Equalities

New LGBT Mapping Needs Survey

Sir Simon Milton, Leader of Westminster City Council

Working in partnership with people - be they residents, businesses, vistors, other organisations or our own staff - is at the heart of the City Council's "One City" vision, to achieve excellent services and strong communities throughout Westminster. In a diverse and vibrant city like Westminster the needs and aspirations of its community groups can vary enormously and the Council is determined gain a better understanding of all those people using and relying upon our services.

Westminster is proud to be the centre of a thriving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LBGT) community, and we are determined to do all we can to engage with this community so that we can best respond to their needs and have a better understanding of what we do well, what we do less well, and how we may need to improve our ways of working. The best way to provide a good service is to ask people what they want, listen to what they say, and use this information to shape and improve the ways that the Council servs its customers - this is exactly what this survey is about. So please do take the time and provide us with your views, and I look forward to seeing the results."

Westminster City Council is pleased to launch a new needs mapping survey, being undertaken on its behalf by Galop, of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities) in Westminster.

The City Council is keen to find new ways of engaging with the community and ensuring that it meets the particular needs of LGBT people, who live, work, socialise and study in Westminster.

The needs assessment will give members of the LGBT communities the chance to tell the City Council whether they feel it is meeting their needs, and what the City Council could be doing differently, or better. Galop is conducting an online questionnaire, which can be accessed at www.galop.org.uk/survey and participants can choose to enter a prize draw to win £100 of vouchers if they fill in the questionnaire. Galop will also be conducting focus groups, and are looking for people who would like to be a part of these, and have their say on services in Westminster. As part of the City Council's ongoing partnership working with other key statutory partners, the survey also reflects health and community safety issues. The results of this survey will feed directly into an new Engagement Strategy with the Westminster LGBT communities.

Daniel Astaire, Cabinet Member for Community Services, said:

"We want to ensure that every member of Westminster's community is looked after and everyone's needs are met. Communities are at the heart of our work and it is important that we work hard to to ensure residents, business people and visitors to the borough are fully provided for.

The best way to provide a good service is to ask the people who will benefit what they actually want - and that is exactly what we are doing. I look forward to finding out the results of the research."

Galop, London’s LGBT community safety charity, is delighted to have been chosen to lead this project. Deborah Gold, Galop’s Chief Executive, said:

"Galop is really thrilled to be working with Westminster Council on this important piece of work. We have been working within the LGBT community for twenty-five years, and this experience means that we’re perfectly placed to find out about and articulate our communities’ needs. We really hope people will take the time to fill in the questionnaire and join a focus group, so that we can make the most of this opportunity".