Older LGBTQ+ people fear discrimination in housing and care settings, but one simple intervention is making a difference

The Life House Project, led by Dr Georgia Bowers, Professor Andrew King, and Dr Richard Green worked with older LGBTQ+ people to document their real concerns about housing and social care – and then brought those experiences into training for the people responsible for that care. The proportion of staff who said they regularly or always met their LGBTQ+ service users’ needs rose from 55 per cent to 85 per cent in the weeks following the training. 

Researchers found that staff confidence in supporting LGBTQ+ people rose from 77 per cent to 95 per cent. They also found that the use of inclusive language increased from 70 per cent to 95 per cent. 

Dr Georgia Bowers, Senior Lecturer at the Guildford School of Acting and project lead, said: 

" Older LGBTQ+ people told us they are still being forced back into the closet at the very moment they need care and support most. Data and policy guidance alone were never going to change that. So, we worked directly with LGBTQ+ people to create something different – an animated film that lets their real experiences speak through characters and story rather than through statistics or compliance frameworks. When care workers feel something, rather than simply learn something, the effect is more durable. That is what these findings show. 

“We know from the research that many older LGBTQ+ people regard housing and care settings as unsafe. Some fear being patronised or misunderstood. Others have had their relationships questioned or dismissed outright. Some conceal who they are entirely. The question was whether putting those real experiences at the centre of staff training – rather than data, policy or guidance – could produce something more durable. These findings suggest it can.” 

Six older LGBTQ+ people took part in a series of theatre workshops, run in partnership with the London Bubble Theatre Company. The project used Applied Theatre – an approach with a track record of challenging social inequalities and reducing stigma through storytelling developed with communities themselves. Participants worked together to develop the story, characters and script for a short animated film, including their own recommendations for how housing and care services could be made more inclusive. 

Their experiences informed three composite characters – Ritu, a lesbian in her 70s living with dementia whose carer dismisses her late partner as a “sister”; Peter, an 80-year-old army veteran who withdraws after being mocked by care home staff for his past relationships; and Rose, a trans woman in her late 60s who faces intrusive questioning in sheltered housing when she simply wants to feel safe. A professional team of animators brought these characters to life in a four-minute film.  

The animated format proved significant in its own right – staff feedback indicated that it reduced unconscious bias by drawing attention to the characters’ situations and experiences rather than their appearance, and three-quarters of participants later identified it as the most useful element of the training session. 

The animated film was used as the basis for training at a London-based housing provider and a London-based homecare provider in July 2025. 

Twenty-two staff took part in training sessions across the two organisations. All rated the session as either excellent or good, and all said they would recommend it. Seventy-one per cent reported an emotional response to the material. Interview data gathered from managers six to eight weeks later showed visible changes in practice, including staff introducing themselves with pronouns and demonstrating greater attentiveness with LGBTQ+ clients. 

However, increases in asking clients directly about pronouns, or discussing sexual orientation and gender identity with colleagues, were more modest. Nine in ten staff said they would need further training to consolidate what they had learned – a finding the researchers regard not as a limitation but as a sign that the training had opened conversations rather than closed them. 

Professor Andrew King, Professor of Sociology at the University of Surrey and co-investigator on the project, said: 

“The research is clear that older LGBTQ+ people are still experiencing discrimination and invisibility in the places and services that are supposed to support them. What this project demonstrates is that short, well-designed training rooted in real testimony can shift staff understanding in ways that last. It is not a complete solution – nothing is – but it is a significant and replicable one.” 

The training approach will now be incorporated routinely into EDI provision at both partner organisations, and the team is exploring wider adoption across the housing and care sectors. 

[ENDS] 

Notes to editors 

• Dr Georgia Bowers is available for interview; please contact mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk to arrange. 
• The Life House Project report can be found here.