Survey Results

by the Polare Editor

(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

Finding out about the Gender Centre

You said you found out about the Centre by ... Most people (70%) thought it was difficult to find out if the Service existed. Only 30% of respondents agreed that finding out if this Service existed was easy. One person said they "didn't care" if it existed or not. Most people found out about the Centre through their friends or other people they know. 30% of respondents found out about the Centre through another service or through the media.

Knowing what the Centre does for you

Most people were not aware that the Centre is able to provide information and support, by request to their homes, at jails, in neighbourhood centres, in hospital, at their workplace, and at schools. One admirable suggestion we received through this section was" It would greatly help people with gender issues if your excellent pamphlets and Polare and the list of literature, could be found on an open shelf in each and every sexual clinic and gender centre all over the world - and in all the major libraries."

Using the Gender Centre

81% of respondents had used the services of the centre at some point. They all said that staff at the centre had informed them about the self-help or support groups or drop-in groups at the centre and also, all had been given leaflets, pamphlets or videos from the Gender Centre. They all said that the staff here at the centre had offered follow-up treatment/counselling or referred them some­where else to get help for their questions. Lastly, they all said the staff had informed them about group activities or talks here at the Centre. Of these respondents all agreed that the staff listened to what they had to say, treated their disclosures with confidentiality, treated them with respect and courtesy and tried to make them feel comfortable.

Some of the comments regarding staff assistance from the Centre were - "Helped me and visited me countless times in jail.", "Remember who I am, offered counselling for or with my partner.", "Supplied safe sex equipment (very important)".

Rights as clients of the Gender Centre.

88% of respondents were not aware of their rights as clients of the Gender Centre. While only 12% of the respondents said they'd been informed of their rights as clients of the Gender Centre.

Complaints

Only seven of the twenty-six respondents said they knew how to make a complaint if they were not happy with something at the Centre. The remaining questionnaires indicated that most peo­ple did not know of the Complaints procedures that are in place at the Gender Centre. Again, most respondents said they did not know they could ask to see their files at the Gender Centre.

Participation in the Gender Centre.

Most of the respondents said they had not been asked their opinion about the Gender Centre at any time. However a comment from this section that stated "but I feel like I could offer my opinion whenever I wanted" highlights the receptability of staff to suggestions or new ideas.

What you liked most about the Gender Centre.

Most respondents chose "Free", "Staff are friendly" and "I can ask questions here". "Staff explain things" and "Staff listen to me here" were the next most popular.

Finding out about the Gender Centre.

About half of the respondents from other services had heard about the Gender Centre through friends, word of mouth or work colleagues. The other half had become aware of the Centre through the media, magazines or pamphlets. Of all respondents, only half were aware of the range of places for which the Centre is able to provide information, referrals and support to their clients. The remaining respondents indicated awareness of one or two of the following locations where the Centre may assist their clients - in jail, hospital, home, in the workplace, at schools or in training, or at neighbourhood centres. Overall, most Services reported that finding out the Centre existed was not an easy task. One comment was that it was easy to find, but only" if they are in the refuge/welfare system."

Liaison with the Gender Centre.

74% of the services in the questionnaires were aware that their service had liaised with the Gender Centre at some point in the past. 61% of the workers filling out the questionnaire had requested assistance of some form from the Centre. The remaining 39% of the workers responding had not personally accessed the assistance of the Centre at all.

Information dissemination

Information about gender issues had been given to services mainly verbally by Gender Centre staff or through pamphlets/brochures from the Centre. Train­ing emerged as a notable manner of information dis­semination, with one pleased service-provider com­menting that information had been given during a "staff training session given by Elizabeth. She was wonder­ful." Another notable method was through Polare.

Most respondents had received a significant level of information from the Gender Centre. This included receiving leaflets, pamphlets or videos, information about the self-help groups, support or drop-in groups, and information talks at the Centre. Sixteen of the twenty-three service respondents had either had cli­ents referred to them from the Centre or been assisted with information or extra referrals for their transgender clients.

