Good support for trans and/or GNC people with a learning disability

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Exploring Good Social Care Support for Trans and/or Gender Non-conforming People with a Learning Disability

  • IRAS ID

    343929

  • Contact name

    Lorne Power

  • Contact email

    l.j.power@sussex.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Sussex

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 11 months, 26 days

  • Research summary

    Some people with a learning disability are trans or gender non-conforming. Gender is whether you are a man or a woman. Some people do not feel like a man or a woman. Someone is trans if they do not identify with the gender they were given when they were born. Someone is gender non-conforming if they look and behave differently to how people expect based on their gender.
    Most social care staff do not know how to support trans and gender non-conforming people. Staff can worry that people with a learning disability can’t make decisions about their gender, and they might get into unsafe situations.
    I want to find out - what is good support for trans and/or gender non-conforming people with a learning disability?
    I want to work with 8 trans and/or gender non-conforming people with a learning disability. I want to find out their experience of good support. I want to find out what support they want from social care staff (like support workers).
    I want to spend time with my participants to understand their daily lives. I want to make art with my participants about what good support means to them.
    At the end of the project, I want to have an event to show off the artwork the participants have made. I want to make an Easyread report about the project and what I have learned. I want to draft a workbook based on the methods I used to learn about my participants.
    I hope that this project means trans and gender non-conforming people with a learning disability have good support and more choice about what they want. I hope this project means that staff better understand trans and gender non-conforming people with a learning disability and know how to support them well.

  • REC name

    Social Care REC

  • REC reference

    25/IEC08/0001

  • Date of REC Opinion

    14 Mar 2025

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion