Building a More Inclusive SCHS: The Work Behind Our Pride Logo and Rainbow Ready Initiative
Earlier this month, you may have seen the launch of our new SCHS Pride logo. This logo is a visible way of showing our commitment to LGBTQIA+ inclusion, respectful care, and making sure everyone who comes to SCHS feels safe and welcome.
While the logo is new, the work behind it is not. It represents several years of ongoing effort through our Rainbow Ready Initiative, work that focuses on making inclusion real in everyday practice, not just something we talk about.
What the SCHS Pride logo represents
The SCHS Pride logo was created to reflect our commitment to safe, respectful, inclusive, and affirming healthcare for LGBTQIA+ people, their families, and our wider community.
It was developed in partnership with the Rainbow Ready Work Group and reflects our values around health equity, diversity, inclusion, and person-centred care.
Importantly, the logo is not just a symbol or one-off campaign. It represents the ongoing work happening across SCHS to make sure people feel welcomed, respected, and supported when they use our services.
It also sits alongside other practical changes that are helping build a more inclusive organisation, from staff training to policies, education, and everyday practice.
The Rainbow Ready Initiative: how this work started
The Rainbow Ready Work Group began in 2023 as part of a Victorian Department supported initiative. It started as a small group of SCHS staff from different parts of the organisation, including leadership, clinical and non clinical services, and program support roles.
What connects the group is a shared commitment to inclusion. Members bringing a mix of lived experience, professional knowledge, and allyship. Together, they are working toward a clear goal: making SCHS a place where LGBTQIA+ clients feel safe accessing care, and where staff feel supported at work.
Turning commitment into action
Over time, the Work Group has moved from awareness-building into practical change.
One key step was receiving a grant from Rainbow Health Australia. This allowed four SCHS staff members to complete specialised LGBTQIA+ inclusion (HOW2) training through La Trobe University. That training has helped guide improvements in how we work, including more inclusive standards and practices across the organisation.
This work is also part of SCHS’s journey toward Rainbow Tick accreditation. We are currently more than 60% of the way there, with a goal of achieving accreditation in 2027.
While accreditation is an important milestone, what matters most is what it represents, better, safer, and more inclusive care for the people who use our services, and a more supportive workplace for staff.
Building visibility and shared responsibility
Another important part of the Rainbow Ready work has been building a network of Rainbow Allies across SCHS.
These staff members support inclusion in everyday ways, including:
- Helping support Pride-related events and activities
- Making inclusive practice more visible across teams and services
- Showing that inclusion is something everyone contributes to, not just one group
This helps reinforce that cultural safety is shared across the organisation, not carried by a single Work Group or individual.
Ongoing learning and conversation
The Rainbow Ready Work Group also runs regular Rainbow Recess sessions (previously known as Lunch and Learn).
These sessions are a space for learning, questions, and open discussion about how we can better support LGBTQIA+ people in health and community services.
A key part of this approach is recognising that no one is expected to know everything. Instead, staff are encouraged to keep learning, ask respectful questions, and know where to go for good information when they need it.
Sharing resources and knowledge helps staff to feel confident and supported in providing inclusive care.
Why this work matters
At the heart of it all, this work is about care.
It’s about making sure every person who comes to SCHS receives respectful, high-quality support, no matter their gender identity, sexuality, or cultural background.
It’s also about making sure SCHS is a workplace where people feel safe, respected, and able to be themselves.
The Pride logo helps make that commitment visible. The work behind it is what makes it real.
Looking ahead
As SCHS continues working toward Rainbow Tick accreditation, the focus will remain on learning, improving, and embedding inclusion into everyday practice.
We will also continue to recognise and support Pride-related events where appropriate, in ways that are thoughtful, consistent, and grounded in community need.
Most importantly, this is ongoing work. The Pride logo is not the finish line; it’s a reminder of the commitment we’re continuing to build together.