Two additional comments included "Visited my client in custody" and assisted in research/evaluation work" as action taken by the Centre.

Staff

All respondents who had interacted with staff agreed that staff were approachable, respectful, courteous and responded with appropriate information within a comfortable and confidential environment.

Resources

78% of the respondents agreed that the Centre's resources provided the information they needed to know. Not one of the services felt that the resources were inappropriate. One respondent stated that "Polare can possibly go into more detailed ac­counts."

Using the Centre

Items of most use to other services were the resources (books, magazines and pamphlets) and the fact that their service could liaise with the Gender Centre. Of next most importance were that the staff at the Centre were approachable and that the service was free.

The Outreach service to jails and hospitals was rated highly as was the friendliness of the staff and their readiness to answer questions.

Other Suggestions

Clients Wrote ...

"The staff at the Gender Centre are doing an extremely good job. To my knowledge no improvement could be made to improve client relations. Keep up the great work. I also thank you for keeping my spirits high."

"I think they've done a good job so far and being there for street workers is a very good thing also, I hope girls like me enjoy the benefits of being comfortable around people who like and treat you like a real person."

"I'm happy with the Gender Centre with all the things they do."

"I don't use the Centre much anymore but it was important in trying to sort things out initially."

"The Gender Centre has improved very much over the years."

"I like Polare as it is informative and a pleasure to read."

"At present it is good to receive Polare and to know the Gender Centre exists."

"Some staff can be abrupt and "stand offish" and should show more courtesy on the phone even under stress."

"If there was enough money - More outreach; Possibly other cities e.g. Newcastle, Wollongong, Central Coast etc; Go around other support groups such as drug and alcohol explaining the special needs, problems and attitudes of transsexuals."

"Extend the services outside of working hours so that they are more accessible by people in full time employment."

"Stop engaging in politics by using the word "transgender"

"Better communication between staff members."

"Maybe some more advertising in interstate queer newslet­ters."

"For God and the Goddess's sake please strike the word "trannie" out of common usage. I find it a very disempowering word ... friendly but disempowering."

"Longer hours for easy access to counsellors - maybe shift work."

"Fight to get surgery on Medicare."

"Social events in Canberra and non-Sydney areas."

"Outreach to G.P.s Australia wide."

"More health information for F.T.M.; More information on surgery options here and overseas for F.T.M.."

"More active interest in clients that are in crisis – mental institutions etc."

"A free call (1800) number would be beneficial to country clients like myself."

"The introduction of TAFE courses on Gender Issues which could facilitate regional participants."

"A Tasmanian Gender Centre would be good to help people with gender issues."

"Provide funding for professional services for people with gender issues wherever they live, i.e. through my local hospital or community health"

"Introducing its programs in school/universities and hospi­tals and giving training."

"If possible, co-operating with similar foundations in other countries and proposing such an agenda on people with gender issues to the World Health Organisation and the International Labour Organisation to take real action in protecting these people's rights all over the world, i.e. rights in medical treatment, at workplace and before law."

Other Services Wrote ...

"Perth needs your support."

"More outreach to country areas."

"Advertise services more at sexual health clinics and within the health service in general."

"I found the Centre to be responsive, approachable and able to provide useful information and resources."

"Congratulations on a quality service and a quality publication."

"I just want to repeat that from all my association in various ways with the Gender Centre, I believe much, much good and real and loving things radiate from there."

"Keep doing what you are doing."

"Keep up the good work."

"Keep up the good work. Never hesitate if services such as ours can assist you. (P.L.W.H.A. N.S.W.)"

"A major obstruction to gender reassignment work is the lack of finances whether personal or government supported."

"I will always refer South Australians going to Sydney to you as the best place for them to get any information/service or assistance. Keep up the good work and I can only see the Service going from strength to strength"

"Keep up the excellent work!"

"I was very pleased to have the telephone staff respond in a friendly cooperative way."

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.