{"id":29,"date":"2026-02-26T17:59:19","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T17:59:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/dg\/educationcpandsafeguarding\/?page_id=29"},"modified":"2026-09-08T15:00:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T14:00:45","slug":"lgbtq-information-resources","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/dg\/educationcpandsafeguarding\/lgbtq-information-resources\/","title":{"rendered":"LGBTQ+ Information &amp; Resources"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">Children and young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ+) have the right to feel safe, respected, and included within their school community. For Child Protection Coordinators (CPCs), promoting inclusive environments and understanding the specific risks some LGBTQ+ young people may face is an important part of safeguarding practice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In Scotland, this work is underpinned by the principles of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.scot\/policies\/girfec\/\">Getting it Right for Every Child<\/a> and children\u2019s rights within the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org.uk\/what-we-do\/un-convention-child-rights\/\">United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Understanding Risk and Vulnerability<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While being LGBTQ+ is not a safeguarding concern in itself, some young people may experience increased vulnerability due to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bullying, harassment, or discrimination<\/li>\n<li>Social isolation or rejection from peers, family, or community<\/li>\n<li>Mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, or self-harm<\/li>\n<li>Fear of disclosure (coming out) and lack of trusted adults<\/li>\n<li>Online risks, including exploitation or harmful content<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>CPCs should support staff to recognise these risks while maintaining a strengths-based and inclusive approach.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Creating Safe and Inclusive Environments<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>CPCs should ensure that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>School policies and practices promote equality, respect, and inclusion<\/li>\n<li>Staff are confident in responding to bullying and discriminatory behaviour<\/li>\n<li>Safe spaces and trusted adults are available for young people<\/li>\n<li>Inclusive language and practice are embedded across the school<\/li>\n<li>Staff understand the importance of confidentiality and sensitive information handling<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Responding to Concerns<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Where concerns arise:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Take all disclosures seriously and respond in a calm, supportive manner<\/li>\n<li>Avoid assumptions or judgement<\/li>\n<li>Record concerns clearly and factually<\/li>\n<li>Follow child protection procedures where there is risk of harm<\/li>\n<li>Consider the young person\u2019s wishes, particularly around sharing information, unless there is a safeguarding risk<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All actions should align with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.scot\/publications\/national-guidance-child-protection-scotland-2021-updated-2023\/documents\/\">National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Partnership Working and Support<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Supporting LGBTQ+ young people may involve collaboration with:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pastoral and wellbeing staff<\/li>\n<li>Educational psychology services<\/li>\n<li>Health services<\/li>\n<li>Third sector organisations specialising in LGBTQ+ support<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>CPCs should be aware of local and national supports to ensure young people can access appropriate help.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>A Rights-Based Approach<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>LGBTQ+ inclusion is central to safeguarding. By fostering a culture of respect, understanding, and acceptance, schools can ensure that all children and young people feel safe, valued, and able to thrive within their school environment.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-286\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/dg\/public\/educationcpandsafeguarding\/uploads\/sites\/9015\/2026\/09\/08143351\/under-development.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"452\" height=\"302\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/dg\/public\/educationcpandsafeguarding\/uploads\/sites\/9015\/2026\/09\/08143351\/under-development.webp 452w, https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/dg\/public\/educationcpandsafeguarding\/uploads\/sites\/9015\/2026\/09\/08143351\/under-development-300x200.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 452px) 100vw, 452px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Children and young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ+) have the right to feel safe, respected, and included within their school community. For Child Protection Coordinators (CPCs), promoting inclusive environments and understanding the specific risks some LGBTQ+ young people may face is an important part of safeguarding practice. In Scotland, this work is underpinned by the principles of Getting it Right for Every Child and<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/dg\/educationcpandsafeguarding\/lgbtq-information-resources\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20564,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-29","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/dg\/educationcpandsafeguarding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/dg\/educationcpandsafeguarding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/dg\/educationcpandsafeguarding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/dg\/educationcpandsafeguarding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20564"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/dg\/educationcpandsafeguarding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/dg\/educationcpandsafeguarding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":294,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/dg\/educationcpandsafeguarding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29\/revisions\/294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/dg\/educationcpandsafeguarding\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}