Review policies regularly, and consider the impact of all policies on rainbow service users and rainbow populations more broadly.
Consider policies from an internal staff perspective as well as an external service user perspective. Are there opportunities to embed rainbow inclusion into existing policies? Would development of future policies automatically be assessed for their impact and relevance to rainbow populations?
As part of a rainbow action plan or similar quality improvement process, it is useful to check that organisational policies are up to date and inclusive. Are rainbow staff members explicitly protected as part of the Discrimination and Harassment policies? Ensure that staff policies use words like “partner” instead of “husband/wife,” for example.
In terms of service provision, are policies that relate to service users using respectful and inclusive language? Are there complaint policies that everyone knows about and processes for young people to offer feedback on services?
Knowledge and best practice in terms of rainbow competency are constantly evolving. Ensure that policies are reviewed and updated regularly to reflect best practice and also to ensure that policies are considered for their impact on rainbow populations.
Take Action
Check that your organisational policies (e.g. discrimination, bullying, confidentiality policies) explicitly affirm and protect rainbow service users and their whānau, as well as rainbow staff.
Set up processes for reviewing policies to consider their impact on rainbow service users and staff.
Consider the wider implications for rainbow populations when reviewing strategic documents that reflect key values of the organisation or support crucial areas of work.
Where appropriate, you may want to display complaint and discrimination policies in your public spaces to make sure everyone understands how to give feedback or make complaints. This can inform future policy development and strategic planning.