Social policies

Terrence Higgins Trust produces policy work of various kinds.

Often people ask us for workplace policies, and our Human Resource team can give advice on drawing these up. Similarly, health promotion policy advice will come from our Health Promotion team. 

Our Policy and Public Affairs team works on social and health policies. These are policies that will affect the health and social welfare of people with HIV or poor sexual health, and those most at risk of them.

Social policy priorities

For 2005-6, our greatest priorities in social policy are to work on prosecutions for transmission of HIV and addressing conditions for migrants with HIV. Our work in these areas includes:

• research and case study collection
• collaborative work with a range of other organisations to lobby for change
• information work to help people with HIV or those at risk understand the legal situation and their rights
• working with Government agencies, such as the Crown Prosecution Service, the Police Service and the National Asylum Support Scheme, to improve practice and policy
• supporting other agencies researching the issues.

How does THT decide its policies?

THT’s policies always spring directly from our experience of providing services to the majority of people with HIV in the UK and, increasingly, to people with other sexual health concerns. Our policy work is informed by the people using and providing our services, both formally through needs assessments and consultations and informally through feedback and comments. 

Whenever we realise a policy needs to be produced, we look at existing knowledge and research on the issue, talk to the experts (that is, people experiencing the issue) and consult people both inside and outside THT. If a policy is likely to be controversial (such as that on prosecutions, which differs from some other HIV organisations) we take our time with a more formal feedback process.

All THT policies are subject to revision in the light of experience. We welcome your comments at any time.