At A Growing Understanding, inclusion isn’t a statement on a wall. It’s how we work every day. We’re proud to have been recognised as a Gold Tier Service Provider through the Health + Wellbeing Equality Index (HWEI), with mentoring and support from Pride in Health + Wellbeing (our membership is funded by the Primary Health Network). This recognition reflects practical, organisation-wide changes that make our Centres safer, more welcoming, and more responsive for LGBTQ+ parents, carers, young people, and allies.
What is the HWEI and Why Does it Matter?
The Health + Wellbeing Equality Index is Australia’s national benchmarking tool for LGBTQ+ inclusion in health and human services. It assesses real policies, practices, and culture, so recognition isn’t about token gestures; it’s about measurable standards and continuous improvement. Working with Pride in Health + Wellbeing gave us a structured pathway to review where we were, identify gaps, and embed lasting change.
Our Journey to Gold: What We Changed
Taking part in the Health + Wellbeing Equality Index (HWEI) asked us to pause, listen, and take a fresh look at every touchpoint in our service, from the first phone call to how information is stored, from the words we use to the way our spaces feel. With mentoring from Pride in Health + Wellbeing, we turned that reflection into tangible changes you can see, hear, and feel when you visit our Centres or meet us online.
What you’ll notice as a family:
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Clear promises, not just good intentions
We reviewed and strengthened our diversity, equity and inclusion policies to explicitly support LGBTQ+ communities and align with best practice. In plain English, that means your family is respected as you are, names, pronouns, identities and family structures included, and discrimination has no place here. -
Trained, confident teams
Every team member completes ongoing LGBTQ+ inclusive-care training. We practise real scenarios (introductions, pronouns, privacy, and navigating tricky moments) so everyday interactions feel natural, warm and affirming. -
Safety built into our systems.
We developed risk mitigation and management procedures, tightened confidentiality and data access, and created simple scripts for sensitive conversations. You can trust that what you share stays private, and that we’ll act quickly and respectfully if concerns arise. -
Support that extends beyond our doors.
We built referral and stakeholder resources so, with your consent, we can connect you to affirming services in the community. -
Forms that fit your family.
We revised our intake forms and databases to include chosen name and pronouns, diverse gender options, and parent/carer fields that reflect different family structures. -
Welcoming spaces, on site and online.
We refreshed language, imagery and resources across our Centres, website and telehealth materials so inclusion is visible, not assumed. From the words on our walls to the way we introduce ourselves, the message is consistent: you belong here.
Behind the scenes, the HWEI gave us a structured framework so these changes are embedded, not ad-hoc. They’re now part of induction, supervision, audits and continuous improvement and are woven into how we plan, measure and deliver care, every day.
Why This Work Matters
We know LGBTQ+ communities experience higher rates of health and wellbeing inequities. As a service that supports families, we have a responsibility to ensure every person who walks through our doors or meets us online feels welcome, seen, and safe. That’s why we chose to benchmark ourselves against national standards through the HWEI. It keeps us accountable, helps us celebrate what’s working, and shows us where to grow next. Inclusion must be lived, not assumed, and this process ensures it’s embedded in everyday practice rather than left to good intentions.
One of our young people felt safe to share their gender identity and asked for help to communicate that with family. That moment, made possible by visible allyship and an affirming environment in our Centre, is exactly why we do this work.”
— Emma Hyde, from our June podcast conversation
These are the outcomes that matter most: families who feel they belong, young people who trust us with their stories, and a team equipped to respond with care. Our commitment to inclusion is ongoing, measured, and practical so every interaction reflects the values we stand for.
Gold Tier recognition is a milestone, not a finish line. We’ll keep listening, learning and improving, guided by our CARE values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Empathy, so every family experiences speech pathology services that are safe, affirming and genuinely welcoming. If you’d like to know how this work will shape your experience at our Centres in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie or via telehealth, please reach out. And if you have ideas about how we can do even better, we’re ready to listen.
