Our services

Our speciality is delivering NHS & local government-grade services, to people, populations, communities who might fall within target demographics.

Testing

GMI started incorporating rapid HIV testing into outreach service in 2013, using our strong relationships with venues. This service is supported by the London HIV Prevention Programme (LHPP), as well as HIV Prevention England (HPE) and the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF).

We offer instant HIV antibody tests to clients in:

  • Partner agencies’ testing sites
  • Outreach venues where adequate privacy and security can be provided
  • Events where testing service is enabled

GMI’s testing model is unique. We apply a self-test coaching model in our service delivery, where we use HIV self-testing kits and STI self-sampling kits to demonstrate and to coach service users on how to test themselves, as well as providing Point of Care Testing (POCT). GMI is currently using BioSURE HIV Rapid Test which provides simultaneous detection of HIV 1 and HIV 2 and gives instant result in minutes.

At the moment, through our partnership with Barts NHS Health Trust, GMI provides Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Syphilis, Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea screening, alongside our existing HIV POCT provision. Please note that this service is only available where a lavatory is easily accessible.

For those who need follow-up and further treatments and supports, GMI has a dedicated team to facilitate their engagement with health care services as well as other support services.

GMI’s testing service is available to people aged 16 and over who are London residents.

Order a HIV Test

 

Mobile testing

The GMI Migrant & Newly Arrived Mobile Testing project is funded by Fast Track Cities (FTC) and Doctors of the World UK. This service utilises our skills and experience as community testers, capitalises on our multilingual staff and volunteers, and creates an early diagnosis and intervention programme in London.

GMI has a calendar of mobile bus testing events in London, using outreach staff and volunteers, delivering community based testing and education for migrant and non-English speaking populations. The service reaches into areas with identified high migrant populations, including:

  • Community hubs
  • Housing estates
  • High streets
  • Faith groups

GMI works closely with London Councils, Public Health England, faith leaders and key community contacts ensuring delivery of a locally supported service with targeted geographic coverage based upon localised intelligence.

We are offering/explaining, and creating appropriate methods of access to HIV prevention, sexual health and broader health services to our service users. This is open access for MSM but will target specifically Black African populations and migrant minority groups and the intersectionality between these.

The service is offered via GMI’s mobile health bus with two onboard clinic rooms for both testing and consultations. It provides:

  • HIV and sexual health information & service materials in multiple languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, French & Polish
  • Rapid HIV testing
  • Condoms and lubricant
  • Signposts and referral services for those with greater needs.

Outreach

Our regular outreach service is open to all gay and bisexual men who live, work or socialise in London, as well as transmen and other men who have sex with men, regardless of their HIV status. This service is supported by the London HIV Prevention Programme and collaborated with the Love Tank and Freedoms.

During the outreach session, we

  • Assess service users’ needs and risk levels
  • Provide up-to-date HIV prevention and other sexual health related information
  • Distribute condoms and lube, and
  • Refer those have complex needs to partner agencies’ services and those of other London providers.

One-to-one support is offered against initial contact assessments with potential for follow-ups and facilitated by robust referral pathways into partner agencies’ services and those of other London providers.

Our outreach services are delivered in a variety of community settings, with priority given to venues where risk factors are highest. Frequency and length of visits are planned generally in the following order:

  • Sex on premises venues (saunas, bars/clubs with known public sex spaces) bars and pubs
  • Large club nights
  • Special events (depending on risk e.g. Fetish Week, or promotional value e.g. Pride)

GMI has worked with more than 100 venues since its inception. The success of our outreach service heavily relied on the support from LGBT+ venues throughout London, and we are proud to be able to work alongside those community-minded enterprises.

 

Volunteering

GMI couldn’t provide the work that we do without our volunteers. We are working with our volunteers to provide quality HIV prevention, awareness and support services, and sexual health information, to our communities in London.

GMI has over 50 active volunteers currently providing outreach and testing. Volunteers are recruited via GMI and its partners’ recruitment processes. GMI adopts a centralised volunteer training and development system. GMI volunteers are trained regularly on

  • Outreach and communication skills
  • Up-to-date HIV prevention and care information
  • Sexual health information
  • Chemsex information
  • Applied research skills, and other topics that are relevant to the work that they provide

GMI has established a lead volunteer programme, where volunteers deliver outreach and manage shifts as leads. Prior to becoming a lead, the volunteer will be required to have worked a number of sessions under the supervision of senior staff or other lead volunteers, and demonstrate sufficient client engagement and management abilities.

GMI celebrates our volunteers with a range of social outings. Our dedicated team organises volunteer social events on a regular base. Previous events include go-karting, bowling, pub quiz, picnic in the park and many others upon requests.

 

Training

Being a lead provider of London’s HIV outreach prevention services for over a decade, GMI has immense knowledge and skills in the field to offer to individuals, professionals and organisations. GMI and its partners provide a range of training and workshops, include:

  • Outreach and communication skills
  • LGBTQI+ inclusive language
  • Up-to-date HIV prevention and care information
  • Sexual health information

GMI can tailor the training to any specific requests.

 

Support Services

Prior to April 2014, GMI partnership was commissioned to deliver counselling and mentoring to MSM with entrenched behaviours and high risk of HIV transmission. Today, although no longer provided directly as GMI’s core services, the enhanced support services with an expanded scope of sexual wellbeing, are available through each GMI partner agency.

HIV Prevention & Support

East & North London

  • HIV Counselling
  • HIV+ Peer Support
  • HIV + Support Groups

East & North London

  • +PALS HIV Support Group
  • Bezpieczny Rodak
  • HIV Counselling
  • Latino Seguro
  • METRO PPC Youth Groups
  • Positive People's Network
  • LGBTQI+ Adult Counselling
  • LGBTQI+ Youth Support
  • Trans Support

Research

Being able to reach and build relationships with many marginalised communities, GMI and its partners have been given opportunities to conduct numerous research projects to test innovative prevention methods, explore people’s needs and study trends in sexual behaviours and attitudes. Our research projects in the past include:

  • Department of Health ‘Time to Test’ national HIV testing pilots
  • PrEP Champion Project
  • Cross sessional online survey
  • Sex During COVID-19

GMI continues to seek research opportunities and research partners to collect more robust evidence for informed sexual health decision making at all levels.

.