Policy & Practice: Briefing - Gay young people outline policyneeds

We all know it's tough for kids who are growing up gay. Well, that might be a widely held and well-founded assumption but a main point in this study is that too many services that deal with young people do not actually know. They don't collect information and they don't ask questions.

As a result, the specific needs of vulnerable lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people may not get recognised and built into important documents such as Children and Young People's Plans - documents that have important effects on programme decisions.

OK, so who's done this study? GALYIC (Gay and Lesbian Youth in Calderdale) is a feisty local organisation that delivers services, research and campaigns in West Yorkshire and strives to influence national agendas. This latest research report is admittedly small-scale - some 23 young people aged 16 to 20 - but is a relatively rare example of a detailed look at the needs of LGBT young people. The report details the development of a needs assessment tool that could contribute to individual action plans for young people and the programme for the youth group. GALYIC also wants to prove the impact of work with LGBT young people and the need for funding.