Staff turnover reflects the extremely unhealthy environment - Advocate Galop Employee Review

Insight into the reality of working at an organisation run by & for LGBT+ individuals.

Management, particularly within Advocacy & Support, lacks self-awareness and often creates a difficult working environment. Staff turnover is extremely high, and it is rare to see employees remain with the organisation for long. The culture does not appear to encourage retention, professional development, or long-term commitment. The workplace often feels highly corporate, performative, and disconnected from the values it publicly promotes. Training and policies around inclusion can feel superficial, especially when concerns about workplace behaviour are not meaningfully addressed. As a Black employee, I felt constantly scrutinised and monitored. While there may be attempts to appear understanding and supportive, my experience was that genuine understanding and action were lacking. Despite the organisation's public commitment to diversity, the team itself is not particularly diverse. Concerns raised by others about people of colour leaving or being pushed out resonated with my own observations. When employees raise concerns about poor treatment, they may be met with defensiveness, gaslighting, or dismissive responses rather than meaningful engagement and accountability. Training and onboarding are also inadequate. New staff are often expected to perform from day one with limited guidance or support. No workplace is perfect, but GALOP was significantly more challenging than I expected. If you are looking for a workplace where you feel genuinely accepted, valued, and supported, this was not my experience. In my view, many of the issues are systemic rather than isolated incidents. Employees can feel treated as numbers rather than individuals, with a strong emphasis on performance metrics and KPIs above staff wellbeing. Burnout appears to be common, and it is not unusual for employees to take extended periods of sick leave. Based on my experience, management often lacked the skills, understanding, or willingness to provide meaningful support to staff facing difficulties. These issues also appeared to affect service delivery. Clients with complex needs were frequently passed between different members of staff, creating the impression that the organisation struggled to provide consistent, tailored support. This raised concerns for me about how both employees and clients were viewed and supported. At times, there seemed to be a lack of awareness and understanding of the realities faced by the communities the organisation exists to serve. In my experience, complex issues were frequently reduced to assessments and referrals, leaving limited scope for meaningful intervention or long-term support. There are some genuinely kind and supportive individuals within the organisation, but overall the culture can be difficult to navigate. Discussions about racism and discrimination often feel oversimplified, with issues addressed through symbolic gestures rather than substantive change. For an organisation that advocates for marginalised communities, I experienced a significant gap between its stated values and its internal culture. Ultimately, I left feeling disappointed by both the treatment of staff and the quality of support available to those seeking help.

Great if you want to work within the queer community, with queer work colleagues and allies. Some lovely work colleagues who are supportive and friendly. Makes a positive impact for the queer community experiencing domestic abuse and/or hate crime. Lobbies for change regarding LGBTQ+ issues and has had successful campaigns. Keeps abreast of current issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community and asks the community how it is impacting them.

Funding restraints, as with all charities. An extremely high turnover of staff. High levels of staff burnout. A culture of bullying and harassment from some managers and some members of the Senior Leadership Team. Multiple complaints of bullying and racism. Very high workloads. A glossy culture of toxic positivity, which doesn't reflect what is actually happening at Galop. Lack of staff training. A history of clamping down on dissent and staff members who try to raise concerns. Not dealing with the systemic and organisational issues in order to improve staff experiences, or improve the service for clients.