantastic, giving real insight into development of care services and the importance of staffing and culture in delivering excellent care designed specifically for #lgbt community

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Why do we need LGBTQI+ care?

We have been asked on many occasions why we think there’s a need for LGBT care.

At Alternative Care Services we believe it’s about creating safe and respectful spaces for older LGBTQI+ people, especially when they’re at home.

The need for (and lack of) safe spaces for the older LGBT generation  is an issue that has been discussed by many organisations for many years.

In fact, there have been multiple studies (Marie Curie Hiding Who I Am being one) that have revealed that senior LGBTQI people live in fear of discrimination when receiving care.

Another report, conducted by Stonewall (Unhealthy Attitudes 2015) shows that a large proportion of healthcare staff are not confidently equipped with the necessary skills to provide thorough care for LGBT people, elderly or otherwise.

We believe that traditional models of care in Britain are letting down the older generation of LGBTQI+ people, and this is where we are taking a stand.

 

What Alternative Care Services does:

At Alternative Care Services we offer the very best, non-discriminatory care and support for all of our service users.

We employ staff from the LGBTQI+ community, in fact 90 percent of our staff identify as LGBTQI+.

That’s important as we believe that they are more likely to be able to respond to the specific care needs of an older generation of LGBTQI+ people.

We also make sure they are fully equipped to meet all needs of all our clients.  Ultimately, we’ve employed people from the community to serve their community.

The Alternative Care Services teamWe believe there are fundamental issues within a care system that simply doesn’t acknowledge the existence of the LGBT community.

This ‘invisibility’ happens at the outset of the care process as all the referral forms are heteronormative, so social services doesn’t even know how to offer LGBT-focused services. There is no way of offering it.

 

What can be done to end the discrimination against the LGBTQI+ community?

We think there needs to be a change within the care system at large to futureproof the services for younger generations.
In an ideal world, everyone would live together in harmony, there would be no phobias, discrimination or bias.

 

Why choose LGBTQI+ care?

This may one day be a reality, but until then, Alternative Care Services will provide the very best personally-centered care and support to all with kindness, dignity, respect and understanding, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI).

Our aim is to enable all to live satisfying; independent lives while maintaining values and identities.

Providing exceptional care to the LGBTQI+ community is what we do, because you’re not an afterthought, you’re our first thought.
Here’s a list of our full unique services and all of our costs are transparent.

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