As Pride Month 2025 gets underway our Executive Director for operations Ellie MacCarter offers our perspective on supporting inclusion for trans people in justice settings in the community.

Today we relaunch our research on the experiences of trans people in the justice system in community settings. As pride month gets underway, it’s right that we remind ourselves of the evidence of what works in delivering inclusive and responsive services for all the diverse people we work with. The executive summary is here and the full report is here.

I am proud to be able to share the actionable recommendations our research team developed. They are clear, remain relevant and can be used by anyone working in the justice system or public services more widely. They focus on listening to trans people and supporting colleagues with the knowledge and understanding to forge effective connections that strengthen our working alliance.

Shifting conversations

It’s timely to relaunch this research because national conversations about gender identity are shifting. This is particularly the case after April’s Supreme Court ruling that the definition of “woman” in the Equality Act refers only to women assigned female at birth and does not include trans women. There’s a risk that we lose sight of what we are trying to achieve amid the competing interpretations of what this means. For us, that’s the ability to walk alongside people as we support them to move away from harm and towards safer, more hopeful futures.

To do this well, our service must be accessible and treat everyone with decency, dignity and compassion. That means being inclusive in the way we support people who use our services and supportive of our own colleagues. Each person’s experience bolsters our community for sustained change.

Our services

Interventions Alliance operates three Independent Approved Premises (IAPs) where residents are legally required to live under probation supervision. In line with other custodial settings in the UK, these homes are divided by binary gender. Two of the homes we operate are for men and one is for women. Our homes aim to promote positive choices and reduce the risk of harm to themselves or others. Currently, the decision about which of these homes people are referred lies with the Prison and Probation Service who will convene a Local or Complex Case Board. The decisions made are influenced by a thorough assessment of risks, vulnerabilities and needs. We take our role in welcoming people leaving prison allocated to our trauma-informed homes very seriously, and want to ensure they are safe and appropriate for all residents.

For example, many women in our IAP have experienced significant trauma, often involving men. If a trans man is referred to a women’s IAP based on his sex assigned at birth, this will present challenges in maintaining a trauma-informed environment for everyone. These are not hypothetical questions, they are deeply personal and operationally significant. We will continue to engage closely with commissioners and partners to navigate this in a way that honours the dignity, safety, and rights of every person we support.

Our recruitment

This also applies to how we recruit. In some of our services such as our women’s IAP or our accommodation for women seeking safety from domestic abuse, we recruit women only. This is lawful under the Equality Act 2010. For clarity, this includes trans women with a Gender Recognition Certificate. The recent ruling does not change our stance on inclusion, and we remain committed to equality.

The only expectation we place on those who work with us is that they are committed to making a difference and share our values. I urge you to read this research with an open mind and a practical lens. Understanding the perspectives of trans people in the justice system is essential if we are to design services that meet their needs. As the national picture evolves, our commitment does not. We want to build services that are inclusive, trauma-informed, and grounded in the realities of the people we support.

The research executive summary is here and the full report is here.